Simone Simons Inspired Blue Winged Eye Using Chaos from the Electric Palette

Not having my good camera is seriously annoying...I really dislike using my phone but unfortunately I have no choice.  Here is a look I did using Chaos from Urban Decay's Electric Palette.  It is based off of Simone Simone's makeup from Kamelot's The Haunting music video. Because Youtube is blocked in Turkey linking it is difficult but I would definitely recommend checking it out.  Great song :)

I was a bit sad that it was so freaking hard to get the color even.  I used Lorac's primer, then NYX Milk, then took an insanely long amount of time trying to get Chaos to go on well.  From a normal viewing distance it looks perfectly fine but up close you can definitely see it isn't even. 

Here are some other angles.  you bet I went out in public like this hahahaa.  On my lips is Revlon Balm Stain in Honey.

And because I did it with the my Kamelot look here I am badly mimicking my reference pictures. Sorry one got blurry, I didn't notice until I had already taken my makeup off :(

<3__)~

Urban Decay Electric Palette

AAAAH! I've waited so long to finally have this and I love it so much <3

Unfortunately my appendix decided it wanted to explode the next day so I barely got any time to play with it.  However it is the only palette I brought with me to Istanbul so expect lots and lots of fun colorful eye shadow looks.  I've already done a bit of experimenting since getting to Turkey :D

So here is the top, very colorful and pretty.  My favorite thing about this palette? It has a magnetic closure! My mom has the Shattered Face Case and has a heck of a time getting it open.

So why do I love this palette?  Well first of all I always love the palettes that Urban Decay releases such as Vice 2.  I wanted it so bad, but it contained so many neutrals that I know I would never use that I just could not justify spending that kind of money on it.  BUT THIS! This is all colors, no neutrals, I have no problem spending $50 on a palette filled of colors that I know I will use almost daily.

Here are the colors! The brush is really nice too, and the purple bristles are like icing on the cake!

I instantly swatched the colors on my arm over both NYX Milk and UDPP. I think Fringe and Urban are my favorite colors so far.

And here is the very first look I did with my new palette.  This look was done using only UDPP, no NYX Milk because I wanted a slightly more subdued color payoff. I put Thrash on my lid, Chaos in my crease, Fringe on my bottom waterline, and Revolt on the inner corner and along the bottom lashline.  I finished the look with a black winged liner. I don't remember what I put on my lips because I suck.

Here is the outfit I wore it with, a super cute baggy Star Wars shirt I got from Think Geek tucked into a flowy black skirt.

Where to buy: Ulta, Sephora, Urbandecay.com

Price: $50

I bought it from Ulta while Ebates was having a 10% cash back deal, so technically I got it for $45 :P

I <3 Ebates.

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Laneige BB Cushion

I came across this BB Cushion sample in the latest Beauty Army box. I had heard about it and have been very curious to try it out.

Here is the cover, as you can see you push on the cushion and out comes the bb cream.

So this sample came with 4 different shades and I'm using the lightest (Light).

Here is the sponge after pushing down on the BB cream.

I then proceeded to pat this stuff all over my face. Also this picture is so unflattering oh my gosh.

As you can kind of see in this picture the lightest shade is a bit too yellow for me.  Nothing new here, I don't think I've ever received a foundation sample that was the right shade :/

So here are the claims made by the product, I'll go through each one and say whether or not I feel it lived up to this piece of cardboard.

Here is my BB Cushioned face in all its yellowish glory.  I do have to say it blends quite nicely, it just wasn't the right shade. However I had to use a ton of product to get this amount of coverage that I get from less than a single pump of my Skin 79 BB Cream.

1. Brightens- Ok, yeah I'll give it that my face definitely seems even and bright.

2.  Protects- It contains spf 50+, I went outside the day I wore this and got a sunburn on the back of my neck but not my face so yay!

3. Cools and Moisturizes- It did feel nice and cool when I put it on, but I use a moisturizer day and night so I can't really say whether or not the moisturizer in this product really did anything or not.

4. Prevents Shine-  This is where I think it contradicts itself a bit....it created shine! OH GOD SO MUCH SHINE.  I was a scary shiny mess after putting this on.  The second after I snapped this picture I covered it with a matte powder. I also do not have oily skin so I can't say whether or not it stopped my skin from getting oily.

5. Perfects Long Lasting Coverage- I can't really comment on this considering I covered my face in powder after this to try and hide the shiny finish and how yellow it made me.

Would I buy this? Maybe...but only if they made it in a less yellow shade and also removed the shininess.

Where to buy: Target, Laneige.com

Price: $34

Ok, nevermind, after finding out the price, even if they did have it in my shade it is 3x more expensive than my Skin 79 BB cream that matches me perfectly and smells better.  So, no I would not buy this.

