Monday, July 25, 2011

Some slytherin green EOTD looks using Kat Von D gypsy palette

I have some pics to share from before my camera croaked, in salutation to Harry Potter I present my slytherin green eyeshadow looks.
These were all done with Kat Von D's amazing gypsy palette. Sadly this is one of the only palettes that is really hard to find now because it was limited edition.

I hope to inspire those that own the gypsy palette to play with the different colors and try new looks.
If you don't have the gypsy palette well I assure you there are dupes of these colors out there.

To dupe the colors in gypsy try MAC carbon, club, trax and bitter eyeshadows as well as true chartreuse pigment. Also try NARS night porter eyeshadow and The body shop 08 emerald eye shimmer shadow to create the same effects seen below.
Sorry I don't have a dupe for the cream eyeshadow, as it was pretty dried up when I got this palette :/

true love palette gypsy:

Here is my most recent dark smokey green EOTD that I wore to see harry potter and the deathly hollows part 2:



Full slytherin face:

Another lighter green EOTD:




And here I used all the colors on the right side of the gypsy palette. I adored this look.




Thank you for looking! And to my fellow Harry Potter fans, what did you think of the movie?

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

MAC style blush photos, swatches and FOTD

I'm not dead, I'm just taking some time off since my camera died! I found a few things on my computer today so I will post whatever I can before I get my new cam next week :)
Anyways, one of my more recent loves is MAC style blush.

My lame old camera didn't pick up the bright quality of this blush, when you see it in the store it looks very orange and almost a little fluorescent.
I was scared how it would look on my cheeks but very happily surprised to find out it's quite sheer.
Style is described as 'Coral-peach with gold pearl' my description is 'sheer peach with gold shimmer'. It's a very beautiful color and it reminds me of a brighter NARS deepthroat. Although deepthroat is much more pigmented.

swatches of style blush:

this is two swipes layered, the flash has washed it out a bit.

This blush is so sheer, I even have to layer it to show up on my skin! I like it though, since I never put too much on that way.

Wearing style blush, layered a couple times:

I like this color a lot because it really does brighten up my face. The shimmer particles are quite small and they don't exaggerate pores or look clownish in any way. It looks natural enough that I use this when I want to go for the 'nude' look.
I would not recommend this shade for deeper skin tones as I don't think it would show up unless you really piled it on. For fair skin, this is a must have peach color!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Max Factor false lash effect mascara review

Any mascara with the words 'false lashes' instantly grabs my attention. I'm obsessed with thick, long full eyelashes, but I don't like using actual falsies. Any mascara that claims to have the same effect as falsies is an instant buy.
I should mention that this mascara was sent to me from a friend in the UK for me to try, she knows how obsessed I am with mascara haha.

False lash effect comes in a huge black tube, shaped rather familiarly...
I've seen this somewhere before...
False lash effect brush:

Can anyone guess what other mascara this resembles? One that comes in an orange tube maybe..?
How odd that this looks just like cover girl lash blast only painted black!
More on that later, let's see if false lash effect really makes lashes look fake.

Well, no it doesn't give me fake looking lashes. I have yet to find a mascara that actually makes lashes look fake, but the closest would be diorshow blackout.
What false lash effect did do was give length, separation and held onto curl nicely.

wearing Max factor false lash effect:

I really like this mascara because it gives your lashes that fuller look by separating the lashes. I also loved the length it added.
What I didn't love was that after a few hours I would get little black specks flaking off onto my face. No smudging, just some slight flaking. The funny thing is that Cover girl lash blast did the exact same thing on me. I can't help but wonder if these mascaras are identical. I haven't used lash blast in a long time but from what I remember it performed exactly the same as this!
Overall this mascara is pretty nice, but do beware that it might flake a bit. The waterproof version could be a better option for longer wear.

Anyone wanting to try out false lash effect but can't get Max factor, don't worry just go pick up cover girl lash blast.

repurchase? possibly in waterproof version, or might just go for waterproof lash blast!

rating: 4/5

price: £10.99

Friday, July 8, 2011

Kat Von D true love palette EOTD

I had a lot of EOTD pic's I did with this palette saved on my computer, but they somehow got deleted. I only managed to find one look that I did- and I can't even remember exactly which colors I used. oops!

