My Naked Face

Quirius

2010-05-27T15:00:00.000-04:00

Quirius, or QRS as it is sometimes called, is a brand that I am totally unfamiliar with. The bottle I have is called Starry Night.

It is a bright, shocking blue-purple! I love it! I've gotten a lot of compliments on this and think that it would work beter as a toe polish. Very pretty and the pic does not do it justice.

Opulent Cloud

2010-05-24T10:06:00.002-04:00

Today's NOTD is Sally Hansen Opulent Cloud. The color morphs from a steel grey to almost lavender and gold.

The top pic shows the steel color, the bottom shows the lavender shift. So Pretty!

The polish is a little bit thick but still easy to apply and opaque in two coats. This is a gorgeous polish!

Aromaleigh EOTD

2010-05-22T15:49:00.000-04:00

For my EOTD, I wanted to try out some blues.

I used:

Dominion Sonic Rocks! (A bright, clear blue. Discontinued)

Not So Silent Night (Dark, shimmery blue. Discontinued)

Mink Coat (Mink Coat" Eye Plush: A neutral mauve Plush with cocoa undertones.)

I love how this turned out. Dominion and Not so Silent Night are two of my favorite blues!

I Won!

2010-05-17T19:35:00.001-04:00

I recently won a blog giveaway from the lovely Lisa at Glammed-up She has one of my favorite nail polish blogs and I am forever envious of her nail art. If you aren't a follower, I suggest you do so right away!

She sent me a bunch of gorgeous polishes that I have never seen before.

From left to right:
Sally Hansen Opulent Cloud
Nicole by OPI Shimmy Shimmer
Funky Fingers Jester
Funky Fingers Hyper
SpaRitual She's a River
Funky Fingers Bourbon St.

From left to right:
Quirius Starry Night
Set of essie containing Berry Hard, Mega Mini Fill in the Gap Base Coat, Fishnet Stockings
OPI Ink
Claire's Magic

So many gorgeous colors! Which should I try first?

e.l.f. Kit Swatches

2010-05-16T16:01:00.000-04:00

I wanted to post the swatches from the e.l.f. kit I got recently.

Unfortunately there are no names of the colors on the kit itself. Too bad because there are several that are really nice!

These are the eye shadow swatches, over primer. You will definitely need primer with these as they are rather sheer. The colors surprised me by being very wearable for a neutral look.

These are the lip colors. Again I was surprised by the pigmentation and wearablity of the colors. Still very sheer but buildable to get the color you want.

Would I recommend this? I would if you are looking for an inexpensive kit for something like travel. The brushes and liner included with this kit you can toss as they don't work. I plan on using this kit, along with my own brushes and liner for quick easy looks.

Simple EOTD

2010-05-15T15:42:00.000-04:00

I did a very simple look using two colors from Aromaleigh.

Rocks! Eyes: DIRTYDEEDS: deep burgundy red with opposing blue and green sparkle shimmer

Rocks! Eyes: SHADOWPLAY: teal green iridescent glitz fades to the blackest black

I think it came out very nice.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good pic - this is the best!

Shut Up and Drive!

2010-05-12T11:23:00.001-04:00

My NOTD is by Lippmann, called "Shut Up and Drive"! I LOVE the name of this polish!

I also love the color, the application, the color and have I said the color?

This is a sheer pink with loads of fine silver sparkle. I have on three coats and loved it a little more with each coat. I could have gone with a fourth coat but the time was gettign away from me.

The polish in the bottle looks very similar to Depend 165 polish but that is a more of a cream polish and the pink is much thicker.

e.l.f. Collection

2010-05-07T18:33:00.000-04:00

When I was grocery shopping this week, I spotted an e.l.f. display for the mini makeup collection kit. I've never seen e.l.f. anywhere other than my local dollar store or Big Lots. Because they were only $9, I picked one up.

The packaging is really a lot nicer than I expected. Very sleek and seems quite sturdy.

When opened , it unfolds into two layers.

One side is eyes and face, the other lips. The colors look very wearable but are not listed in the packaging. It's described on the e.l.f site as:

"Mini Makeup Collection

The convenient makeup collection for eyes, lips and face that allows you to be your own makeup artist whenever, wherever. A great value for any makeup lover!! •An all-in-one compact including the must have makeup essentials, in mini, medium and large sizes! •Create any look that reflects your personal style •The small sleek design is great for on the go beauty touchups 27 Pc Mini Includes: 9 eyeshadow shades, 1 cream eyeshadow shade, 1 blush, 1 bronzer, 10 lip gloss shades, 1 brow powder, 1 eye liner pencil, 1 dual ended eyeshadow applicator and brush, 1 face brush and 1 lip brush."

The brushes are quite small and I haven't swatched anything yet. It's listed on the site as $15 but is often given away with promo codes.

Lippman Shape of my Heart

2010-05-05T13:05:00.001-04:00

My NOTD is by Deborah Lippman, called Shape of My Heart. This was created in partnership with Shape Magazine to support breast cancer research.

I apparently have a thing for pastel pinks! This is a sheer pink, and needs 3 coats to be opaque. However, I will say that this is oneof the best and easiest pastel polishes to apply. Goes on very smooth and dried quickly. My new favorite pastel pink!

Aromaleigh!

2010-05-04T15:01:00.002-04:00

Along with my foundation samples, I just had to pick up a few more Rocks! eye shadows! They came, as usual, in a lovely pink present.

I got several Rocks! a lip balm, and of course, my 3 samples.

The colors I received are as folllows (descriptions taken from website):

Rocks! Eyes: blacksunshine: deep black with sparkling gold shimmer resulting in a green gold fantasy

Rocks! Eyes: avalon: Earthy bluish green accented with magical sparkles. blacklight reactive.

Rocks! Eyes: shadowplay: teal green iridescent glitz fades to the blackest black

Rocks! Eyes: dirtydeeds: deep burgundy red with opposing blue and green sparkle shimmer

Fig- Not your basic brown, this has hints of rose and gold, and is luscious and metallic when applied.

Lillith Eye Lustre: A truly chameleon-like shade in a base of heathery grey

Lulu Eye Lustre: Glorious red garnet gleaming shimmer

Under Natural Light:

With flash:

I love them! I didn't swatch over a primer, which I think Avalon needs. Once again, lovely bright wearable colors from my favorite place!

I wanted to add a note about the lip balm. All the lip products have been discontinued on the site and are at an extreme discount! This particular scent, Cocoa Orange Decadance, is my absolute favorite lip balm ever. Go grab some while they are still there!

Aromaleigh Foundation

2010-05-01T19:17:00.001-04:00

When I switched back to using MMU foundation, I decided to go back to Aromaleigh. Not being patient enough to bother with swatches at the time I placed my order, I went with 2N Voile. It was supposd to be neutral right?

I placed an order this week for, finally, samples of the entire 2 color range Voile line. The 2N was looking a bit orangey on me and it was high time I found out my exact color.
I placed my order on Tuesday, got my shipping notification Wednesday, and received my package Friday. Another kudo's for the incredibly fast ship time!

Here are my swatches on my actual skin - blotchy mess in all it's glory.

You can see how orange the 2N is on my skin. It's a great neutral but it's definitely not me.

Again, 2N is the wrong color for me.

Which one is the right color?

I could see right away that all the straight colors on my left side; i.e.2C, 2P, etc, were not good matches.

However, when you start mixing them with Linen, as on my right side, they get a LOT more wearable.

I'm still undecided on which one is my best match. I have completely ruled out 2C, 2P, 2W, 2YL, and unfortunately 2N.

I will need to continue swatching larger areas tomorrow!

European Bargain Brand Essence Debuts in U.S.

2010-05-01T11:12:00.000-04:00

European Bargain Brand Essence Debuts in U.S.

"First, Brit beauty bargain brands Boots and Rimmel made the trek across the Atlantic to great success in American store shelves.Now a beloved German brand is looking to do the same.Essence -- a value cosmetics brand that is sold in 30 European countries -- has finally debuted their concept of fun, playful cosmetics for less than $5 a pop to the aisles of Ulta stores and Ulta.com. The line is especially known for their dizzying array of 99 cent nail polish flavors, which can be adorned with peel-off nail art stickers and artisan paints. Other options more typical of higher end lines include false lashes, multiple pigment concealer wheels and baked eyeshadow pots made in Italy.Yet bringing the successful European brand onto American soil wasn't easy."The market here is very competitive, and one of our biggest challenges was getting clear instructions on what you can and can't use in cosmetics here. It can be so confusing. European regulators are much more clear," says Karin Lisci, senior supply chain manager.But Essence has scored right off the bat; we love how the display units have testers for every product, so there's no guesswork on how sheer or pigment-dense the shades are.While the most popular customer age range is a young 14 to 20, Essence has many older buyers who enjoy adding a product here and there to their cosmetic bag arsenal. The versatile liquid eyeliner pen is a top pick for all ages, as it draws a thin line when held straight, or can be applied at an angle for a thicker, more dramatic line.Now if only Italy could send over shoes at budget prices, we'd really be talking."

Yay! I'm so excited! I've seen this brand mentioned on several beauty blogs and am looking forward to trying it myself! Do you have any lemmings for this brand?

Bumblebee Eyes!

