Recent empties

Another 'empties' post!  Emptying products is both good and bad; it makes me feel so much better about my makeup obsession (as I'm sure all of you can relate!), but it also means I've run out of something.  When it's something I enjoyed, my heart breaks a little.  On the other hand, it's rewarding knowing that you're actually using up all of what you own.  

I've been going through a lot of makeup/beauty-related products since coming back to school, mainly because I no longer have the budget to buy as much.  I actually thought I'd have more for this post but I'm nearing the end of a lot of products (ELF Studio Contouring Blush/Bronzer, I'm looking at you!  I'm determined to see pan soon!).  Anyway, let's begin.

Fresh Supernova mascara (mini)

I've had this since the end of June and have used it on and off- which isn't the most sanitary thing- but it's lasted me a lot longer than I thought!  I LOVE this mascara (great length and thickness!), and if it weren't $20-something, I would buy the full size version.  This was given to me by my sister when she visited over the summer.

Repurchase?  No, because of the price.

What I'm using to replace it:  A variety of mascaras, actually- Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express and Clinique High Impact are two of them!

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous mascara

This is another one I should have dumped for hygienic reasons awhile ago (I bought it at the very end of March!), but have loved so so much I couldn't part with.  It gives me awesome lift and volume- it holds curl better than any drugstore mascara I've tried recently.  I've really been aware of how mascaras hold curl since trying Clinique High Impact mascara, which makes my lashes stick straight out.

Repurchase?  I will as soon as I go through some of the other mascaras I have open!

What I'm using to replace it:  Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express and Clinique minis

ELF Wet Gloss Lash & Brow gel

I still have a tiny bit left in the eyelash side, but it's just about gone.  I really need to do a post on brows- I don't do much to "keep" mine, but they're long and need taming.  This gel is $1 and prevents my eyebrows from moving all over the place throughout the day (without getting crunchy!).

Repurchase?  Yes!

What I'm using to replace it:  Nothing at the moment.

Pond's Original Wet Cleansing Towelettes

My mom bought me a huge multi-pack of these before I went away to school, and this is the second mini-pack that was included.  Thankfully I still have one more, because I love these!  They're saturated, remove face makeup well, and don't dry out my skin.

Repurchase?  Yes.

What I'm using to replace it:  Same thing.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus serum (sample)

I got a few samples of this before I moved back to school, just to try out for fun- I'm not seriously concerned about wrinkles as I'm only 20 but I'll take any preventative measures!  It's a nice serum, but I haven't noticed anything outstanding seeing as I don't really have fine lines (besides laugh/frown lines).  You're supposed to use this for an extended period of time so don't completely take my word for it- this little bottle lasted me 2-3 weeks, and I have another one I'll go through.  If I see any improvements in my skin I'll update!

Repurchase?  No (although I didn't purchase this one, FYI).

What I'm using to replace it:  Nothing.

Have you emptied anything recently?  If so, was it something you've been trying to get through?  Thanks for taking the time to read! xox

A plethora of MAC lip glasses.

Hi guys!  Sorry for the break in posting the last couple of days- my friend has my camera, and if he reads this, yes it's entirely his fault.  :)

Today I have a post featuring the MAC lip glosses I received in my giveaway prize from Lillian!  I've only used MAC lipglasses a few times prior to this, so it was nice to experiment a little more with them.  She also included a Cremesheen glass which I had been wanting to try for the longest time!  Keep reading for pictures and swatches.

Boy Bait, Nymphette, Love Child, Astro Cool, Naked Frost, Queen Bee

Boy Bait (Cremesheen)- creamy beige peach
Nymphette- warm pink with gold shimmer
Lovechild- plum with gold shimmer
Astro Cool (From Lightfully Bright)- pale blue-violet with iridescence
Naked Frost (From All Ages, All Races, All Sexes)- taupe with shimmer
Queen Bee (From Naked Honey)- tangerine with shimmer

I really love Nymphette and Lovechild, and I'm coming around to the nude-ness that is Boy Bait.  Typically nudes look terrible on me but I'm warming up to this one.  Astro Cool and Naked Frost are really unique, but I'm still trying to figure out how to pull them off.  I have a feeling Queen Bee will look gorgeous over a bright coral lipstick.
I love the picture below and how pretty the glosses look together!

 Swatches:

Boy Bait, Nymphette, Love Child, Astro Cool, Naked Frost, Queen Bee

Do you have a favorite MAC lip gloss?  Any that you love from this selection?  

