... those of you looking to recreate Sophie-Ann's hair might like these livejournal communities:
diyretrohair
vintagehair
I'm personally fond of the 50s look and I do it sometimes when I have loads of free time (not now). I've been to Miss Betty's Beauty Parlor on Carnaby Street and she's simply amazing, it's just that it cost me fifty quid.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
True Blood inspired makeup
Short post before I go out. I know I said I'd use the MAC Prom palette today but I felt a bit sexy and decided to do Sophie-Ann inspired makeup. I used these on my eyes: black Rimmel eyeliner, MAC Boot Black liquid eyeliner, Benefit Moon Beam for highlighting, Urban Decay Strip (this works for me but I don't know if it'll work if you're fairer, I've watched the episode again and her eyeshadow might possibly be a light, faintly green or blue shade, so Aquavert might work well though it's too white on me), and Benefit Bad Gal Lash. I used the Dr Pepper lipbalm and MAC So Scarlet lipstick on my lips. I don't have a matching lipliner to use with red lipstick though I should so I just put it on very carefully. I also used my Boots Natural Collection tinted moisturiser today, MAC concealer in NW35, and MeMeMe Pussycat Lip & Cheek Tint.
I decided I need a true red lipstick though. It achieves looks no other shade of red can. Possibly I'd just not got the right shade of retro red before.
I decided I need a true red lipstick though. It achieves looks no other shade of red can. Possibly I'd just not got the right shade of retro red before.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
MAC Rock It! Prom Palette
One of my favourite makeuppy things is my MAC Rock It! palette. It's the prom palette from I think 2004, and is mostly pink glitter. I used it today, and I'm going to use it again tomorrow since I'm going on a sort of 'date' with my husband. I'd say this is a really sweet palette for a date, for prom (like it was meant for), or for raving/clubbing, or for school. I remember really really wanting it when i was 19 but didn't want to pay full retail price for it. I forgot all about it until I saw it on livejournal recently for much cheaper so I was like, yeah, that's cool, I want that. I still wouldn't pay full retail price for it even though I love it to bits, it's one of those things that's just all lovely and girly, kind of like My Little Pony and tutus and rainbows, but it's seriously more My First Makeup Kit than other palettes you could get for a comparable price.
Pink glitter case!
That said the shades are rather lovely. The glitter cream (Rock It) is apparently comparable to the Playmate Pink glitter cream. The pink shows up on me as a highlighty kind of sheen but the glitter is large. This is like rave glitter, people. Personally I don't think it's similar to a cream colour base, it's much much drier but in a way that's good since I find the ccbs pretty oily. I use it on my cheekbones though I don't advise it for your day job, but I've also used it on my eyelids without going blind and, y'know, it just shows up as chunky glitter. It reminds me of a stack of glitter creams I got when I was 18. They were like cheap drugstore schoolgirl makeup but were similar, except they were a bit creamier. Those were awesome.
The last gloss (Up The Beat) is pretty much just sheer on me though it looks peachish in the pan, but the first and second are rather good. The first is a cute shimmery baby pink (Pretty Fab), and the second is a light berry pink (Berry Rush). They're all pretty but standard glosses.
Today I used Pretty Fab, the glitter cream on my cheekbones and eyelids, and Stila All Over Shimmer liquid in #6, Barry M Candy dazzle dust (#58), MAC Beauty Marked, MAC Boot Black liquid eyeliner, and my new mascara for September, Benefit Bad Gal Lash on eyes.
I'm not sure if you can see the glitter on my cheeks. I think you can.
I wanted a light pink eyeshadow and at first wanted Ice Pink or Pale Pink dazzle dusts, but when I tried them on in the shop they showed up too white on me. Candy is a really good light pink for darker skintones. I haven't got another pink like it but it looks like it should be a fairly common shade. I'm extremely fond of it.
Pink glitter case!