2010-04-29T12:55:00.000-04:00

I used the following AL Shadows:

I used Dandelion Satin Petals Frost Eyeshadow

asphalt: darkest ebony matte black offset by the brightest sparks of pink and gold.

italian ice: sweet and tart bright lemon yellow with pretty pink sparkles throughout...

It came out super bright and pretty - much brighter than any thing I normally wear. I don't have an action shot because my camera is still being difficult.

Chanel Nouvelle Vague

2010-04-27T10:26:00.002-04:00

I was lucky enough to get one of the polishes from Chanel's Summer Collection called Nouvelle Vague. It's a lovely pastel turquoise creme, not overly green or blue. It applies rather sheer as do most pastels, but it's opaque in two or three coats.

This is two coats and I could have put a third on but am too lazy! It's a great color from both spring and summer and would make a great toe polish as well.

Aromaleigh Sale!

2010-04-26T13:26:00.000-04:00

http://blog.aromaleigh.com/

ENTER GETPRETTY in the coupon code box at checkout! (don't forget to press "apply" to see your discount taken) to receive 30% off your entire order!

I know I will be getting more Rocks! and trying a few new foundation colors - what will you get?

Short Break

2010-04-16T10:03:00.003-04:00

I will be away from a computer for the next week. I'll be back posting as soon as I can!

Milk of Magnesia?

2010-04-15T10:52:00.005-04:00

I've been reading on some of the makeup forums that a lot of people have had GREAT results using Milk of Magnesia (Phillips' brand) as a primer. They say it keeps the oilies at bay for hours. I've also seen mention of it as an acne treatment.

Have any of you used this on your skin? I've tried a few times and wasn't impressed. I haven't used it regularly or given it much of a chance though. It left a while cast on my skin as it dried but that was easily covered by my MMU. The only primer that has ever really worked for me is Monistat Chafing Gel - best stuff hands down for my skin.

Directions are to use the Original formula and to apply with a cotton ball or pad.

I'd love to hear different reviews!

Let Me go!

2010-04-13T13:15:00.000-04:00

Today's polish is a lovely one from Sinful Colors - you all know how much I love that brand! It's called Let Me Go and it's gorgeous!

In the bottle, it's a blue-pink swirled combo of colors. On my nails it's quite different.

I only have two coats on, and you can see my nail line. I didn't want to go with a third coat because I fell in love with the pinky-peachy shimmer that it turned out to be. It's very very sheer and looks pink or silver or peach depending on the light. Love this!

EOTD

2010-04-12T10:06:00.000-04:00

Today's EOTD is done with all Aromaleigh's Shadows. I used:

Coppelia: A lovely berried plum plush matte base with a dimensional smooth violet highlight.

Rocks! Eyes: ROCKBOTTOM- Deepest darkest sinful brown with dark indigo blue sparks

Rocks! Eyes: doubledare- Deep greyed purple with intense green sparkles

This was a little too pink for my tastes but I was still happy with the way it turned out!

Return to Osaka Revisited!

2010-04-10T14:30:00.005-04:00

I recently won a blog contest from the lovely Shatteredshards of A Girl and her Shadows. Her blog is on my list of daily must reads. She always has great and accutate reviews!

The colors I won are from Aromaleigh.
Dandelion Satin Petals Frost Eyeshadow: A soft, yet vibrant pale yellow, with subtle gleams of gold.
Rocks! Eyes: dominion: A spectacular indigo blue accented by dark gold glimmer

Not So Silent Night: Deepest pure midnight blue with a shock of aurora borealis sparkle. (This was a LE from the Holiday Blast 2008 Collection)

These are completely wearable blues and can be applied as sheer or as heavy as you would like. These are also not colors I would have picked for myself - I'm so glad I am able to give them a try!

Unfortunately, Not So Silent Night is no longer offered on sight. BUT ... you may still be able to snag one or two with Miss K's forum only garage sale!

Brush Drying

2010-04-10T14:17:00.000-04:00

I've always heard that you need to dry makeup brushes upside down after washing. How? I had no idea how to dry them upside down - until I came across an article with pictures.

These are my "face" brushes, my every day use brushes for foundation, blush, finishing powder, etc.The article I read (please let me know if it's yours so I can credit you!) gave the solution of looping hair elastics over a towel rack to secure the brushes. It works perfectly and they were dry in no time!

Wet N Wild Perfect Pair

2010-04-03T20:58:00.000-04:00

The creme shadow sticks by Wet N Wild called perfect Pairs are a perfect mess. I was hoping to find a cheap substitute for MAC's Shadesticks, but these didn't come close.

I got two colors - 111 which is a pink creme stick paired with a black liner, and 112 which is a beige creme stick paired with a brown liner

As soon as I opened the shrink wrap on these and pulled off the lid, the creme stick shadow fell out ... on both sets! Strike one.

I really wanted to like these as the colors are quite pretty. The second strike against these is that the creme shadows instantly smudge, along with the liner. I did use a primer first. I ended up looking like I had two black eyes with not a trace of shadow in sight.

My verdict? Don't waste your money. Even though these are only $3.00, they are a complete waste. You could put that money toward a Shadestick.

I do have some wonderful finds when I shop WnW makeup, like their cream liners in the little pot. Those are wonderful and mu go to cream liner. These just didn't live up to my expectations!

Happy Anniversary ..

2010-04-01T11:38:00.002-04:00

... to me! Today is my 5 year anniversary with my significant other and while we are both working today, I did get this very sweet and unexpected surprise!

It's a basket of fruit-flowers! I love it!

Back on Track!

2010-04-01T11:08:00.000-04:00

Thanks everyone for being patient with me while I fixed the camera!

Today I bring you Sinful Colors Soulmate. This is a creme verging on a pastel - a very light salmon pink. Application was a bit streaky, as is with most pastels, and is opaque in two coats.

I LOVE this color, it's so pretty and reminds me of spring. However, the color made my hands look so red. It just doesn't like me. I'm having a hard time figuring out what tones and shades look good with my skintone. I just pick what I think is pretty!

I also have some WnW creme shadow sticks to swatch and review for you! I will do this in the next day or two - I promise!

Technical Difficulties

2010-03-27T20:31:00.001-04:00

Please bear with me as my camera has died. I hope to be back very soon!

Lubu Heels

2010-03-23T07:37:00.001-04:00

Lubu Heels by China Glaze is the polish I'm wearig right now. It's a black cream with a fine red shimmer. Black and red like the famous heels it's named for.

In the pic it looks a bit brown but believe me, it's completely black!

Here is another pic to show the red glitter a bit more:

This was opaque in two coats but I went with a third coat to get more depth. Application is very smooth like most all the China Glazes.

I really like this polish; it's the polish I would reach for when trying to "vamp" up my look!

The Rest of my Aromaleigh

2010-03-20T13:23:00.001-04:00

I was able to swatch the rest of my Aromaleigh haul. Picture taken with flash:

Color Descriptions taken from site:
prettyvacant: intense matte nectarine. blacklight reactive
velvetgoldmine: terracotta redux with glam golden sparkles.
live-wire: a brilliant sparkly lemon yellow. sealant/base recommended.
moonagedaydream: exquisite deep teal blue with gold shimmer.
asphalt: darkest ebony matte black offset by the brightest sparks of pink and gold.

I really like all of these. Prettyvacant restores my faith in matte shadows and Moonagedaydream is the PERFECT shade of teal.

I did want to compare Livewire to Italian Ice as they look very similar. In indirect lighting:

As you can see, Italian Ice has a much paler base. Livewire is more of a true yellow to me. Here is another shot of these two with flash:

They are both yellow and are both different. For someone who is a true fan of yellow shadows, I would say you need them both. Because I'm not a yellow connoisseur, I will stay with just the two samples!

Aromaleigh!

2010-03-18T17:17:00.000-04:00

These are some swatches from my latest Aromaleigh Haul.

Descriptions taken from Aromaleigh:

ROCKBOTTOM- Deepest darkest sinful brown with dark indigo blue sparks

Aromaleigh Drama Queen Eyeliner: DRAMA RED

Damask Pure Eyes Frost Eyeshadow: A great "nude" shade... use as a base, highlighter or all-over color.

italian ice: sweet and tart bright lemon yellow with pretty pink sparkles throughout.

neon lights : soft flame orange with sparks of blue.

suspectdevice: smooth matte tangerine coral. blacklight reactive.

These are all wonderful! Bright, easy to apply, everything I ever hoped for ... except Suspect Device. I could not get it to blend or even apply. I swatched it over primer but think this one would work much better with something sticky like Pixie Epoxy ... which I don't have.

However, with the years I've shopped with Aromaleigh, this has been the FIRST shadow I have been dissapointed in. I think that says a lot about the company!

TSS THE END!

2010-03-17T20:29:00.000-04:00

Finally I am posting the last of my TSS swatches! It's about time I get this over with.

The first three are: (descriptions taken from site when possible)

Ecstacy Unleashed: Fleshy neutral

Shot the Messenger: Pure gold

MOONLIGHT WHIMSY: Taupey rose shimmer

Next we have:

Passion Dance: Matte medium pink

The Big Guns: Pale gray

The Art of Attitude : Matte black

Funky Chicken : Pale Yellow

RAZ MY TAZ: Soft woodsy lavender

HAPPEN STANCE: khaki green

WACK JACK: Deep woodsy olive with a hint of navy (not even close to the site description!)
Leos and Lovers :Taupe
Center of the Universe : Shimmery peach
Crystal Wind : Sheer white
Crazy for Crabs : Shimmery purple
Dark Side of Light : Pale khaki
Baited Breathe : Pale flesh color

Here is another pic of the same swatches:

Out of all the TSS shadows I've purchased, I maybe like 10 of them. The rest are nothing special, or are completely awful.

