Friday, August 28, 2009

Oh no I haven't posted in some time.

I haven't posted in a real long time. It's been my last week in the lab and things have been crazy, but things are simmering down now. I haven't put on any fancy makeup since last weekend.



I tried to do a light blueish eye, using Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse eyeshadow in Heavenly Blue, Lancome Color Design eyeshadow in Personal Style (I got this in a swap, I think it's one of the American colours), and Urban Decay eyeshadow in Goddess. I also used an eyeliner and mascara, etc. etc. the same ones I've been using all along.



Here's a better swatch of UD Goddess. One layer just don't seem to cut it.



UD Goddess is a great great colour, I just used a bit in the outer corners. It's a dark shimmery blue and is good for blue or green eye looks when you want to keep it light and not use, like, black. The Lancome eyeshadow feels extremely soft, but is unfortunately mostly sheer with shimmer. If you're going to spread it out it becomes pretty much translucent except for small metallic shimmer, and you'll definitely need more than one layer. It's a pity because it's a very pretty light cyan-ish colour, although the shimmer might be a bit too much for some people.

The worst eyeshadow is the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse. I just hate the texture of this. It feels kind of like mousse, but drier, kind of like, remember when you played with Play-Doh, and you've rolled it a bit too much that it's kind of dry and crumbly - that's what it's like. And maybe most things can be described with Play-Doh analogies.

It's hard to control the amount of mousse eyeshadow you pick up since it clumps together and then it's hard to manipulate, since it crumbles away easily. I use my fingers to apply it and I always seem to apply this unevenly, so I give up. It's okay if I've got plenty of time to spend on eye crumblings, or I just want a sheer layer of one colour on my lid. The colour magically vanishes from my lids anyway, leaving, yes, sparkles! It's nowhere near adult-appropriate shimmer neither, it's more like sparkly magical fairy dust glitter, glitter that's free - it roams around your face of its own free will. That's the kind of glitter it is. The upsides are: a) it's cheap, and b) it's a very nice colour, more on the periwinkle side, but then I'm partial to light shimmery blues.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Hot Day Shimmerbuds

It's a really hot day. I've been listening to the blues. The blues sound better when it's hot.



I did a pastel eye look today. Pastel is also good for hot days.





Not blended very well I'm afraid, but there you go.

I used MAC X-Rocks blush here. It's a shimmery mauve and is exceedingly pretty, except for the neon orange case. I tried to swatch it but it didn't show up well on camera.



Here's what one layer looks like on my skin. Subtle, yet shimmery and all kinds of wonderful. I don't use MAC foundation so don't know what shadeI am, now it's summer I'm guessing I'm NC45 or something, but if you're a brown girl around my colour, X-Rocks is definitely for you.



Sadly I don't think it's sold in MAC stores anymore. I heard that it's similar to Nars Lovejoy. Someone else has compared them here.

I also used MAC C-Thru lipglass. My husband says he likes my lipstick, it's very shiny. I've read some forum posts about how it might be too pale on darker skin, you need to use a lip liner, etc. etc. I do no such thing. It's lipgloss, it ain't that complicated. I just put it on The only thing is you have to remember to keep it sheer. Too much will look like - let's be honest and adult here - cum. I think that's the point of it. Anyhow,

The unpopular makeup I'm using is The Body Shop Shimmer Buds eyeshadow duo in Peach Blossom and Blue Iris from their Spring 2008 collection. It's a light peach and pastel blue duo with pictures of flowers embossed. I got it on sale. I also have the grey and green one.

For a highlight I used Bourjois Ombre Stretch eyeshadow in Maxi Blanc. It's not that popular either but it's good for a base and highlight. It's a yellowish white so it's not stark white against your skin. It's not chalky (see picture below). I have a few of these Ombre Stretches from when I interned at the magazine, and they all come in a case with a good-sized mirror and a soft, very useful eyeshadow brush.


LTR: Bourjois Maxi Blanc, The Body Shop Peach Blossom and Blue Iris.