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My Week in Istanbul

Hello everyone! I'm sorry it has been way too long since I've posted an update.  My dad, brother, and I came to visit my mom in Istanbul during her job exchange.  After a week my brother and dad went home but I am staying an entire month here!  Now that we are done running around like crazy tourists trying to see as much as we can in a week I can finally sit down and type. The next two posts after this will be updates that I had taken pictures for prior to my Turkey excursion and then after that all my updates for the next month will be done from Istanbul.  Unfortunately I was too nervous to bring my good camera with, therefore all I have for taking pictures is my cell phone and a cheap point and shoot.  I'm really hoping I can still provide some decent quality updates though!

Anyway I thought I'd share with you what I've been doing during my first week in Istanbul!

Day 1

This is the day we arrived so unfortunately we didn't have too much time to do things.  Upon getting there we had an authentic lamb kebab and then went to bed.

Day 2

Today we went to Topkapı Palace which is where the sultans lived.  It was very pretty and a pretty neat experience!

Finished the day with some delicious sea bass on Istiklal street.  There were police everywhere while we were leaving, most likely they were preparing to stop a possible riot.  It was kind of scary....

Day 3

We started the day with a giant traidtional Turkish breakfast! So much food but it was all so delicious!

Then we visited the Basilica Cistern.  It was really creepy and awesome.

At the bottom of two supports are upside down medusa heads.  It is unknown as to why they are here but some people speculate they were stolen from Rome and placed here as an insult to the Romans.

Day 4

Today we visited Chora Church, the largest church in Istanbul.  Luckily when Istanbul became predominately Muslim the church was not destroyed.  As a result it now contains some of the most well preserved and complete frescoes. It was very pretty.

Then we visited the Blue Mosque, the largest mosque in Istanbul.  It was also pretty awesome.  Only thing that sucked was having to wear a headscarf, that got really hot and uncomfortable after a while. My hair is shorter than some of the dudes that were in there, religion is really confusing sometimes.

We also climbed the wall that surrounded what used to be Constantinople.  This was my favorite part only because it was a climb at your own risk kind of deal.  No supports, super steep, and broken stone steps, I would never have been able to do something like this in America. 

Day 5

Today was a pretty lazy day. We met up with my mom's coworker and did some shopping. 

There are stray cats and dogs everywhere! The dogs just walk right up to you and wag their tails, they are all so friendly and cute!

A nice serene view!

And because this is a makeup blog here is the makeup I did that day! I did a winged liner using Fringe from the electric palette and then used MAC Heroine on my lips.  My mom's Turkish coworker absolutely loves my style and wants me to go to MAC with her to show her what I use :P

Day 6

Today we took a cruise down the Bosphorus Strait all the way to a tiny fishing village along the opening to the Black Sea

Here is a picture of the Istanbul coastline.  So much hill.

This was our view from where we ate lunch.  It was such an amazing photo op!

We climbed all the way up to an old castle, this is my brother looking out over the castle wall at the Black Sea.

And here is the dog we met at the top of the castle, he was such a cheeseball! By the end he was on his back begging us to rub his tummy :)

And here is the makeup I did that day.  Using the electric palette and NYX Milk I put Savage on my lid and then made a pointed outer corner with Urban and blended them together.

Day 7

Today was the day that my dad and brother had to go back to the airport....my mom and I were supposed to go out to eat later that day but unfortunately I caught the cold my mom had earlier in the week and was too sick to leave the apartment.  I'm also spending today being sick so unfortunately I probably won't be creating new blog content today :(

I really hope I get better soon.  At least tomorrow will be two weeks since getting my appendix out so I am feeling very very little discomfort from that anymore! 

I can't wait to go shopping for some Europe exclusive makeup! :D

I'd say the only negative thing I have to say so far about Turkey is the fact that Youtube is blocked. What. So stupid.  Of course it's easy to get around, but it  still makes viewing Youtube videos a pain in the butt.

<3__)~

Zoya Blue and Silver Flame Nail Design

This was definitely a nail experiment.  My friend said I should paint my nails blue and silver so I decided to try and get creative. This was the result! It isn't perfect but I kind of like the overall effect.

To do this I put down two coats of Timo.  I then put a generous drop of Seraphina at the base of my nail.  Using a very tiny paint brush I pushed the silver upwards to create a sort of flame effect.  I think next time I'm going to use a different brush, mine was a bit too stiff. I will definitely be trying this again with different colors!

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Audrey Hepburn/1950s Inspired look.

I went out swing dancing and wanted to wear my 1950s rockabilly dress so I did a 1950s look to go with it!

Natural light, eyes closed

Eyes open

Artificial light

Products used:

Face: Skin 79 Gold BB Cream Revlon Whipped Foundation Ivory Mary Kay Translucent Powder Lorac Blush in Soul Eyes: Mary Kay Eye Shadow Primer Burnout and Strange from Naked 3 NYX Matte Eye Shadow in Haywire Urban Decay liner in Flipside Cosmic from BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic NYX Gel liner in Black Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara Brows: Attempted to line them with a Maybelline brow pencil in Dark Brown Attempted to fill them in with Mary Kay eye shadow in Espresso Lips: MAC Russian Red

Here is my outfit!