Of these swatches, I liked Shot the Messenger, Moonlight Whimsy, Center of the Universe, and Crazy for Crabs.

In summary, I would not buy any full size shadows from TSS. I doubt very seriously that I will purchase when the company changes directions in the future. There are too many companies (Aromaleigh, Fyrinnae, Meow Cosmetics to name a few) that I KNOW have great products.

This was a waste of time and money.

Savina

2010-03-17T20:04:00.001-04:00

Savina is a nail polish that I am unfamiliar with. I saw a display of these polishes at my local TJ Maxx-type discount store. Lots of pretty colors and one that I tried.

This polish is called Coppersville. It's more of a cooler, bronzy color than a true copper. I love the color and the application was very smooth. It's opaque in two coats.

What I didn't like is that this chipped the first day I wore it. I like my manis to last a few days and at times, they have to last a week if my time is short. It was a little dissapointing, but I will definitely look for more of these polishes.

Aromaleigh Part 2

2010-03-13T15:13:00.001-05:00

For the second order I placed, I got a lot of colors I don't normally use. I wanted to try to expand a little into unknown makeup colors.

Rocks! Rockbottom shadow

Rocks! Doubledare shadow

Eyeshadow Primer

Rocks! Suspect Device sample

Rocks! Pretty Vacant sample

Rocks! Velvetgoldmine sample

Rocks! Livewire sample

Rocks! Moonagedaydream sample

For my freebies, I got Neon Lights, Italian Ice, and Asphalt; all from the Hot in the City collection. I also got Sugarplum Fairy lippie.

Rocks! shadows are all being reformulated and the existing shadows are all on sale now - get them while you can!

As you can see, I'm giving oranges and yellows a try!

Aromaleigh!

2010-03-13T15:07:00.002-05:00

I love Aromaleigh - there, I said it. I love the products, I love the selection, and I REALLY love the quick ship time. I ordered a bunch of things with Miss K's honeymoon promo and they got to me super fast.

I ordered :
Just the Balm Ma'am lip balm
Cocoa Orange Decadence Lip Balm
Perfect Color Infusion Lipstick
Rosewood Pure Blush

For my free samples, I got Drama Red, Damask, and Rockbottom. (The Rockbottom was in place of Hazelnut which is sold out.) I also received Cakewalk lippie.

All of the lip products are being discontinued - get them while you still can!

Mini Chanel Haul

2010-03-13T15:03:00.000-05:00

I have generous friends. Yesterday at work, one of my co-workers gifted me with two brand new Chanel nail polishes! Totally unexpected and very sweet.

I got Vendetta and Vamp. Love the way they look in the bottle, can't wait to try them!

Pink EOTD

2010-03-11T11:13:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I wore a look made up of Aromaleigh's pinks! I think it turned out well. I have a hard time wearing pink on my eyes as it tends to make me look a bit ill. I did like this combination though.

I'm wearing all Aromaeigh shadows.

Ballet Pure Hue in inner crease. (The Pure Hues are no longer available on site. A nice substitute might be Edie Eye Lustre: Pearlized glimmering medium pink.)
Velvet Crush Gothic Lolita in outer V (Velvet Dream : Vivid deep gothic garnet with pink sparks.)
Mireille Bete Noir in crease and under lower lash line. (Mireille: Scrumptious cool purple with pink and coppery sparks.)

My blending job isn't that great as you can plainly see but I did like this just the same!
Do you have any favorite pinks?

Blogger Award

2010-03-10T11:04:00.000-05:00

Getting tagged always makes me feel good! I was tagged by Recessionista of Nouveau Cheap, one of my favorite blogs. I always go there first when thinking of making a drugstore purchase!

The requirement for recieving this award is to reveal seven facts about myself. So, here we go!

1. I'm terrified of heights. Tall bridges make me panic. I'm ok if I'm just looking out a window, but put me outside and I am terrified!

2. I love my job. I really do! I work with a good group of people and I have a fantastic boss.

3. I'm growing out my eyebrows. That sounds weird but for years I've overplucked them. Now, finally, I'm letting them return to a normal shape.

4. My comfort food is pizza. I love it in any form with just about any topping. Pepperoni is my fave!

5. I'm extremely intolerant of apathy. Drives me nuts when I need and answer from someone who could really care less.

6. I grew up in Florida, east of Disney. My family always had loads of relatives staying with us for their Disney vacation.

7. I am also terrified of falling. The feeling of falling is so scary. I don't do roller coasters or ferris wheels. I would rather pull out my own teeth.

So, that's me. Now I need to tag seven other blogs that I love!

Along with everyone else kind enough to read my blog!

Courtney Orange

2010-03-08T18:13:00.000-05:00

Courtney Orange is the name of the Sinful Colors polish I am wearing. It's a super bright orange, without being neon, with a lot of fine gold shimmer. I had a hard time getting an accurate pic of this, but the one shown was the best.

Application was a dream, like most of the Sinful polishes are, and is opaque in two coats. This is such a bright happy color and makes me ready for spring!

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-08T12:21:00.002-05:00

I saw the film "Alice in Wonderland" yesterday at an IMAX theater. While I know that there are so many "Wonderland" themed reviews, I wanted to add my own.

Wonderful! I'm not a huge fan of Tim Burton and this definitely has his stamp on it. However, the imagery and most of the characters were spot on for me. If you have were hoping the Disney classic animated film of Alice in Wonderland would be this film, you are going to be dissapointed. This is a more grown-up version of Alice. This is quite a bit darker in tone than the animated film.
I really enjoyed it. K, my SO, had asked if the books needed to be read prior to seeing the film and the answer is no. It stands up well on it's own.

I really enjoyed it and enjoyed seeing it in 3-D.

Moving on, why does it seem like every film coming out soon is in 3-D? It that the "thing to do" now? I don't want to see every single movie in 3-D.

Mani Fail!

2010-03-06T17:54:00.003-05:00

All of my boasting about my Big Lots haul has come back to bite me. I need to learn that, as much as I love pastel polishes, they do NOT love me back!

This is Borghese's Angelica Blush. This pic is after a base coat, 3 coats of polish, and top coat. It goes on very streaky and could have actually used a 4th coat had I liked it or been more patient. Application was awful and I had to fight with the brush to get it this good. The color just makes my hands look red and dirty somehow. I think it's because of the VNL.

Too bad. Maybe I can make a Franken? Mix in some of the TSS pigments that are also dissapointing?

TSS Swatching Continues

2010-03-05T12:56:00.001-05:00

I'm nearing the end of my TSS samples and am not convinced that the shadows are all that great. They look great on site and in the bag, but on my hand not so much.

Pic taken with flash:

Here we have the following (Descriptions taken off TSS website when possible):

Blush-a-Baby blush (Sold Out) : Soft baby pink

Blazing Angels (Sold Out) : Lavender with silver shimmer

Kissed by Sin (Sold Out) : Exactly the same as Blush-a-Baby!

Living With Rams (Sold Out) : Soft brown with pink hi-light

Beauty Babe (Sold Out) : Bright Coral - pink

SHARE YOUR SCRETS: Sheer rose 'tree bark' brown

Here is a pic taken in natural light:

Again nothing that special. I do like Living With Rams. I also like Beauty Babe but that's because I have an exact dupe in Aromaleigh's PH Hibiscus.

I can't believe that Blush-a-Baby and Kissed by Sin are exactly the same. I think that Kissed By Sin was a shadow but can't remember and it's no longer on site. None of these really stand out and I can't see myself reaching for them on a regular basis.

Not impressed at all.

Still Swatching!

2010-03-03T16:51:00.001-05:00

I am still swatching my The She Space eye shadow samples I ordered. The first set I swatched was just ok; the second set I loved. Unfortunately, I am back to just ok.

With flash:

Color description by The She Space:

STOLEN SOUL: Turquoise Powdered Diamond Dust

Heart of Happiness (Sold Out): Iridescent Pink

Exploring Everything (Sold Out): Shimmery Purple

Practical Energy (Sold Out): Matte Pinkish Peach

Too Much Thought (Sold Out): Pale Pink

Chained up Heart (Sold Out): Orangy Peach

(Colors listed as Sold Out are no longer found on the TSS website)

Another pic with natural light:

Stolen Soul is very dissapointing. On the website, it's a rich sparkley black with blue shimmer. On my hand it's a sheer black with one or two sparkles. Because this is the only one still found on the site, I have no idea what the others were supposed to look like. I honestly thought after swatching both Practical Energy and Too Much Thought that I was swatching foundations.

The only two worth keeping are Exploring Everything and Chained up Heart. Heart of Happiness is a dupe for an extremely old Sweetscents pigment I've had for years.

Everything I've read about TSS has said that the shadows are hit or miss. I'm still hoping for more hits!

Discount Haul

2010-03-03T16:34:00.000-05:00

Over last weekend, I made a trip to Big Lots, one of my very favorite discount stores. If you aren't familiar with Big Lots, it's a discount store that carries a little of everything - from food to furniture with ever changing stock. If you see it, buy it because it might not be there again!