I wouldn't buy it at RRP, or go out of my way to get one, but it's kind of nice now I've got it. It looks like a copper and pastel blue in the case but it goes on a much lighter shimmery blue and peach, as the names suggest. The blue is a very powdery blue, and while it looks fairly pretty and chilled on me it would probably look better on someone much fairer.

I've read terrible reviews of this eyeshadow and I can't say that I understand them. I concede that the texture is kind of odd, when you touch it it feels a bit strange and hard but the colour picks up easily and applies smoothly. I don't understand complaints that these aren't pigmented. Those swatches on my arm are one layer of eyeshadow and I'm brown. I can see that the colours are a peach and a light blue without packing it on. I can use it as a sheer wash on my eyelid, as I do today. Sure, it doesn't scream I AM PEACH! at you but that's kind of the point of it. It's a soft girly eyeshadow, I mean, hell, it's even got these little flowers embossed in it. It's more of a picnic eyeshadow, like something you'd wear with gingham and white sandals and things, rather than an eyeshadow for clubbing or sexiness. It's like church makeup.

I concur it's not the very best of eyeshadows, like, yeah, it fades after a while, and sure, it ain't the brightest colours as well, and it's got a lame name (shimmerbuds), but man, it's alright. I like having a little cute eyeshadow duo with sheer, pretty colours that work well together, that I can pop into my handbag.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Glitter Nails

It's my birthday tomorrow! So I painted my nails a suitably special colour.



Sally Hansen nail polish in Perfect Cherry. I bought it from the pound shop some time back and it doesn't actually wear very well, only about three days (bearing in mind I do wash my hands several times a day) but it looks really hot. Sometimes my Poundland has some good stuff in it, but usually it just has the Revlon Vital Radiance stuff and some not very exciting Rimmel stuff.

I painted over it with another polish I got from the pound shop. It's a Revlon colour called Hot Roxx, which is a very very sheer purplish pink with loads of purple and hot pink glitter. It's no good on its own because it needs a few coats, but it's good on top of other polishes, especially black, purple, and red. I normally use it as a pinkifying glitter topcoat. I can't find it on the actual revlon website and when I google it I find one review and a bunch of what I reckon are Polish pages, so I'm guessing it's from Revlon Poland, but maybe it isn't.



On top of Perfect Cherry:




I'm not very good at applying nail polish.

I also painted my toes. I have long, not very nice toes, and at some point I also injured my big toe and it's mended a bit wonky, but here's a picture of them anyway:



Judge not the feet.

I used a Rimmel 60 seconds nail polish in Pompous, and the Revlon Hot Roxx thing. Pompous is a dark purple with loads of glitter. I'm actually quite fond of these Rimmel 60 seconds nail polishes. They aren't thin and watery and apply easily, and last a decent time (about a week) - better than the Sally Hansen above. The best thing is they come in loads of colours and are cheap, and not only that, Rimmel stuff is often on offer in Superdrug, so you can get 3 colours for the price of 2.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Too Faced Rebel Yell

Yesterday I went to see Hamlet with Jude Law. It was extremely awesome and way more exciting than you'd think a Shakespearean play would be. Better than the movie (I speak of the one with Mel Gibson). I went after I finished work and so put on easy 'going-out' makeup. I had on UD Strip eyeshadow and Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Rebel Yell (now 'vintage' and $13.50 on their website). Too Faced described Rebel Yell as a raspberry sorbet: that translates to a very nice deep pink. I'm not extremely fond of the little sponge applicator, it reminds me of, y'know, Play-Doh? and you have little things that you push and the Play-Doh comes out at the other end in like, these long shapes?


I want to play with Play-Doh now.

The Glamour Gloss has a little sponge top with holes in it, and you twist the bottom and the gloss comes out through the holes. Sometimes it takes a while to come out.




The good news is, although quite a bit comes out at a time, the next few times you use the gloss you don't have to twist it as the sponge tip is full of gloss. I understand the logic - it's supposed to apply like a lipstick says the website - but hey surprise, a sponge tip doesn't equate to lipstick-like application and the twisty thing takes some time to push up the gloss. I'd have preferred a squeezy tube or one of the normal wand applicator things, especially since the applicator deposits more lipgloss than I'd like and I have to sheer it out with my fingers anyway.

