Friday, September 30, 2011

FOTD: Darling Ghoul Halloween (WIN!)

I'll start off by saying that I like this look infinitely better. Not so much that yet again my camera is awful... but I like the look. It's a different color combination for me. I have trouble coming up with combos at times, simply because I stare at the pile of eyeshadows and go 'duhhhh...'.

I got Plum Bright and Lightscapade MSF from Mac's new collection yesterday, do any of you guys want swatches or a look? Let me know!

Anyway, rolling on with the FOTD...

FACE:
- Cover Girl Aqua Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer in Fair to Light
- Mac MSF Natural in Light to Medium
- Maybelline Superstay Concealer in Cream
- Sleek Blush in Suede (LOVE)

EYES:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- Darling Girl Glitter Glue
- Darling Girl Eyeshadow in Thriller (lid and middle lower lashline)
- Darling Girl Eyeshadow in Pretty Plasma (crease and inner eye, lower outer lashline)
- Darling Girl Eyeshadow in Pumpkin Eater (inner eye)
- Darling Girl Eyeshadow in Witch & Famous (lower lashline, doesn't really show)
- Sephora waterproof liner in Black (lower waterline and upper lashline)
- Maybelline One by One Mascara (Black)

LIPS:
- Darling Girl Color Rich Balm in The Pumpkin King (<3 <3 <3)






DISCLAIMER: Post contains products sent for review by owner. This does not change my opinion of said products and I received no monetary compensation for this review.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

FOTD: Darling Ghoul Halloween (fail)

Can I rage out and say how much I hate this look? Is that unprofessional? Sigh.

It's so bad that you don't even get an eyes open full face shot, and you get my closed eye grump face instead. It's not that the look is bad in person, per se, it's that my camera screwed it up completely! It looks like I have a bald spot in the eyeshadow that doesn't actually exist, the colors are dull and not as vibrant as they are in person... I could go on. Anyway, aside from needing a new camera, I forgot to bring one of the Halloween balms with me so had to use something random from my bag. Wendy not happy.

Oh well, maybe you'll enjoy it?

FACE:
- Cover Girl Aqua Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer in Fair to Light
- Maybelline Superstay Concealer in Cream
- Milani Blush in Dolce Pink

EYES:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- Darling Girl Glitter Glue
- Darling Girl Spectral Shift in Ghost Light (lid/lower lashline)
- Darling Girl Eyeshadow in Crypt Keeper (middle lid)
- Darling Girl Eyeshadow in Jack's Lantern (crease, lower lashline)
- Wet n Wild Shimmer Pencil in Blue
- Maybelline One by One mascara (black)

LIPS:
- Maybelline lipstick in Amethyst Ablaze
- Hard Candy Glossaholic in Chill




Oh well. At least my outfit was kinda spiffy. Sort of.
Earrings - Whimsy Beading
 Top - The Limited
Skirt - The Limited
Flats - Target
Belt - Kohl's


DISCLAIMER: Post contains products sent for review by owner. This does not change my opinion of said products and I received no monetary compensation for this review.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

FOTD: Bright and Tasteful

I had an urge to wear yellow eyeshadow on Tuesday, and I needed something wearable for work. Not that bright yellow isn't wearable at my job where no one really cares, but I do try to prevent my boss from saying something so that I then have to watch my hair colors and makeup and tone them down. I used Robyn as inspiration as she always does lovely yellow looks.

I love the lid shade, but I'm not a huge fan of the liner. I originally wanted to use my bright blue Sephora liquid liner, but I thought it would be too garish. Now I wish I had -- the glitter just isn't doing it for me. But the look is still pretty, and I hope you enjoy. (I also included another outfit picture, lots of people ask for them!)

BTW, Violetta looks like this. I promise.

FACE:
-Mac Studio Fix Powder in NC20
- Maybelline Superstay Concealer in Cream
- Mac Blush in My Paradise

EYES:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk
- Inglot eyeshadow in 60A (lid, lower lashline)
- Mac eyeshadow in Patina (crease, lightly)
- MUA eyeshadow in Shade 29 (lower lashline)
- BeautyUK Combo Palette, darkest brown shadow (to darken lower lashline)
- Inglot eyeshadow in 395P (inner corner)
- Wet n Wild Color Icon liner in Purple
- Collection 2000 Glam Crystal in Shake It Up!
- Maybelline One by One mascara (black)

LIPS:
- Mac lipstick in Violetta
- Essence Holographic Gloss in Lilac







Outfit:
Top - Old Navy
Necklace - Not sure (gift)
Earrings - Whimsy Beading
Skirt - Forever21
Shoes - No idea



Tuesday, September 27, 2011

FOTD: Use Yo' Stash #whatever (and OOTD)

I went digging in my collection today (technically this is yesterday's look) as I had dreams of a taupe smokey eye and this is what I came up with. I also took a picture of my outfit as it's more new clothing, sort of.