I was pleasantly surprised by the cosmetic section and grabbed a few things.

I got two Revlon lipglosses, a Borghese polish and a Sally Hansen polish.
The Borghese polish is called Angelica Blush, and the Sally Hansen has no name. It looks like a dark navy polish with subtle shimmer.

The two lipglosses I love! Both are really pretty on and the color is super saturated. After washing my hands with soap, the color stayed on. I really had to scrub to get it off!

All this for $7.00! I love finding things like this!

More TSS Swatches

2010-02-27T15:00:00.001-05:00

I was able to swatch a few more of the The She Space shadows I purchased samples of. I've read for a while how loyal the TSS fans are. From my last set of swatches, I really couldn't understand what all the hype was. After today, I am totally sold!

Pic taken in sunlight.

Color Description by TSS:

ROOT OF EVIL: Blackened Purple with a twinkling layer of baby blue, lilac and hot pink
Eye of the Storm (no longer available): Smokey Teal with silver and taupe sparkles
KISS THE FROGS: Rich forest green with a touch of olive
FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: Fresh picked shimmering orange with a hint of pink
PITCHED A FIT: Blackened raisin shimmer with a slight crystal sparkle

Pic taken in room lighting.

With Flash:

I am in love with these colors! They are rich and highly pigmented with just the right amount of shimmer and sparkle. I don't like overly sparkley shadows, and these are perfect. They are very smooth in application.

My favorite surprised me : Fire and Brimstone. I didn't think I could ever wear an orange on my eyes but I got a ton of compliments when I did. I'm really impressed with these and can't wait to swatch more!

M.A.C Buy 3, get one free!

2010-02-26T11:01:00.001-05:00

This Saturday, Feb 27, MAC will have a buy three, get one free on all lipglasses (Viva Glam not included).
I know this will be happening at Nordstrom, please check with any retailers.
Time for me to stock up!

Feeling Great

2010-02-24T08:43:00.004-05:00

My NOTD is a bright, cheerful pink called "Feeling Great" by Sinful Colors. I love the color and love the name - I am actually feeling great with this polish on!

It's opaque in two coats and application was very smooth. Most of the Sinful Colors I've tried have been easy to apply and this was no exception.

It's not as neon as it appears in this picture.

TSS Swatches

2010-02-23T20:29:00.006-05:00

I finally received the samples I ordered from The She Space.http://www.theshespace.com/
It took about a month, but Heather (the owner of TSS) was great in her communication so I wasn't too concerned. As she has decided to go in another direction, all of her existing product is on clearance.

I ordered 40 samples of eye shadows/ pigments and blushes. These are the first five shadows I've swatched.

Descriptions on the TSS website are as follows -
ALWAYS A PLAYER: Cocoa berry
PERISH THE PANSIES: soft denim blue
GOTHIC GLAMOUR: Blackened pewter shimmer
SIDE STEPPED: Woodsy plum berry
TEAR JERK: Rich shimmering navy with a layer of twinkling baby blue and grape

Here is another pic to show the sparkles.

I don't necessarily agree with the site's color descriptions. Tear Jerk is a pretty color but doesn't look anything like the site pic. The other four I swatched do look like the site pics, but with Side Stepped and Always a Player you will need to use a heavy hand. Perish the Pansies also looks like the site pic but again you will need to use a heavy hand for this matte shadow.

So far I am OK with the samples. I don't see one I need a full size of just yet.

E.L.F. Primer

2010-02-21T14:15:00.003-05:00

I ordered the E.L.F. primer after reading good reviews about it. So far it seems to be working well for me.

It's a very runny, almost watery primer that feels very slippery on skin. I try to give it a few minutes to set on my face before applying my MMU.

Pros:
Price. This bottle of primer was only $6.00 on the E.L.F website. O ordered several brushes at the same time and I found a coupon which helped with the final price.
Finish. This really seems to fill in my pores, especially the large ones on my nose.

Cons:
Texture. I'm not sure that I like the slippery feel of this primer.
Skin reaction. I've been having a few breakouts as of late and don't know if it's the primer or hormonal. I'm going to give it a little longer before making my final verdict on that.

I do think this primer does a good job. I would say it's worth the $6.00 but I don't know that I would pay more.

Mixology Makeup Review

2010-02-20T15:12:00.002-05:00

I ordered a "blogger review" kit from Mixology last week. Almost immediately after placing my order, I was contacted by Rae, the owner of the company about what samples I would like to see in my kit. I had no preference. The reason for this is that I tend to gravitate towards certain colors and I wanted to see a more broad spectrum of what Mixology had to offer so left it up to Rae.

Mixology Makeup can be found on Etsy, as well as their own store front at Mixology Makeup. Mixology was featured as part of the gift bags for the 2009 Emmy awards as well as competing in the 2009 Beauty Olympics.

In my package, I received samples of Afterglow Mineral Veil, Violet Mirage, Radiate Illuminizer, Inked, and Plum eyeshadows. My package was wrapped neatly in a bubble mailer. I did not receive and invoice but did get a nice hand-written note. As this was a review kit, I was not concerned with the invoice.

As described by Mixology:

Afterglow Mineral Veil : Afterglow Mineral Veil gives off the soft glow of candlelight for the "dew" effect, it is a translucent mineral suitable for all shades and skin tones. You can wear under foundation to smooth fine lines or over foundation to help set your look.

Inked Eyeshadow: A dark, shimmering black with a hint of silver! Makes a great shadow or eye liner.

Plum Eye liner: Plum is a deep purple liner that pops on all eye colors, you can't go wrong!

Violet Mirage: These go with anything! This looks white, but once you brush it on you will see the translucent color in Violet.

Radiate Illuminizer: Give off the radiant glow of candlelight; Mixology illuminzers impart a soft glow to cheeks and brow. Dust gently over foundation or eyeshadow, will leave skin with a delicate glow and a flawless focus. Radiate is a very soft pink that is almost pearlessent.

All of the website descriptions are spot-on. The pictures of the Afterglow and Radiate Illuminizers are a little bit darker on the website than what I received.

Here is another shot of the Violet Mirage, trying to capture the duo-chrome.

Mixology's price points are very competitive. Eye shadows and liners are priced at $8.00 USD for 3 grams of product. Illuminizers are $14.00 for 20 grams of product. Mineral Veils are $20.00 for 30 grams of product. Samples are priced at 5 for $5.00 for all products.

The three shadows I received are easy to apply and very creamy. I like these a lot because I tend to have a lot of fall-out with overly sparkly shadows. The sparkle and shine in these is much more along the lines of a shimmer finish.

My verdict: Mixology Makeup has a wide variety of colored shadows as well as foundations and finishing powders. I am very pleased with what I received and think that both the Radiance Illuminizer and the Afterglow will both work on my fair skin. I also can't wait to try Inked, Plum and Violet Mirage on my eyes.
My only complaint is that the samples arrived in clam-shell containers. I personally do not like clam-shells as I seem to spill them trying to get them open. Again, this is a personal view and I do know loads of people love the clam-shells. I'm just not one of them.

Rae's communication was great, shipping time was super fast and I'm pleased with the colors. I would definitely purchase from Mixology again!

Wearing a violet satin teddy while on a merry-go-round

2010-02-18T18:44:00.000-05:00

I decided to have a little fun while naming today's EOTD.

I used all Aromaleigh products.

Calliope (En Pointe collection) to highlight

Satin Laces (Gothic Lolita collection) on inner half of lid

Teddy Wisp (Gothic Lolita collection) on outer half of lid

Violet Ruffle (Gothic Lolita collection) in crease and to line upper and lower lashline.

Morbid Gilded Angel

2010-02-16T19:05:00.000-05:00

I wore all Gothic Lolita, made by Aromaleigh, eye shadows today. I'm always surprised by their depth every time I wear them.

I wore:

Angel Bouquet all over lid up into brow. This is one of my all-time favorite highlight color.

Gilded Jealousy on outer V.

Morbid Curiosity in crease and on lower lash line.

I really love the entire Gothic Lolita collection and am firmly convinced that every shadow in the collection can be worn with all the others!

Lotus Rouge

2010-02-15T20:49:00.000-05:00

I was really surprised when K, my significant other, gave me two Chanel nail polishes for Valentine's day! It's not a day we normally make a big deal out of, so this gift was incredibly sweet.

The first one is a rich red creme called Lotus Rouge. Application is very smooth and it's opaque in one coat. I should have stopped at one because I hurried the second coat and I smeared it a bit. All in all, a gorgeous color and the perfect red.

Please excuse my dried up hands and my wonky crooked middle finger!

Masques Galore!

2010-02-14T15:33:00.010-05:00

The Recessionista of Nouveau Cheap (http://nouveaucheap.blogspot.com/) had a giveaway not long ago that I was fortunate enough to be one of the winners!

The prize was a bunch of Montagne Jennesse Masques!

I received the following single ones:

White Chocolate Ultra Deep Cleansing masque

Apricot Scrub

Cool Banana/ Hot Banana scrub and cream

Green Tea Peel Off masque

In addition I received a 5-pack.

In the box were these masques:

Deep Sea Mud Pac

Cucumber Peel-off masque

Fruit Smoothie masque

Passion Peel-off masque

Red Hot Earth Sauna masque

They all sound delicious! In honor of Valentine's Day, I decided to try the White Chocolate first!