Hope you're all having a great Thursday (I am!  My teacher canceled my only class today so my weekend started early, whoop! ;).

xox

A highlighter comparison: Benefit High Beam and Moon Beam

Highlighters are like instant perfection in a tube.  I'm not a big fan of frosty/shimmery products on my face, but a little light reflecting goes a long way.  Highlighters can create cheekbones, brighten up under eye darkness, open up eyes when used on brow bones, soften harsh features, and the list goes on and on!  One of my favorite things about them is how healthy they can make skin look; honestly, if your skin looks good you can skin everything else in my opinion. 

However, there are so many types of highlighters out there- some are frosty, some are glittery, some give off a subtle glow.  The latter is what I look for in something that will go on my cheeks ("barely there").  

The two highlighters I'm comparing today, High Beam and Moon Beam, are both by Benefit, but they have very different qualities!  Thanks to Forever Floral Beauty for giving me the idea for this post.  I've had both of these for a long time, but never thought to compare them.

Left: High Beam, Right: Moon Beam (mini size)

Let's start off with High Beam.  This highlighter is a shimmery/frosty pink in the jar and when you first apply it, but once blended it sheers out and the pink is hardly noticeable.  It's subtle, but the shimmer allows the highlighting qualities to shine through.  I've had my jar for YEARS and still have about half of it left.  High Beam can easily work on a wide range of skin tones, but I have a feeling those with cooler undertones will like it better (the silver shimmer really stands out).

Moon Beam is a little different (Mine is also a mini size that came in a set from awhile back, FYI!).  Unlike High Beam, it has less of a frosty finish and a more subdued sheen.  The color of Moon Beam is an iridescent salmon pink that leans more champagne depending on the lighting (and most likely your skin tone).  When I apply this to my cheeks I see more of the golden champagne brought out, but in my swatches below you'll see it looks pretty pink.  I LOVE the iridescent quality- it's so subtle that it just looks like your skin has a natural, healthy glow.  I can see Moon Beam suiting a wider range of skin tones being so subtle and multi-dimensional in color.  

Swatches:

 High Beam & Moon Beam, normal swatch & blended lightly

Do you own either of these Benefit highlighters?  Have another favorite?  I'd love to know!

Feeling all kinds of pink and girly.

I rarely wear pink eyeshadow, but every once in awhile I get inspired to do something ultra-girly and feminine.  This is where my ELF mineral eyeshadow in Sweet comes into play- it's a light pink packed with gold shimmer, which makes it a perfect wearable and flattering pink (not sickly, no one wants that!).
For my makeup last night I wanted something that was light and fun- not too over-the-top- and I think this worked out to be along those lines (although I should note that I've done several pink/purple looks similar to this on the blog).

Face

Foundation- Bare Minerals foundation in Fairly Medium

Concealer- Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer in Light

Contour- Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Dance

Blush- Darling Girl Cosmetics Yes, Virginia! 

Highlight- Benefit Moon Beam (cheekbones, bridge of nose)

Eyes

Primer- Almay Bright Eyes eye base

Eyeshadow- ELF mineral eyeshadow in Sweet (lid, lower lash line)

MAC Naked Lunch (inner corners)

Plum & black shades from Coastal Scents 88 Matte palette (outer corner, crease blended)

Eyeliner- Covergirl Liquiline Blast Black Fire (upper lash line)

L'Oreal HiP Chrome eyeliner in Violet Volt (lower lash line)

Mascara- Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express

Falsies- Born Pretty Store natural false eyelashes, cut in half

Lips

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Raspberry lip balm

(not shown in pictures) Benefit Benetint

I absolutely love wearing false eyelashes cut in half- it's the easiest way to wear them if you 1) have troubles applying the whole eyelash, and 2) if you don't like how dramatic false eyelashes can look.  When done right it doesn't look like you're wearing them, but they still have that huge eye-opening effect. 

What kinds of looks did you guys do this weekend?  Feel free to vent in the comments! :)

xox

Holy pigmentation! OCC lip tars in Interlace and Trollop

These OCC lip tars were another part of what I received from Alicia @ FunnyFaceBeauty's giveaway. Below I have Interlace, a peachy nude beige, and Trollop, a bright watermelon pink.  

They. Are. So. Cool.

Interlace, Trollop

I'd really heard only good things about OCC lip tars before trying them, and I'd say the reviews are about right!  They're crazy pigmented, long-lasting, and dry down to feel sort of like a stain.  It's definitely recommended to use a lip brush to apply these- I don't own one, which makes my life a lot more complicated- they can bleed a little, and the color is just so rich that you want the precision of a brush.  My only qualm is that they can cling to dry patches, so moisturizing is a must!  Other than that, they are such a cool product.  I'd love to try more.