FACE:
- CoverGirl Tinted Moisturizer in Fair to Light
- Mac MSF Natural in Fair to Light
- Maybelline Superstay Concealer in Cream
- Mac Studio Finish Concealer in NW20
-Sleek blush in Suede

EYES:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Strut
- Inglot eyeshadow in 420P (lid, lower lashline)
- Inglot eyeshadow in 465DS (crease, lower lashline)
- Wet n Wild Vanity Palette (gold highlighter on the top row for brow highlight)
- Mac eyeshadow in Smoked Ruby (smudged as liner)
- Maybelline The Falsies mascara

LIPS:
- Mac lipstick in Ever Hip (blotted)
- Jordana Lip Out Loud gloss in ASAP








Outfit:
Top - Forever21
Necklace - The Limited
Belt - Papaya
Skirt - Forever21
Tights - Forever21
Boots - Rack Room (Limelight brand)

Monday, September 26, 2011

FOTD: Officially Autumn

As it's now Fall (even though it's 80 degrees here still), I wanted to do something that incorporated some colors from the season in my look. I was going to the house of another couple my husband and I know, for the boy's birthday. Just a small get together, nothing huge. I wanted to wear my new skirt from Forever21 as it's too short for work (but good for play!) and I went with a colorblocking type effect (outfit will be at the bottom of the post...)

I have to sincerely apologize for the quality of these photos and the variance in lighting. My camera does weird things to orange and red tones so I tried to take photos in a variety of lighting to show the shadows properly!

FACE:
- CoverGirl Tinted Moisturizer in Fair to Light
- Mac MSF Natural in Fair to Light
- Maybelline Superstay Concealer in Cream
- Mac Studio Finish Concealer in NW20
- Milani Blush in Dolce Pink

EYES:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- Sleek Monaco Palette: Washed Ashore (lid/inner lower lashline) and Sunset (crease/outer lower lashline)
- NYX eyeshadow in Sunset Ray (in between lid shades)
- Mac eyeshadow in Smoked Ruby (to darken crease and lower lashline)
- Jesse's Girl Pigment in Pixie Dust (inner tear duct)
- Ulta eyeliner in Bronze
- Maybelline One by One mascara

LIPS:
- Cover Girl Lip Perfection in Darling
- Mac Lip Gelee in So This Season








Outfit:
Top - Charlotte Russe
Necklace - Charlotte Russe
Earrings - New York & Company
Skirt/Belt - Forever21
Shoes: Target


Friday, September 23, 2011

The Balm and the Beautiful Palette Review + FOTD

One of my blogger friends, Mai, found this at her local TJMaxx and offered a CP, so kind of her!


Now, there's something interesting with this palette. You may or may not have seen a Muppets palette come out from this brand recently. It's limited edition, limited run, and obviously has special Muppet themed packaging. That retails for $44.50 and obviously is hard to find. Mai found this at her local TJMaxx for a mere $19.99. So, moral of the story, check your TJMaxx, because the palettes are IDENTICAL, minus the different styling of the package. The eyeshadows and lip/cheek colors are all the same.

This palette, instead of having Muppet theming, is a movie themed one. It's got vintage like images of movie scenes and all of the shadow and lip color names are 'characters' in classic movies (i.e. 'the supermodel'). I think the packaging is really cute and fun, I do like the branding of the company.



They even have a little section with color combo suggestions, and have a TV guide like time ticker running across the top, as if each shade were a spot on a television channel. The little details are really fun.

But what about what's inside?



You get 16 eyeshadows, a dual ended brush, 2 lip and cheek stains, and 1 lip gloss. The eyeshadows are 1oz. each, the lip and cheek stains are 0.14oz each and the lip gloss is 0.07oz. You're getting a lot of product for an amazing price ($20, seriously.) Now, this will be $44.50 when the palette launches in October. The Muppet version was special and this will release after that run has completed. Why TJMaxx put it out early is beyond me, but I'm not complaining.