The packet has plenty of product in it so application was great. The masque is smooth and creamy, just like you would expect anything labeled "chocolate" to be. It does smell like white chocolate but not overpoweringly so. Just a light, sweet scent.

It tightened as it dried, something I didn't really expect from such a creamy masque. I'm left with super soft skin. I really like this masque and can't wait to try the rest!

Henna!

2010-02-13T10:20:00.013-05:00

Today is my henna day. About every six weeks, I devote most of a day to hennaing my hair and today is that day!

I've been using henna for years and years and love what it does for my hair. I get a gorgeous red color and my hair is left shiny and healthy. I first started using henna when chemical dyes left me with open sores on my hear and my hair started to fall out. Not Good!

I was a redhead as a child but as I've gotten older, it's faded to a nondescript brown. Henna gives me back my red!

For my concoction, I start with Body Art Quality henna. Some of the henna mixes on the market that are not pure henna contain mineral salts. This mixed with henna can give you a lovely shade of green rather than red! BAQ henna is guaranteed to be pure.

I purchase mine from Mehandi (http://www.mehandi.com/). Their henna is great but there are a lot of etailers whose henna is just as good. I prefer to shop Mehandi because it is attached to the Henna for Hair website. (http://www.hennaforhair.com/) The website has loads of great info.

My mix is quite simple - lemon juice mixed with henna. That's it, no extra stuff. I use lemon juice for the high acidity. Adding anything acidic (lemon juice, vinegar, etc) will help the dye to release and make the color brighter.

This is mixed until it looks like this:

Henna has a very grassy, earthy smell which I find very pleasant. But we can't just glop this on our heads, there is a process that has to happen first! Henna has to sit for a while until it releases it's dye - usually upwards of several hours. If I plan ahead, I will mix the henna before I go to bed for use the next day. It needs to be covered up while it sits.

It's a little hard to tell in this pic, but the top layer of the mixed henna has oxidized. By dragging a finger through the henna mix, you can see that only the top has darkened. This is one of the ways to tell that henna has reached the dye-release stage.

At this point I also add a squirt or two of honey, for shine and moisture, and a cheap silicone-free conditioner to make it creamy and easier to apply.

After putting petroleum jelly all over my face and neck, and making sure I have plastic gloves on, it's time to apply to my hair! I will still end up with a orange hairline, but the petroleum jelly keeps most of it from staining.

After making sure I have coated each strand, I wrap my head up in plastic ... and get ready to wait again. I try to leave the henna on my hair for at least 2 hours, more if I have time. Now you understand why this is a day-long process!

I left my henna on for 3 hours. I rinsed most of it out in the tub. To get the remainder out, I glop on some more of my cheapie conditioner and work through several times. This is the best way to remove the mix - conditioner works much better than shampoo!

You can see I do have a bit of an orange part too! This color will oxidize over the next day or two and darken a little - not so orangey and more auburn.

If you do decide to henna, please know that you have to commit to it - it's almost impossible to remove from your hair. Chemical color strippers will only open up to hair cuticle and force the henna in further. It's recommended that the only read solution to removing henna from your hair is to grow it out and cut it. So please make sure you want to go red before you henna!

The All Natural Face Purples

2010-02-13T10:03:00.003-05:00

I haven't touched my samples from The All Natural Face in some time. I suppose I didn't really want to after reading mixed reviews, but wanted to revisit them.

For my EOTD I used:

Evening Orchid on lid

Midnight Plum on outer V

Twilight in crease and upper and lower lash line.

Aromaleigh's Sylph on brow bone.

I really still like these. The blend well and aren't too over the top shimmery. Shadows with just a bit of shimmer or matte work best on me I'm finding.

Plus, the price for samples is unbelievable! I will still continue to use these.

Brush Haul!

2010-02-13T09:48:00.006-05:00

About a week ago, my kabuki brush died. The handle came apart from the brush part and I wasn't able to fix it.

So time for new brushes! Even though I really only needed one, I got 3.

I ordered from E.L.F. (http://www.eyeslipsface.com/) I've read a lot of good reviews about their brushes and at $3.00 for each, I thought I didn't have much to lose if they were awful.

They all feel very soft although they smelled very "plastic" when I opened each brush package. Nothing that a quick wash won't fix!

The powder brush is a flat top brush that I plan on using to replace my kabuki. It's super soft.

The complexion brush is a bigger brush than the powder brush but is very thin width-wise. I thought it would be round and it's more flat. I still think it will do a good job of applying finishing powders.

The brush brush is smaller and round, but tapered a tiny bit.I plan on using this for contouring.

I also ordered E.L.F.'s primer. The primer was also really inexpensive at $6.00.

A little goes a very long way with this! That little bit covered my entire hand and most of my wrist. It feels very thin, so I will have to actually see how if feels on my face.

Serena

2010-02-13T09:41:00.003-05:00

I have had Sinful Colors' Serena and Chloe for quite some time but have never touched it. After using it, I understand why.

In the bottle, I love it! Deep orange with fine gold shimmer, what's not to love?

The application is tricky and this polish is very very thin. I'm not sure how many coats it would take to achieve the bottle color but I stopped at 3. There is definitely visible nail line here.

Because I hated it so much, I decided to try a matte topcoat. That only made it worse!

This is one I don't think I will use again.

Green EOTD

2010-02-10T19:00:00.004-05:00

Today's EOTD is brought to you by Aromaleigh.

I used :

Cypress Opulent Lustre on inner corner.

Myrtha En Pointe on lid

Umber Pure Eyes matte in outer V and crease.

It's funny how I think my shadow is so dark, and it looks so light in the pics!

Purple!

2010-02-09T14:13:00.005-05:00

It's a purple day here!

First my NOTD - OPI's Pamplona Purple.

This is a bright, warm purple cream that is opaque in two coats. I could have gotten away with one but used two. Application is really smooth. It has started to chip around the edges though - my only complaint.

My EOTD -

This is a Aromaleigh shadows.

Rosy Cheeks Eye Plush from lash line to brow.

Strawberry Despair Gothic Lolita on lid.

Purple Princess Gothic Lolita in crease.

I can't always wear pinks or reds near my eyes as I will usually look sick or tired. With the addition of the Purple Princess, the colors look much cooler than they usually would. Or, at least they do on me!

Fashioned in Finland Giveaway!

2010-02-07T14:50:00.001-05:00

The lovely Nea is having a giveaway now that she has hit 300 followers! You can find it here: http://fashionedinfinland.blogspot.com/2010/02/giveaway.html

Good Luck!

Mailcall!

2010-02-06T18:07:00.008-05:00

I love to get things in the mail - makes me all giddy :)

I ordered a few things online the other day and they arrived amazingly fast. I am incredibly spoiled by Aromaleigh's quick ship time.

I had to replenish my HG cream, which I purchased at Drugstore.com. Super fast shipping and they sent me a little tube of toothpaste as a freebie.

I also received my Aromaleigh order. I have been lemming their Ultra Resolution finishing powder and it was 25% off this week. The timing was perfect!

As my freebies I ordered:

Googoomuck Sonic Rocks!

Rosy Cheeks Eye Plush

Mink Coat Eye Plush

I was looking to add a couple of neutral shades to my collection and the Eye Plushes look great.

I also got a sample of Notorious, also from the Rock! collection.

Aromaleigh describes these as:

"Mink Coat" Eye Plush: A neutral mauve Plush with cocoa undertones. So smooth... Midtone

Rosy Cheeks: Midtone Rose Plush with cocoa undertones. Try this one on your cheeks! Lovely. Plush finish, Midtone.

Rocks! Eyes: GOOGOOMUCK: smooth but subtly shimmering greenish yellow.

notorious: A warmer red than our 'firewoman"... but still divinely a perfect RED.

While looking at my new goodies, it looked as if Rosy Cheeks was an almost perfect match of Calliope, from the En Pointe collection. So I decided to do the swatch test!

Rosy Cheeks is on the left, Calliope is on the right. As you can see, these two are actually nothing alike. Rosy Cheeks has a definite pink undertone and Calliope is much more sparkly. I love them both!

Lavender Cloud

2010-02-06T14:59:00.006-05:00

I recently tried Sally Hansen's Lavender Cloud nail polish.

While the pic is a little blurry, it was the closest to the actual color. This is a very pale lavender cream polish that I had high hopes for.

This was awful. The application was so bad I had to remove it immediately. When I applied it, the color looked like I had painted my nails with correction fluid! The color was so streaky and glooped everywhere. The lavender was no where to be seen and the end result was a cakey, white mess.

I'd like to know if anyone has a different experience with this. Maybe I just got a bad bottle?

Burnt Angel Princess

2010-02-05T08:19:00.004-05:00

I've named this EOTD for the colors of Aromaleigh's Gothic Lolita collection that I used.

AL's Angel Bouquet all over lid from lashes to brow

AL's Burnt Roses in outer V

AL's Purple Princess in crease and to line

It's surprising how soft and neutral these colors can be. While most of the colors in the collection are deep and multi-layered, with a lighter hand you can have an everyday smokey eye. I am really pleased with how this turned out!