Swatches:

Interlace, Trollop

I really love Trollop, surprisingly enough.  Usually I feel like these shades of pink look clownish on me, but it's actually a fun way to do bright lips without going too over the top.

Do you own any lip tars?  If you have a favorite, let me know!  I'd love to try it.

xox

Casual OOTD and a favorite FOTD

Today's post features what I wore yesterday.  It's kind of funny because I actually hadn't planned on doing an OOTD post (with this outfit), but a girl in my class said she liked my outfit so I felt inspired!  Don't you love when nice things like that happen?  It makes my day so much brighter.
Anyway, I'm also posting my FOTD which is one of my favorite "go-to" looks: bright eyes with precise liner and lots of mascara, paired with glowy cheeks and bold lips.  I don't do liquid/gel liner very often, but every now and then I love the crisp, clean look it gives (aside from being very retro!).  And of course red lips, I love them so!  Well, I do more berry shades of red usually, but anyway let's move on.

Shirt- Forever 21

Dress (underneath)- Pac Sun

Belt & Scarf- Forever 21

Shoes- Urban Outfitters

So I just had a realization that I'm wearing pretty much the exact same thing as in a previous OOTD, just with the shirt unbuttoned and a dress underneath (LOL, I'm not even going to link it due to my embarrassment!).  This goes to show you how much I mix and match with my wardrobe.  I don't have piles and piles of clothes for being a fashion major (well, all of those are at my parent's house), but I really love every piece I do have!  I also haven't been wearing about half of what I own in the last few months, lol.  This made me think of a new post idea- I'll show you my closet!  It's kind of cool the way the dorms have them set up- it's open, with a cool storage system inside.  Just need to reorganize it!

On to the FOTD!

Click to enlarge

Face

Foundation- Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer

Concealer- Garnier Skin Renew anti-dark circle tinted roller, Maybelline Dream Mousse concealer for spots

Highlight- Benefit High Beam on cheekbones

Contour- Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Dance

Blush- Covergirl Instant Cheekbones blush in Refined Rose

Eyes

Primer- Almay Bright Eyes eye base

Eyeshadow- MAC Golden Crown (from Tartan Tale), Peek At You 

Eyeliner- Physicians Formula gel liner trio for green eyes, the black with green shimmer

Mascara- Maybelline Volum' Express The Colossal, MAC Pro Longlash on top

Lips

Lipstick- Estee Lauder Pure Color lipstick in Plumberry 

(I wore my ELF Studio Glossy Gloss in Funky Fuchsia over this, but I took pictures beforehand)

To transition to nighttime, I just packed on a bit of MAC Club into my outer corners and crease for some more definition around my eyes.  I'm so in love with that eyeshadow!

What are you guys wearing today?  Anything you absolutely love?

xox

Found! Revlon Facets of Fuchsia AKA possibly the coolest glitter I own.

Yes!  Yes!!!!

Ever since Revlon Facets of Fuchsia began to pop up all over the blogosphere, I've scoured my local Walgreens to try and find the display.  I've had no luck.  UNTIL TODAY.  I realize I'm getting ridiculously excited over a nail polish, but you guys understand- it's that feeling of relief you get when you finally find a product after searching for who knows how long for a silly limited edition display.  Facets of Fuchsia didn't even come to me at a Walgreens, though (which is where I expected it would be; the CVS's where I live never get the cool LE stuff)- it was at Target, along with the permanent display of Revlon nail polishes.  WHAT?  My mind is blown too, I know.  So even though I know you all have seen Facets of Fuchsia a million times now, I hope you don't mind once more. ;)

I think I'm actually more mesmerized by the nail polish when it's in the bottle versus on my nails, but it's still a really cool color.  I just love the different sizes of glitter along with the contrast of purple and black.  I want to go back and get Starry Pink, too, which is of similar lines, just glitter in a milky pink base.

This manicure is with 3 coats of Facets of Fuchsia and Revlon Extra Life No Chip Top Coat.


What do you guys think of this polish?  Are you interested, scouring the drugstores like me, or going to pass?
xox

You've never looked better! Learning how to make bruises and abrasions

Sorry everyone- it was my mistake to post the pictures right away.  I'm not allowed to until the film is finished officially.  When I get the OK, I'll share them with you (and hopefully by that time I'll have more!)