Appendectomy, Graduation, and a Possible Lull in Posts.

I had emergency appendix removal surgery less than 24 hours before I was supposed to graduate college. Luckily there were no complications and all the nurses did everything they could to get me discharged in time to make it to my graduation in a wheel chair. I'm so glad I was able to walk and receive my diploma in person however I am not only feeling very sore but am also leaving for Turkey in a few days.  I wanted to apologize to my followers for a possible few days without any updates as I may be too tired or too busy to make posts.  I recently bought the electric palette and also picked up two NYX macaron lippies so definitely look forward to some eventual swatches and reviews of those products. :)

Unfortunately I don't think my May Ipsy bag will come before I leave so I may have to do a double bag review once I get  back and receive my June bag.

Here I am with my science major hood, tri beta tassels, and wheel chair! I don't think my makeup looks too shabby for throwing it on quick in the hospital bathroom. :P

Congratz to anyone else who may have graduated this week! :D

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NYX Eye Crayon in Milk + Dark Winter Lipsticks = SPRING!

So how on Earth did I not know about this sorcery sooner!?! I found out from NYX's facebook page that Milk can be used as a base on the lips so of course learning that its lip safe I instantly used it to make my lipsticks lighter! All I did was put NYX Milk evenly all over my lips, then applied whatever color I desired over top and it lightened it significantly.  Here I will show you what Milk looks like mixed with my two Revlon Matte Balm Stains!

I tried it out with Shameless and Sultry, two darker colors that I was very sad to have to retire once spring and summer finally arrive. Well I no longer have to worry about that! :D

The original color is on the left with the color plus NYX Milk being on the right.

And here I am wearing Shameless plus Milk.  It makes such a beautiful lavender color.

And here is Sultry.  With Milk it transforms into a nice my lip but better shade.

Overall, I am ecstatic that I discovered I could do this and I can't wait to see what other dark shades I can make more springy!

P.S. I graduate college today holy crap.

<3__)~

Kamelot Inspired Makeup Attempt

So as I mentioned in an earlier post I'm starting to rediscover my love for symphonic and prog metal.  In high school I was absolutely obsessed with Nightwish and Sonata Arctica.  I recently met a guy who is still very much into this style of music and he has rekindled my lost love.  He told me about Kamelot's newest album Silverthorn so of course I hopped on Youtube to check out some songs from it. Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife) was the first one I watched and I was instantly in love with the guest vocalist Elize Ryd's eye makeup.  I knew I would not be satisfied until I tried to recreate it, and so I did!

Here is the video, starting at 3:50 is where I took most of my reference pictures from. Silverthorn is amazing, if you like this kind of music I would definitely recommend it.

So here we go! I had so much fun doing this and just as much fun taking pictures! This look makes my eyes look HUGE.

Here is a side by side open and closed eye shot. This makeup is everything my high school self wished I had the skills to do.  On my lips is Buxom's Lip Polish in Sandy.

To do this look I first put down some UD primer potion and then NYX Milk as a base.  The eye shadow is entirely from Pop Beauty's eye shadow trio in Smokin Hot.  I lined my eyes with NYX gel liner and smudger.  I also put some NYX Milk on my waterline.  

And then because I'm ridiculous I tried imitating the faces from my reference pictures.  This was the result.  I am the definition of sexy, no? Hahahaha. This is embarrassing I can't believe I'm showing you guys this :P

I hope you liked my recreation attempt. I really wish I'd have had some false lashes I think it really would have added to the look.  Next up, I've been really loving Simone Simon's makeup from Kamelot's The Haunting music video...so maybe that will be next :)

<3__)~

Portrait Practice!

Recently I've found myself with a tad bit of time as the semester is winding down so I drew some portraits for a few of my friends.  I have become a little rusty as I havn't been practicing lately but overall I'm pleased with how these came out. I wish they looked as good scanned as they do in real life. I drew all three of these using only a mechanical pencil, an eraser, a paper towel, and a q-tip.

This is Aaron. I met him very recently and we hit it off marvelously.  We both have a similar taste in music and he has also been giving me ballroom dancing lessons, which is awesome!

This is Erica.  It was her birthday the day I drew this and she was very excited to receive it as a gift.  She has been a great friend for the past year and I'm going to miss her a lot when we graduate.

This is Sam.  She is my best friend in the whole entire world.  We met orientation freshman year and have been inseparable every since.  I hope we never stop being there for each other <3

Sam was rocking some sweet winged liner in the reference picture so I suppose this post is somewhat related to makeup! Haha.

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