EOTD and NOTD

2010-02-03T19:33:00.008-05:00

Today I am posting yet another attempt at an EOTD.
I used:
AL's Aloe Pure Eyes Frost on inner 1/2 of lid.
AL's Loden Pure Eyes Frost on outer 1/2 of lid.
AL's Rockbottom Sonic Rocks! in crease, outer V, and lining upper lid.

I got a lot of compliments on this and was very pleased at how it came out.

My NOTD is Essie's Lady Godiva. I love this! So easy to apply, opaque in two coats. It's the color of dark chocolate. I was really pleased at the easy of application and would go so far as to say it's a jelly rather than a cream polish. It looks as if you could sink into it.

Please forgive my dry cuticles!

Small Haul

2010-01-29T15:38:00.005-05:00

After taking a few days off of work, I feel refreshed and revived.

I also went shopping and came back with a very small haul!

I got :

OPI Top Coat

OPI Pamplona Purple

Essie Lady Godiva

and also received my prize from the lovely Nea's blog contest!http://fashionedinfinland.blogspot.com/

It's a lovely pink polish made by Depend. The color is No. 165.

The polish is pink with a lot of fine silver glitter. I don't have anything like this and it's just gorgeous!

En Pointe EOTD

2010-01-24T17:06:00.003-05:00

Today's EOTD is the following:

Using all Aromaleigh's En Pointe shadows:

Sylph to highlight and in inner corner.

Pique on lid.

Elgie on crease, lining upper lid, and outer corner.

I am determined to get the hang of taking a decent pic!

Aromaleigh Angels

2010-01-24T12:59:00.002-05:00

All Aromaleigh Angels colors will be retiring in two weeks!http://blog.aromaleigh.com/

The response to this donation program has been underwhelming and Aromaleigh just can't continue with the program.
I will admit, I'm one who hasn't purchased any of the Angel shadows. Now is a good time to change that before they are all gone!

What's your daily routine?

2010-01-23T17:39:00.009-05:00

What is your daily routine as far as skin care? Do you use a lot of products and have a lot of steps? Or have you simplified it down to only one or two things?

If you have, I am envious! I don't think I use a ton of product but it does take me about 10-15 minutes to complete my night-time cleansing/toning/moisturizing ritual, something that K reminds me of each night.

I use:

Philosophy's Purity facial cleanser. It's very gentle and I can use it to take off eye makeup as well without stinging my eyes.

Mario Badescu's Glycolic Toner. This toner keeps my complexion clear and bright and has just a few, simple ingredients. A must have for me.

RoC Retinol Deep Wrinkle Night cream. I read a few years ago that a skin care must for every woman over 30 (which I am sadly well beyond) is a retinol. RoC is readily available at any mass-retailer and is relatively cheap as well. As for how it works - great! The few lines that were forming around my mouth are almost gone and I feel that it really makes a difference. Another must have.

Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-wrinkle, Anti-blemish cream. This is my HG. I could pretty much find substitutes for everything else I use and be ok but not this cream. Unfortunately it's becoming increasingly harder to find. Because I still break-out from time to time, I need something to help with that without drying me out. This cream does just that.

Mario Bacescu's Hyaluronic Eye Cream. Hands down, the best eye cream I have ever used. It retail's about $18.oo USD and lasts for a good 8 months.

That's my night-time ritual! It sounds like a lot of products when I put it all down. This is what works for me, after a great deal of trial and error.

I'd love to hear what everyone else does !

The She Space

2010-01-23T17:31:00.002-05:00

.... is changing direction as I'm sure everyone knows. http://www.theshespace.com/ is closing their doors on all the old MMU formulations as will be reopening in the future with a whole new look and direction.
I decided to grab a bunch of the loose eye pigments. With everything on sale right now, I figured I didn't have much to lose if I didn't like them. My fear is that I will and won't be able to replace them!
Have you taken advantage of their closing sale?

EOTD

2010-01-20T18:43:00.003-05:00

I've wanted to post some of the eye make-up pics I've taken, but they have all been completely awful. This is due to the fact that I have zero skill in using a camera and that I have a crappy camera to use.

Complaints aside, I finally took a pic that I feel is half-way decent enough to post. I give you - my EOTD.

I used:

Aromaleigh Aurora (En Pointe) on lid.

Aromaleigh Balsam (Satin petals Frost) in outer V.

The All Natural Face Twilight to line mixed with Aromaleigh sealant.

Hopefully my photography skills will improve. I'm so envious of all the great pictures I see!

NOTD

2010-01-19T10:29:00.002-05:00

My NOTD is one I've had for some time, It's all Greek to Me by OPI.

This is a hot pink duochrome with flashes of bright orange. It applies very smoothly and is opague in two coats. The color is so bright and cheerful and makes me happy during these dull winter days!

I've found the Holy Grail ...

2010-01-15T19:31:00.002-05:00

... of Mascara that is!
A while ago, I was given a Guerlain mascara by a friend. I put it away as I was still in the process of using a mascara that was working ok enough.
Today, I used it for the first time and was blown away.

This is the Guerlain Le2; a double ended mascara that retails for abut $35.00 USD. What made it so fabulous for me? The brush, the larger one. The mascara itself is well over 6 inches long, making it very unwieldy.

You can't really see from the picture, but the brush doesn't really have bristles. It's not quite a comb either. It's just a sturdy rubber wand with little points. It makes my lashes look long and full and dramatic!

But, because of the price point, I will most likely never purchase this for myself as I can't justify spending that much on a mascara. So, now I am on the lookout for a drugstore dupe with the same brush.

I've been tagged!

2010-01-15T19:30:00.000-05:00

Bebo of This is Bebo tagged me for 7 facts about me!

1. I love to read and usually have about 4 books that I'm reading at the same time. I read fast and can finish a 300 pg book in a few hours if left alone.

2. I worked in a tropical fish store for 11 years. One of the best jobs I ever had!

3. I also have worked for a bird breeder before, and helped to handfeed baby parrots. Can you tell I like animals?

4. I can't stand white chocolate. Ugh, nasty stuff.

5. I have two sisters, both much younger than I am. One is 13 years younger than me, the other 20 years younger. We have the same parents.

6. I'm not a morning person.

7. I cry at commercials. The sad, emotional ones always get me!

Thanks Bebo!

I am tagging: EVERYONE! Everyone who is kind enough to read my blog, please consider yourself tagged!

Even More Swatches!

2010-01-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

Ok, these are the last for a while, I promise!

These are also from Aromaleigh's Gothic Lolita collection and are described as follows:

Gilded Jealousy : A lusciously intense pearlized khaki green. Rich and multi-dimensional.
Satin Laces : Satiny smooth golden copper patina with the slightest smoke undertone and a kiss of subtle rose tones.
Angel Bouquet : Soft frothy peachy pinks and buff with the most delicate hint of a smokey base for drama.
Lush Memoir : Sumptuous Blue-Purple pearl with vibrant lilac sparkle.
Velvet Dream : Vivid deep gothic garnet with pink sparks. This shadow does not have any black after-wear like our Drama liners.

Angel Boquet is the PERFECT highlight color - it's just beautiful! Lush memoir looks more "purpley" to me than Purple Princess, so I will have to play with both of them. Velvet Dream is much more red than Strawberry Despair which has more of a pink base.
Again, I'm loving this collection.

More Swatches!

2010-01-13T10:37:00.000-05:00

I was able to swatch some more of the Gothic Lolita shadows!

Aromaleigh describes them as:

Morbid Curiosity : Smoked berries and plums with a multidimensional silvery green midtone. Curious.

Teddy Wisp : A precious mid-toned cocoa shade with soft smoke tones and sparks of copper and rose.

Purple Princess : A deep, satiny purple with rich rose tones and a russet shadow.

Burnt Roses : Rich chocolatey cherry frost with tiny deep green sparks. Just plain luscious.

Verdant Wisp : A complex, shimmering jade green with lush lilac sparkles.

Again, still loving this collection! It is so easy to apply and the colors go beautifully together. I don't imagine that there is any combination that would look bad!

Gothic Lolita Swatches

2010-01-10T20:50:00.000-05:00

I finally had time to swatch some of the Gothic Lolita shadows I got from the Aromaleigh holiday sales.

Aromaleigh's color descriptions are as follows:

Strawberry Despair: Muted strawberry red pearl with copper sparks. Despair was never so yummy!

Violet Ruffle : Violet with lush silvery glow and complex periwinkle and rose tones

Wonderland: We all need a little Alice. Lush multi-tonal greyish/taupe with coppery pink sparks

Divine Intervention : Glorious verdant pearlescent warm green with heavenly sparks of blue.

Elegant Reverie : Romantic, deep and unique smoked indigo and russet sateen.

Can I just say that I LOVE this collection? I was afraid that it might be a little too young for me, but the colors are so pretty and saturated without being overpowering.
Today I wore Wonderland, Strawberry Despair and Violet Ruffle for a pretty, smokey eye that K complimented me on! I never get compliments at home on my makeup so I feel like this collection is a winner! Now I just need to get full sizes!

Awakening NOTD

2010-01-10T12:13:00.000-05:00

I found such a pretty, girly pink when I found China Glaze's Awakening.

It has a base color of a plummy-pink with lots of fine gold glitter. I want to say this is almost a duo-chrome but it's the glitter that makes it look like it could be.

The color would look good on both warm and cool skin tones. Really Pretty and a keeper for me!

Tag!