I really like this palette, but I don't love it. I'm not really a fan of purples, but if you like them then I'd say you need to get it.
There are four different purple shades (including a white/purple duochrome) and some really pretty neutrals (which I tend to go for).

What I use most and adore about this palette is the cream eyeshadow! It's called benji and it's this awesome warm toned coppery color. I am sad because it's just starting to dry out and I need to find something that's similar to it. Any reccomendations?

Here is my EOTD using Benji and some of the purples:





I guess I love the copper color because it really seems to make the green in my eyes stand out.
Help me find a replacement!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Trash review: Revlon colorstay foundation

The latest product I've completely used up is Revlon colorstay foundation for normal/dry skin.
I've had a few issues with my skin in recent months and this foundation has saved me!

A few months ago I had a major breakout from trying a new alpha hydoxy acid lotion, leaving behind horrible scarring on my chin.
I also started a new job where I am doing a lot of physical work and sweating a lot. On top of that it's become very humid here and my skin is now slightly oily yet still dry...very finicky.

So I need a foundation that :
1. will stay on through sweating/blotting/in melting humid hot weather
2. will not clog my pores
3. will cover up redness, scars and pimples
4. will not irritate my sensitive skin
5. will most importantly, match my pale skin!

I usually use L'oreal true match foundation shade N1, (I love this) but it just doesn't stay put all day through heavy sweating and hot weather.

Colorstay has provided my skin with excellent staying power, great coverage and best of all, no break outs! Actually, the best thing is that it doesn't irritate my skin one bit.

Ivory 110 is a perfect match for my skin! It's very neutral, not too pink or yellow. It blends in with my skin quite well.

swatch of colorstay ivory:

blended in:

I love the finish of this foundation. Very natural and skin-like. When I put it on it doesn't look like I'm wearing anything, just great even-toned healthy skin.
This lasts all day until I take it off. It performs like a high-end foundation should.


There are a couple of down sides to colorstay, but I've worked them out!

First, it can be tricky to blend. I apply a thin layer all over my face with my fingers and a second layer patted over the contours of the eye and any spots or blemishes.
One layer won't cover everything. It can look a bit streaky if you don't take the time blend it well, so I take my fluffy face brush and dust over it with some powder to set it and smooth everything out.

Second, it can be difficult to remove. I had a really hard time at first finding a way to remove it at night without stripping off my skin!
I tried using oil to soften it and then used another cleanser to take it all off but I found I was breaking out from the oils. I found an excellent cleanser that is gentle yet effective, clean and clear makeup dissolving foaming cleanser - it is amazing and it takes this off so easily! I will be reviewing that cleanser in the near future.

Overall, I really like this foundation and have already repurchased.
I've tried so many foundations so it's great to finally find one that really works for me.
I should mention a while ago a tried colorstay in ivory for oily/combination skin and it was just a disaster on me. The color oxidized into an orange/pink after applying and it started to break me out. Obviously this was the wrong choice for my skin type.

One of the great things about this is that it isn't too expensive. One bottle lasts about 3 months which is average for me and liquid foundations. It's readily available and often goes on sale.
I say give it a try if you are looking for a long-wearing comfortable foundation.

repurchase? yes...again and again!

rating: 5/5

price: $16 CAD

Monday, July 4, 2011

Urban decay midnight cowboy lipstick photos and swatches

I have always liked Urban decay products, but now I actually love them. Well, most of them anyways.

I got a mini lipstick (so cute!) in the color midnight cowboy in a set a while ago. I thought I'd show some swatches.

It's a lovely beige color, with gold microshimmer. It is quite sheer, I used it heavily for these swatches.
On my lips it isn't very intriguing, just sort of adds some shine and a slight beige cast. I liked it but I found that the shimmer was a bit gritty.
Also this color wore off really quick. I usually get a couple hours out of UD lipsticks but this one maybe 1/2 an hour and it's gone!



Do you like urban decay lipsticks? Any colors I need to check out?