The actual gloss bit I like. It's not the shiniest gloss, but it's thin and unsticky and comfortable to wear, and it lasts a good amount of time. It does rub off initially when you drink and such, but the colour sort of stains your mouth for some time after. I'm not sure if it's because I got a dark colour or that's just how the gloss is.

Too Faced doesn't nearly get enough love as it should. To be fair I do consider the line expensive, and only have this and the eyeshadow duo in Steel Magnolias (both 'vintage' now), but I find them to be of good quality and really like them a whole lot.


As mentioned, UD Strip eyeshadow, Too Faced Rebel Yell, and MAC blushcreme in Cheery.




Strip is like a straight-up silver without the glitter that Uzi has. When I bought it I somehow imagined that it was a darker slate-grey, I'm not sure why, but it's a shimmery blue-ish silver.

Swatches:

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

True Blood makeup

True Blood season 2 episode 8 - sweet Jesus. What's up with those cowboy vampires. What's up with TV Jesus Godric being so entirely different to book paedophile Godric? (I'm pretty sure he's going to blow up in the next episode, by the way.) And more importantly, what's up with Bon Temps? Is the rest of the country filled with Greek mythological figures and stock horror movie characters and fucked-up murders as well or is Bon Temps just some crazy supernatural hotspot?

Sookie had some kind of pretty pink lipstick on:



Jessica's lipstick was a corally light pink similar to her bra. I think they've used a colour like this on her before:

Yep, in episode five her lips are corally pink like her blouse.

She had cute little white wedges on this week.


I'll miss Sarah Newlin and her sweet little chirpy crazy pageant queen self.


They've put a shiny light eyeshadow and a shiny lipstick on for her to shoot paintballs at people. Clinique's Extreme Pink looks a bit like that on me, though you can never really tell with screencaps. She has a really really nice peachy blush on.

I like Lorena's locked-in-a-room look better than her glam catfight one:

Nude lips and black eyeliner.



I know she's a vampire and is supposed to be pale and all that, but her blush is too stark here for my liking. I like how matte, defined, and retro the lips are though.



Maryann cooked Daphne's HEART, which is pretty fucked up. What does she want from Tara? I can't figure it out. She's got some generic smokey purple eyeshadow look and a browney-pink lipstick.

Lafayette comes through with more interesting eyeshadow than the ladies. Last week he was seen applying makeup in the ladies' with what is possibly a Smashbox brush:



Sunday he had on like a light gold eyeshadow over a slatey grey/black colour. Lafayette is fly.

Monday, August 10, 2009

UD Asphyxia


Urban Decay's Asphyxia is one of the prettiest duochrome colours around - it's a shimmery lavender and light blue.
Today I used: Estee Lauder Ivory Box, UD Asphyxia and Goddess. Rimmel eyeliner, L'oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Nails Inc Jermyn Street

I'm not a huge nail person. I have possibly about ten nail polishes max. Sometimes I wear the same colour on my fingers and toes, usually because I'm lazy, and I wear shoes. Apparently this is either tacky or outmoded, for reasons I haven't discerned or just don't have the good taste to grasp - these explanations seem to usually involve twinsets and pumps with sensible heels not being cool, and the holy eighties terror of wearing denim with denim. I know it's a major nail rule to just not match. I just flaunt this rule flagrantly.

I've never had acrylic wraps or little flowers or any of that fancy nail stuff, although sometimes I feel I'd like to. I just need short nails since I need to work with bacteria and things in my course (although I wear gloves), and I cook and scrub dishes etc. etc. and do many things that will either destroy my polish or will make me paranoid that strange things will get stuck under my long nails.

So Fabulous mag had a Nails Inc offer, where you pick from a choice of full-sized Nails Inc polishes and pay £1 or something for shipping. I picked Jermyn Street because I wanted a professional-looking colour for interviews and suchlike. They mailed it to me and I reckon I received it some time late last week.