2010-01-07T09:54:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged by the lovely Lisa Kate of Sparkle is my Crack ! My first tag ever - yay!

The rules are simple - just list 10 things that make you happy and tag 10 blogs.

My Happy is:

1. My Significant Other, K

2. My 19 year old cat - he's a little senile but still going strong!

3. The sound of rain when I'm sleeping

4. Having a good book to read. I'll read anything, I'm a bit of a book 'ho.

5. Makeup!

6. Nailpolish!

7. LOLCats

8. Chocolate

9. Scented candles

10. Snow before anyone has walked on it

So that's my happy! Because I don't yet have 10 readers, I'm tagging the people who have been kind enough to follow me so far.

I tag:

1. The Secret Beauty Blogger

2. Chantilly Lace Beauty

3. Wintry Beauty

4. Fashioned in Finland

5. and Syvie Palmer

and of course, Lisa Kate, I tag you right back!

Sample Swatches

2010-01-06T18:40:00.000-05:00

Here are the swatches from the Aromaleigh samples that came with my order:

Aromaleigh's descriptions are:

Umber - The darkest brown-black. Perfect as a liner or for filling in brows

Latte - This is our midtone neutral brown shadow.

Abyss - Deep bluish teal with green and blue sparks

Rockbottom - Deepest darkest sinful brown with dark indigo blue sparks. (A Rocks! shadow)

Balsam - A cool muted brown with grey tones

Doubledare - Deep greyed purple with intense green sparkles (A Rocks! shadow)

Unfortunately, in my pic, it looks as if Balsam and Doubledare are very similar. In reality they are not. Doubledare is a definite purple based shadow and Balsam has hints of gold in it.

I am looking forward to trying Umber and Latte for a neutral look. I got Abyss and Balsam to replace drugstore shadows that are similar in color and have realized that they are nothing like it! That's a good thing, Aromaleigh shadows put others to shame!

These are good all around colors that I can see full sizes of in my future.

I won!

2010-01-06T11:30:00.000-05:00

Over the holiday, Makeuptalk.com, of which I am a long time member, had a giveaway based on product reviews. I actually won!
The prize was a $30 gift certificate to Andrea's Beau , a retailer who specializes in beautiful headbands and hair combs. I decided on this one in Taupe ...

There were so many gorgeous ones to choose from! It took me forever to decide, but I chose this one because I thought I could wear it more frequently that some of the others.

What do you think?

Commander in Chic

2010-01-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

I painted my nails with Sally Hansen's Commander in Chic last night and love it! I love the color, a grey-purple-slate color; I love the application with the wide, easy to use brush. It goes on easily and is opaque in two coats. This is with a base coat, two coats of color and a top coat.

It's very unusual and I've seen it described as a mushroom-y color. I think that's a great description!

Aromaleigh is back up and Running!

2010-01-04T15:55:00.000-05:00

Aromaleigh is back up and running with a new, extended sale structure!

Aromaleigh blog on sales

En Pointe Swatches

2010-01-02T13:42:00.001-05:00

Aromaleigh's Enpointe collection is made up of delicate, ethereal colors that I had a very hard time swatching! The swatches that I did manage do not do them justice.

The four lighter colors; Waltz, Tutu, Aurora, and Calliope did not want to photograph. They do in fact have as much depth and dimension as the other colors in this collection.

Here is a little better shot of the lighter colors. I really need to get a good primer!

The two lippies; Vivid and Wallflower, are gorgeous! Vivid is a lipstick and Wallflower is a nourishing color creme. Both go on very smoothly. Vivid is a much thicker application and deeper color being a lipstick. Wallflower is a sheer coral color that looks like it would work well with all skin tones.

I hope to do the Gothic Lolita collection soon!

Walgreen's BOGO

2010-01-01T16:22:00.000-05:00

Last night I picked up two lovely Sally Hansen's nail polishes - Lavender Cloud and Commander in Chic during their BOGO! I've wanted both of these colors for a while now and finally have them! If you have a Walgreens near you, I suggest picking up these colors.

Now if I can only find the time to actually put them on my nails ....
Along with the Aromaleigh haul I still haven't had the time to touch!

Aromaleigh Down for Maintenance ...

2009-12-30T19:08:00.002-05:00

A quick excerpt from Miss K.'s blog of Aromaleigh:

Site down for maintenance and repairs... sorry!

Hi all, this is a quick note to let you know that Aromaleigh.com is going to be down for anywhere from 1-4 days for maintenance and database repairs.
-

Please do not PANIC... we are not closed, we are just having to close down suddenly upon my receiving response this morning from our web programmers that we have some major issues that must be tended to...

Site Down for Maintenance and Repairs

Mercury Rising

2009-12-30T19:01:00.000-05:00

I tried a new (to me anyway) color on my nails by Sinful that I picked up in my local drugstore. It's called Mercury Rising and is a black creme base with lots of very fine gold glitter. It some lights, it almost looks plum in color.

I really like the color but it has not worn well at all. I applied last night over Orly Bonder and used Orly Sec'n Dry as my top coat and it's already started to chip.

Aromaleigh Haul!

2009-12-27T14:16:00.013-05:00

Because Kristen was so generous at Aromaleigh and had such great sales counting down the Day's before Christmas, I was able to get samples of two collections that I have been really longing for.

The first is the En Pointe Collection. It's described as:

"This is a gathering of lush shades, not just the expected ballet pink. For me, ballet is dramatic, emotional, and full of tragic beauty. With almost 20 years of ballet study, I watch not only dreaming that I could be on the stage, but knowing the iron strength and control that the most ethereal, graceful dancer must have.
"En Pointe" has a little bit of everything... plush matte shades with graceful iridescent highlights, a brilliant shimmering black and white that can make any color into whatever you imagine, and some lovely frosts with multi-faceted effects. Most of this year's collections have been straight frosts with vivid sparkling highlights, but this collection is more understated while still being full of mystery and transient beauty.
The photos of these colors barely touch what they truly are like in person... "

I have to agree!

I haven't been able to swatch them yet but the colors look so ethereal. Gorgeous!

The second collection I sampled from was the Gothic Lolita collection. I was a little hesitant about this collection but I kept coming back to it. It's described as:
"This collection is inspired by the fresh-faced youthful innocence of urban Japanese street fashion, found in the Gothic and Lolita style worn primarily by young Japanese women, but making an impact around the globe!This fashion encompasses the girlish, victorian, gothic, vintage, dolly, sweet, romantic and fanciful aspects of the clothing and subculture that "Gothloli" has become. If makeup and fashion are fantasy, then this is surely where those lines cross and become one."Gothloli" encompasses many sub-styles, but the fashion movement as a whole has a remarkably fresh-faced beauty, with minimal makeup. The skin has an inner glow, and the cheeks are typically rosy, as if one just came in from the cold. Lips are usually soft stains and glosses. Eyes range from neutral dramatics with playful pinks to shimmering deeps. The look is always with a youthful essence that doesn't interfere with the fashion..."

Again, no swatches yet but the colors are jewel-like. Rich and multi-faceted, they look like jewels. I can't wait to wear them!

Aromaleigh is always generous with the samples and these are the ones I chose:

The lippies were a nice surprise and I think that Fling might be a keeper by the way it looks in the bag. I picked these samples by the color groups I like to wear on my eyes. The look great!

I think this gift to myself is going to be a lot of fun and can't wait to try them all out!

Nail of the Day

2009-12-27T14:04:00.006-05:00

One of the best gifts I received this year is my very first "high-end" nail polish. This is a Nars polish that has the unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on your point of view) name of Pussy Galore. It's a pink duochrome creme that I had a very hard time capturing the color of. It's gorgeous!

This pic shoes the color best, please forgive the blurry pic. I couldn't get a clear pic that showed the accurate color.

The color goes on very smooth and a little sheer. I put two coats and could have easily added a third. It does take a little longer to dry but other than that, I love it!

Holiday Gifts

2009-12-27T13:55:00.002-05:00

I received some wonderful gifts this year for my holiday celebration. It seems that my friends and family really know more about my make-up addiction than I think they do!

I received this Kiehl's set from a friend. I love Kiehl's products! They are very gentle and the Creme de Corps line is legendary. It's also something that I wouldn't buy for myself. I haven't used an of this yet but can say that the lotion is wonderful; very light and non-greasy and very moisturizing.

I also received this Mario Badescu travel set which I took with me to visit family for the holiday. I'm a huge fan of the Mario Badescu line as I can pronounce every ingredient. This is a great little set and a thoughtful gift. The Enzyme Cleansing Gel and the Cucumber Cleansing Lotion both contain cucumber which makes each feel very refreshing on the skin. They leave my face very soft and not over stripped. I think when my Purity from Philosophy runs out, I might be switching to the Enzyme Cleansing Gel. The Hand Cream is very moisturizing and has a nice, light scent.

Happy Belated Holidays!

2009-12-26T21:12:00.004-05:00

I hope that your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate was happy and safe.

Mine was both, spent with family and friends and far too short! I did receive lots of cosmetic-themed goodies which I will be posting about in the next few days!

Mail Call

2009-12-15T19:16:00.001-05:00

The sales I have found this week are ...

Aromaleigh's Countdown to Christmas!
En Pointe Collection is the featured item ... 10 more days to go!

The She Space is marking down all individual pigments to $2.50!

The All Natural Face is taking 15% off of all purchases - go see!