I've never tried the Balm's shadows before, so I was excited to swatch them. These are on bare skin, natural light.


Left to right: The Oil Tycoon, The Estranged Mom, The Supermodel and The Bad Boy.

All four of these are nicely pigmented. The Estranged Mom is a softer olive shade; I would have liked to see better pigmentation. Same with The Bad Boy. The Supermodel is similar to Mac Amber Lights, though I haven't compared them side by side.


Left to right: The Southern Belle, The Mother-in-Law, The Guy Who Died but Didn't Really Die and The Mistress.

This row is more softer shades -- The Mistress is my favorite in this row... really nicely pigmented pewter with a hint of gold. The Guy... is an odd browney taupe shade.



Left to right: The Stepbrother, The Coma Patient, The Police Man and The Brain Surgeon.

The Stepbrother is more of an army green than The Estranged Mom. The Coma Patient is a pretty lilac in the pan but it turns pink on the skin which is a wee bit disappointing. I love The Police Man and The Brain Surgeon. TBS is a lovely plum with subtle shimmer.


Left to right: The Neighbor, The Stock Broker, The Basketcase and The Older Woman.

These are all quite shimmery, especially The Stock Brocker. The Neighbor has a lovely gold sheen to it. I call this the highlighter and no-eyeshadow-but-kinda row. My favorite is The Basketcase (lol) as it brightens up the lid without looking unnatural, and blends with a touch of pink duochrome. The Older Woman reminds me of Urban Decay Sin.

Pictures of the colors together, with and without flash:




These eyeshadows have a really interesting texture. They're smooth and silky, literally like butter so they apply evenly without looking patchy or chalky. My only issue is that some of them are SO finely milled that they blend away with barely any pressure of a fluffy brush. Some colors had the issue and others didn't -- The Brain Surgeon was a frustration for me when I used it as it kept blending away to nearly nothing. The good thing is that if the shades appeal to you but you feel they might be too dark -- don't worry, they do sheer out so it won't create super dark looks or anything.

I've done 4-5 looks with this palette and I do like the array of eyeshadows. They last over primer for 8-10 hours without fading. I do get some minor fading around that 8-10 hour mark, but no creasing to report.

This palette also includes 2 lip and cheek colors and 1 lip gloss:


Left to right: The Drama Queen, The Perfect Man and The Evil Twin.

The Drama Queen is a poppy red-orange with a smooth finish. This isn't as crazy bright as it looks in the pan, which is probably preferable for the eyeshadows in the palette. The Perfect Man is a soft purple-pink with slight pink shimmer. It's less pigmented than The Drama Queen. The Evil Twin is a neutral nude gloss -- it's got hints of both brown and pink so it's not too warm and not too cool.

I've used both the orange and the pink on my cheeks and lips and love the colors. The Perfect Man is really pretty for a slight flushed glow, and The Drama Queen is more of an in-from-the-cold look. They don't feel sticky or tacky, but do adhere to the skin nicely. They wear for 4-5 hours before I get any fading.

I haven't tested the gloss much as nude lips aren't my thing. When I did use it, I got 2-3 hours out of it and it wasn't drying at all. It gave a nice shine to my lips.

Overall, I think this is a great palette for $19.99. If I'm honest, I would have been upset if I paid $44.50, the usual price. The eyeshadows are just a bit too subtle for my tastes, though I do like creating looks with them. I just keep hoping for a little more 'oomph'. I'm probably a little biased though because I've just gotten done playing with Sleek and MUA Pro palettes!

Here is the look I came up with -- I was feeling pin-up because of my clothing but also because of the styling of the dress, and I really wanted to use The Supermodel.

FACE:
- CoverGirl Tinted Moisturizer in Fair to Light
- Maybelline Superstay Concealer in Cream
- Milani blush in Dolce Pink

EYES:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- theBalm eyeshadows in The Basketcase, The Supermodel and The Oil Tycoon
- Ulta eyeliner in Golden Eyes (lower waterline)
- Wet n Wild Shimmer Pencil in Blue
- Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara (Brownish Black)

LIPS:
- e.l.f. Studio Lip Stain in Red Carpet