Jermyn Street is a new colour for Fall and is described on their website as a soft taupe. It came out darker than expected and I reckon it's a bit purplish and just that little bit edgy (for a taupe) on me. You can buy it for £10.50 from nailsinc.com.

MAC Graphic Garden brush sets

Okay, Graphic Garden has come out in the UK and I do want something from it - haven't wanted anything in a while since Sugarsweet (I got Aquavert). I know this collection hasn't interested lots of people but I reckon it's a good one for the average person who doesn't really have lots of makeup. There's a neutral-pink everyday eyeshadow palette and a brighter going-out one, and there's a softer everyday lip bag and a darker lip bag for going-out as well. I haven't got any good brushes and I do want the 187 brush except I can't justify spending that kind of money on a single makeup tool, but a set - a set should be okay. It comes down to less than ten quid for a brush. I heard that the brushes in the sets are of lower quality than the full size ones but I'm not a professional makeup artist and it'll probably be all the same to me anyway.

I can't decide which brush set is better. The Shape-and-Define brush set with the 187SE duo-fibre brush, the 168SE contour brush, a concealer brush (194SE) and two eyeshadow brushes. I could presumably use the 212SE flat definer brush for eyeliner and the 275SE as a sort of all-purpose eyeshadow thing, but if I get this I mainly want it for the 187 brush. The Define-and-Blend set seems to be more basic - it has a blush brush (129SE), a foundation brush (190SE), an eyeliner brush (209SE), a 'pencil' brush (219SE) and an eyeshadow shader brush (252SE). At first glance the second set seems more useful since it has the multi-purpose 129 brush and I don't need a concealer brush at all, and I could use the pencil brush in the Define-and-Blend set for concealer anyway. The 187 and 168 brushes are supposed to be good for pigmented blushes though and I have difficulty applying blush lightly sometimes. I guess when all the brushes are considered the Define-and-Blend set seems to make more sense for beginners like me.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

True Blood makeup.

I love True Blood and Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries. Sure they're not Pulitzer Prize-winning novels and aren't Anne Rice neither (which is not necessarily a bad thing), but they're addictive little mysteries with a protagonist who's keepin' it real and worries about health insurance and Jesus while being mixed up in supernatural political conflicts and skirmishes.

In the tv show Sookie Stackhouse is way more annoying, Jason is a far more major character and they're straying further from the books but hey, I'm not complaining. I actually like the Maryann plot line though she ain't exactly the kind of maenad the ancient Greeks had in mind, and the main men characters are extremely hot, and often topless. I weirdly really like Sarah Newlin. Cute as a button.



She has cute little earrings and an awesome pink lipstick. It's bright but not obnoxious. I used to have a Bourjois lipgloss that was about that shade of pink (I think it was Rose Atomic, can't be sure) but it's gone now and they don't make it anymore.

Her bra is cute too.



It's white and lacy with a little pink bow in the centre. Why she always so cute and so crazy?



I love Jason's wtf face when she unleashes all her crazy love on him.

In Lorena's flashback she has odd Chola eyebrows. They kind of make her look like an evil clown.

Maybe everyone had eyebrows like that in 30s though. She has a very matte face-base, kind of pinkish cheeks, orangey/coppery-red matte lips and she appears to have on a matte grey/black smoky eyeshadow? I haven't got a lip colour like hers though and I feel its loss, warm-red seems like a pretty essential shade.



Tara has a nice blush on here. She often has really good naturalish makeup on.



It's hard to tell from screencaps but Sookie does look like she has some lavender eyeshadow on. Screencap looks kind of orgasmic.


Arlene's has a strangely enchanting lipstick. It almost looks unreal in this screencap, kind of like MAC Pink Fish lip conditioner but cooler and shinier. Possibly MAC Snob with a gloss? Arlene's more endearing on the show than in the book, bless her.

I can't wait for the next episode. Orgies! Evangelical Christians! Vamp-ahrs!

EOTD:

UD Sin as highlight and base, UD Gash on lid, MAC Beauty Marked for crease and the outer corner. Rimmel eyeliner, L'oreal Telescopic Explosion mascara.