Hey guys!  This weekend was a big one for me; I did makeup on another short film set!  I love doing these.  It's hard work, but the experience and networking is worth the lack of sleep and long days (Friday we were on set from 7am-11:30pm!  Somehow I did that all on barely two hours of sleep, goodness).  Fortunately, going to an art school where film is the biggest department enables me to do makeup (and costume design) for a lot of student films.  I'm hoping to get more into indie movies as I gain experience, but I digress.
Anyway, for this film I learned how to do more bruises and wounds.  The girl I worked with was such a good teacher!  Making these types of abrasions is pretty much trial and error- there isn't one "right" way to do it- but she told me the process and how to make different effects.

We used the Ben Nye Pro Bruise Wheel, which has four shades of cream pigments used to mimic the look of a bruise.  It comes with a deep red, blue, purple, and green depending on how old the bruise is.  This particular one looks like so:

We started out where the bruise occurs, and then used the deep purple/blue in the center, blending as we go.  The red is used most to blend out the other colors and fade away into the skin.  Powdering in between layers is important, especially when with film- you don't want all of that makeup sliding off right away!  It also helps to deepen the color and make it look more real.

Then we used a stipple sponge to create the appearance of broken capillaries around the bruises (where needed).  The girl I worked with did the two wounds- you use liquid latex and fake blood alongside the bruise wheel pigments to get the look of a fresh abrasion.  

My friends asked me last night if I could make a black eye for their film next weekend, so I'm totally going to be investing in one of these wheels (and hopefully a few more!) soon!  I really want this student theatrical makeup kit, also by Ben Nye, but I'll wait until this becomes a more regular occurrence.

Have you guys done special effects makeup- if so, feel free to share any tips/tricks/advice you have!  Thanks so much for reading everyone.  

xox

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 2 palette and swatches

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 2 palette was included in my awesome giveaway prize from Lillian, and it's gotten a lot of use since coming into my possession!  The palette includes nine shimmery eyeshadows (a few of which contain glitter as well), and although I'm not usually a huge fan of shimmer, they are just gorgeous.  I had never tried anything from theBalm prior to Shady Lady so I was super excited for this!

In Shady Lady Vol. 2 we have:
Caught In The Act Courtney (shadow/liner): reddish brown with glitter
Feisty Felicia (shadow/liner): blackened plum with glitter
Insane Jane (shadow/liner): silvery taupe
Bossy Bobbi (shadow/liner): sapphire blue
Makeout Mary (shadow/liner): grassy green
Just This Once Jamie: pinky lavender
Mischievous Marissa: coppery orange
Tempting Tara: silvery white
Devilish Danielle: pale beige champagne

Swatches

 (Mentally flip these counter-clockwise to view them the right way- I apologize!)

My favorites are Caught In The Act Courtney and Insane Jane- the taupe of Insane Jane actually pulls more brown when I use it in a look, but it works perfectly for a neutral, everyday color.  Caught In The Act Courtney and Feisty Felicia are awesome when used as liners!  I love the glitter they contain.  I haven't worked up the courage to use much color in my looks lately, but as soon as I do, I'm totally going for that blue or green!  Such pretty jewel tones!

Do any of you own this palette, or anything else from theBalm that you love?  

Giveaway winnings picture spam.

Recently I won Alicia's giveaway over at Funny Face Beauty, celebrating her blog's one year anniversary.  OMG guys, I couldn't have been more excited.  Alicia was incredibly generous and gave away some amazing goodies!  I'm still beside myself in shock of how lucky I was to win!  Thank you again girl.  I'll show swatches when I do individual posts on the products, but for now, here are a few pictures of everything.

I've begun to play around with quite a lot of it, and I'm having so much fun doing so!  I love theBalm Shady Lady palette, especially- I've never used anything from theBalm before.  Oh, and OCC!  I haven't tried the pigments, but the lip tars are pretty much as awesome as everyone says they are.  Super pigmented and long-lasting.  I love Interlaced (the peachy nude)!

Thank you so much again, Alicia, and thanks to all of you for allowing me to share my excitement!
xox

Holiday beauty sets and the ultimate test of willpower.

I'm not an impulse shopper.  Part of me wishes I could just go and buy what I want for the fun of it (within reason, of course), but I can never do it.  INTENSIVE rationalizing ensues and it usually takes me anywhere up to an hour to talk myself into buying something of importance.  It's borderline ridiculous, really, how stingy I can be with my money.
All this is to say that I don't typically go nuts over new releases.  I drool over pictures and go to Sephora/Ulta/Macy's and play with them, but seldom do I make the leap and purchase something for the sake of it being new or limited edition.  I do want to mention that I wish I could buy more if only for blogging purposes, because I love it when my favorite bloggers post about new makeup products (I live vicariously through their purchases!).
When new collections/sets are released that are a particularly awesome deal, though, is where I get excited. I know I'm not alone here!  Some of these limited time sets that come out around the holidays are a better deal than buying the individual items by themselves.  I saw a TON of new gift/value sets on Sephora's website earlier, and I'm trying so darn hard to exert some willpower.  !!