Moi Minerals 15% off all Holiday Sets

Orglamix Buy two, get one free

Nails and a Haul

2009-12-14T20:05:00.001-05:00

I've had this in my closet for a while and have never used it, I'm not sure why. This is Sally Hansen's Rapid Red, one of the Quick Dry polishes. I LOVE the color, a bright red creme and I love the wide brush that comes with it. Please excuse my poor cuticles as they look a little weathered.

What I don't like is the saying power. With Orly's Bonding basecoat and topcoat, this started to chip within a day. My polishes usually last almost a week before chipping with both base and top coat.

I am very lucky to work in a place and with people who are very generous. I am gifted frequently with cosmetic items through work and this is my haul. I did buy the Mario Badescu products.

What I got:

A set of Lancome Brushes

Lancome Cils Booster WL Lash Primer sample

MAC Lipglass in Cultured

Lancome Juicy Tube Lip Gloss

Jadore perfume sample

Dior Perfume sample

Bvlgari perfume full size tester

Gurlain double ended mascara

Assorted Kiehl's samples

There was loads more, but I'm planning to give most of that to family as stocking stuffers; loads of Philosophy items, lots more of the Kiehls, some Laura Mercier stuff and countless perfume samples.

The Mario Badescu toner and eye creme are my present to myself. This line of products are some of the best I have ever used. I like the fact that I can pronounce all the words on the label - nothing that would give me pause on putting it on my face. They are reasonably priced and I can't be without my toner and eye creme!

Aromaleigh Countdown to Christmas 50% off!

2009-12-14T19:22:00.003-05:00

12 Days of 50% OFF items- It's the Xmas countdown! 12/12- 50% OFF Gothic Lolita Eyes!
Spread some Aromaleigh Love!
Welcome to Aromaleigh's Christmas Countdown! 11 days left, and 12 different products will have their own 24 hours of 50% off discount!
December 12 brings us the romantic, fun Aromaleigh Gothic Lolita Eyeshadow Collection, priced at 50% OFF (samples and full sizes!) until 11:59 PM EST... when the clock will toll and a new 50% off product will appear.... number 10!
NOTE: Aromaleigh Rewards points redemptions are NOT eligible for use on the Countdown to Christmas 50% OFF items.

What colors will you choose? At $4.00 a jar, this is LOLITA heaven!!!

********
I totally missed yesterday when the Sonic Rocks! Collection was 50% off!
What a Christmas bonus!
I'm off to shop .....

No-Poo!

2009-12-12T22:09:00.001-05:00

In my quest to rid my beauty routine of as many chemicals as I possibly could, I found mineral makeup. I'm loving that. I've also found a whole slew of other things that I've had mixed results with.

Henna - I color my hair with henna now. I used to color with a boxed kit from the drugstore, or drag myself kicking and screaming to a salon. All the chemicals caused my scalp to break out and my hair to fall out - not exactly the look I was going for. Through a little research, I found the Henna for Hair website and have been using henna for about five years now. My hair is much thicker than I thought it could ever be and I love the color and shine. Best of all? No more sore scalp and no more chemicals!

Oil cleansing method - I've had mixed results with this method of cleaning my face. Sometimes it works so beautifully and my skin stays soft and clear. Sometimes it's too much and I will break out. Right now I'm on an "off" kick but I do use jojoba oil to remove my eye makeup. I've not found a natural face wash that does what I need it to do, so I am using Purity from Philosophy.

And most recently, I am back to the "No-Poo" method of cleaning my hair!
I moved about 6 months ago to an area with extremely hard water. My hair does not like it and I have tried every shampoo/conditioner on the market to get it back to the hair it was prior to my move. Before I sound terribly vain, the water here makes my fine, thin hair look flat, limp and lack shine. Nothing worked, no salon product, drugstore, namebrand, organic, nothing. I most recently tried using Hair One from Sally's, a cleansing conditioner. That worked for a time but made my hair look greasy very quickly.
So ... I've stopped shampooing altogether. Wait! I'm still cleaning my hair, just not with shampoo. I clean it with a baking soda "wash" and follow with an apple cider vinegar rinse. The AVC also has a bit of honey mixed in for shine. This method works wonders for my hair! It's shiny again, bouncy. I don't have to worry about it looking greasy by the end of the day. And, no chemicals. I like that part too.

Orly Buried treasure

2009-12-09T18:50:00.001-05:00

I picked up Orly's Buried Treasure this past week and finally had the time to do my nails.

This photographs much more "gold" than the actual color. It's really a very neutral taupe, a very cool color with equal parts silver and gold. It went on very smooth and I got great coverage with just two coats.

Rimmel Swatches

2009-12-09T18:46:00.001-05:00

While in the drugstore today searching for ice scrapers, the Rimmel display caught my eye. I try very hard no to be suckered into buying everything I see, but these liners really stood out.
They are called "Spark It Up!" eye liners by Rimmel and I've never seen them before. These are sort of a metallic color. I got Lapis, Black Gold, and Ultraviolet. There was also a bronzy color that I did not get which I am now regretting.

Your basic eyeliner right?

The colors are really pretty and a nice twist on a basic black pencil. While they don't rival Urban Decay's metallic liners by any means, they are a very nice steal at about $3.00 a piece and a great drugstore find.

Mail Call!

2009-12-08T16:47:00.000-05:00

I received all sorts of tempting emails today !
The first was from Goth Rosary
Their tagline is, “Uncommon Scents for Uncommon People”

A private collection of dark seductive unisex fragrances offered in our Hypoallergenic, Vegan, Organic, luxurious bath, and body products. Hand created custom rosary beads with free lifetime repairs and many more delightful items.
Since 1998 The Goth Rosary has proudly provided superb goods and worldwide service.

I personally love the Tea and Sympathy fragrance, it's my favorite! Death by Chocolate is so true to it's name too but always makes me hungry!

My next tempting email came from Sephora Gifts
Look at all the holiday gift ideas!

China Glaze Ruby Pumps

2009-12-05T13:57:00.004-05:00

I managed to snap a pic that isn't too terrible of China Glaze Ruby Pumps Holiday 2009 Collection which I am in love with!

The light was fading but I think you can still see the fine gold glitter in the red polish. So pretty! Please excuse my wonky middle finger as it was broken many years ago.

On a side note here is a pic of my geriatric cat, Orange. This is his, "I was sleeping, why are you bothering me?" face.

He is 19 and will be 20 in May of 2010. Still gets around very well! He is mostly blind but not due to his age. As you can see, he looks like he is squinting. He was born with no eyelids, a congenital birth defect. The fur grows down right into his eyes leaving the corneas very scarred. He looks like he has cataracts. As he's gotten older, his vision has gotten worse but he's still very spunky.

He greats us at the door every night, demanding his supper and needs to sit on someone's lap or next to someone every evening. If not, he is very out of sorts!

Sale time!

2009-12-03T12:24:00.001-05:00

Aromaleigh's weekly sales have been posted!
http://www.aromaleigh.com/specials.html

Ocean Mist is having a 25% off sale - just use the word CODE when you check out!
http://www.oceanmistcosmetics.com/

The All Natural Face has extended their Black Friday sale through 12/6
http://www.etsy.com/shop/theallnaturalface

The She Space Holiday sale is still going on!
http://www.theshespace.com/holidaysale.html

Lauress is marking down 10-20%
http://www.lauress.com/news.php

Meow Cosmetics still has a great Holiday Collection!
http://www.meowcosmetics.com/xmasshoppe.htm

Swatches of Holiday Blast

2009-12-01T14:35:00.000-05:00

Miss K of Aromaleigh has posted swatches of the Holiday Blast Collection!
This is a gorgeous shimmery, sparkly collection perfect for the Holidays!

My favorites are Almost Midnight, Spiked Punch, Twinkling Lights, and High Heels.

Cyber Monday Continues ...

2009-12-01T14:30:00.001-05:00

The She Space Holiday Sale

High Voltage Cosmetics

Aromaleigh Weekly Specials

Orglamix

The All Natural Face

Glittersniffer

Evil Shades

Spell Cosmetics

Meow Cosmetics

Morgana Minerals

Fyrinnae

Some of these have added collection for the Holidays but are not neccesarily having "sales" and there are tons more that I didn't list.

TheAllNaturalFace Swatches!

2009-11-29T14:40:00.005-05:00

I finally have the time to do my swatches from TheAllNaturalFace. I can already tell that I have a few standout favorites.

Twilight, The Tempest, Wispy Violet, Midnight Plum, and Evening Orchid are fabulous colors; rich and highly pigmented and I can see these becoming staples in my collection.

Shimmer was a nice surprise as it looks sort of grey and nondescript in the bag but comes alive on skin. This will make a great highlight color, as will Green Ice Storm. Deep Mauve and Scarlet Shimmer are also lovely.

Navy, Smokey Spruce, Pale Blue and Evening Sky are the Mattes that I chose. Evening Sky didn't photograph as well as it looks in reality.

My absolute favorite of this bunch is Deep Steel Teal. This is a very pigmented, multi-hued color with a lot of depth and dimension. I did a EOTD this week with just this and Shimmer and received compliments all day!

Each baggie has plenty of eyeshadow to last for several tries and are well marked. In addition to the shadows I received, I also got freebies of a highlighter and a concealor that I have yet to swatch.