I haven't even tried most of these products, but these sets make it a great time to do so.

Fresh Sugar Plum Glam & Go, $28-   I love the Fresh Sugar lip treatment, and I've been curious in the Plum version.  It's crazy expensive at $22.50, but with this set you get the Supernova mascara (LOVE!) a highlighter, and facial cleanser as well.

Benefit I'm Glam... Therefore I Am, $36-  Benefit always seems to have popular value sets and this one is especially appealing to me- the blush isn't advertised as Sugarbomb, but it looks to be a close color.  I've wanted to try the likes of Sugarbomb FOREVER and this way you also get four eyeshadows, Girl Meets Pearl, Bad Gal Lash, and a lipgloss.

Korres Quercetin & Oak 3-Step Prep collection, $28-  Ok, huge deal on this one.  The face primer is 0.34oz which is about 1/3 the full size (1.01oz), but the eye primer is full-sized at 0.14oz, and the concealer is actually a tiny bit larger at 0.18oz, by what Sephora's website says (regular is 0.16oz according to Korres' website).  I've been wanting to try the concealer in particular and might just have to get this one- the concealer alone is $22!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil set-Electric, $32-  I've tried UD's eyeliners before, but never owned my own.  This set has five minis, and 'Electric' has some really fun, bright colors!  It also comes in a neutral set if you prefer.

Kat Von D Painted Love & Foiled Lipstick set, $28-  I saw blog posts on last year's Kat Von D lipstick gift set, and the mini lipsticks look adorable.  I've heard these are pretty good quality, too, and the colors look gorgeous.  Now that I'm more into lipstick this set might be coming home with me!

Fresh Citron de Vigne set, $35-  My sister got me hooked on this scent, as she has a mini of it and I fell in love (it was actually one of those scents that I disliked A LOT at first, but it grew on me in a strange way).  If I seriously consider buying this I'll probably just go for the single 1oz bottle, as it's $32 and I don't use the lotion/extras anyway.  

Are any of these sets or others catching your eye/testing your willpower?  

In my opinion, all brushes should be this adorable.

I don't know about you guys, but whether or not a brush is soft is pretty important to me.  Of course I want it to work, too, but what good does it do if the bristles scratch my face?  I recently received this lovely (and pink!) kabuki brush from the kind people at Born Pretty Store; now that I've had some time to gather my thoughts on it, I'd love to share them with you.

Isn't it cute?  It's a white short-handled kabuki brush with pinky-purple tips, and it's one of those makeup items I don't mind sitting out on my table.  The flat base allows it to sit upright and is decorated with rhinestones.  It's super girly but I just love it.

I was surprised to find that I actually didn't own a typical kabuki brush (I'm not including one of Target's house brand kabukis, it's SO scratchy and I never use it)- I have powder brushes and my EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer brush, but nothing like this.  Which is pretty much an essential brush that everyone should have, right?
I love using kabuki brushes to apply setting powder and matte bronzer all over my face (I use an angled blush brush for contouring).  This kabuki I've been keeping specifically for setting powder, though- I don't want to get the brush muddy looking!
My favorite part has to be how soft the bristles are.  Think EcoTools or Sigma soft.  This is super important to me, and thankfully I wasn't disappointed!  I hope you can get an idea from my picture below as to how densely-packed and fine the bristles are-

Overall, I'm really loving this as a quick way to apply setting powder.  I haven't experienced any shedding (don't you HATE when you use a brush and the bristles come off on your face? I do!), and the quality in terms of softness and application are so far so good.  The bonus is, obviously, the adorable pink tips and rhinestones on the base.  :)

Do you guys have any brushes you love the design of?  Have you ever bought a brush specifically for what it looks like?

On the note of pretty makeup brushes, I just spotted the Hello Kitty Graffiti 5-piece brush set now on sale for $25 (originally $49) on Sephora's sale page:

On another note, I can't apologize enough for the lack of posts.  I promise I'll get back into it.  You guys are the best followers I could ask for, and thanks again for staying with me!
xox

Disclaimer:  I was sent the mentioned product for consideration from Born Pretty Store.  I have no affiliation with the company whatsoever.  All thoughts are 100% true and my own! I would never recommend something I wasn't pleased with.