That said the shades are rather lovely. The glitter cream (Rock It) is apparently comparable to the Playmate Pink glitter cream. The pink shows up on me as a highlighty kind of sheen but the glitter is large. This is like rave glitter, people. Personally I don't think it's similar to a cream colour base, it's much much drier but in a way that's good since I find the ccbs pretty oily. I use it on my cheekbones though I don't advise it for your day job, but I've also used it on my eyelids without going blind and, y'know, it just shows up as chunky glitter. It reminds me of a stack of glitter creams I got when I was 18. They were like cheap drugstore schoolgirl makeup but were similar, except they were a bit creamier. Those were awesome.
The last gloss (Up The Beat) is pretty much just sheer on me though it looks peachish in the pan, but the first and second are rather good. The first is a cute shimmery baby pink (Pretty Fab), and the second is a light berry pink (Berry Rush). They're all pretty but standard glosses.
Today I used Pretty Fab, the glitter cream on my cheekbones and eyelids, and Stila All Over Shimmer liquid in #6, Barry M Candy dazzle dust (#58), MAC Beauty Marked, MAC Boot Black liquid eyeliner, and my new mascara for September, Benefit Bad Gal Lash on eyes.
I'm not sure if you can see the glitter on my cheeks. I think you can.
I wanted a light pink eyeshadow and at first wanted Ice Pink or Pale Pink dazzle dusts, but when I tried them on in the shop they showed up too white on me. Candy is a really good light pink for darker skintones. I haven't got another pink like it but it looks like it should be a fairly common shade. I'm extremely fond of it.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
True Blood Makeup: eps 9-11, and red lipstick.
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Yeah I do owe you all some True Blood screencaps. The True Blood makeup has just been so boring until the latest episode.
I swear that girl gets more and more like Dita Von Teese every time I see her.
It looks like she's got some blue-ish silvery eyeshadow on (Urban Decay Strip is very good) but I might just be making that shit up, and this fancy powder compact. I don't have a nice powder compact like that and have no clue what it is. YSL? It's a little gold box.
Nah I don't think it's that, but, y'know, it's pretty fancy all the same. Now I have perspective enough to know I don't need it since I'm not really into the whole powder thing and I've already got a powder, but, y'know. If I were the Queen of Louisiana I'd buy that shit. It's got a heart in it! Aww.
Now the obvious: retro-red lips. Yeah there'll be a MAC lipstick you can wear that'll look like that, MAC Red, Ruby Woo, or something, but red is a pretty common colour and I'm sure you'll be able to find an equivalent shade fairly easily. I've used one from Revlon to good effect, it just made me look like a transvestite hooker. This shade of red just ain't for me. Everyone's got a shade of red they think they look the hottest in, but if you're looking for a red like Sophie-Ann's don't get So Scarlet.
Of course I had to put on a red lipstick after the episode and I put on some So Scarlet - it's the red I've committed myself to and it's a kickin' red, but it's nothing like that. It's nothing like Hadley's red lipstick neither (see below). It's way pinker and more cool-toned. It's LE as well, but if you want it you shouldn't be like trawling the internet looking for it. I swatched my red lipsticks and found that my cheap li'l Prestige lipstick is extremely similar to So Scarlet. Prestige lipsticks are alright as well. I find the MAC creamier but So Scarlet is the Amplified formula. I'd say Prestige is just a bit drier than that, and I much prefer the Prestige lipstick over Barry M, which I find a bit powdery. I know Barry M is pretty popular but they don't have a great range of lipstick colours, and no lipstick should feel kind of dry and powdery. The Prestige lipstick colour is a bit sheerer and a tiny bit pinkier than So Scarlet, but when you layer it on your lips they look extremely similar. Hell, they look extremely similar in the tube.
That being said I still have both. I use the MAC for specialer events, like going somewhere kind of posh or a birthday. I guess I'm just attracted to the same colours, over and over again.
Hadley has a warmer brickier shade of red on. It reminds me of an old lipstick I had. It was Nars Spanish Red and was a wonderful self-treat that was way beyond my student budget, until it melted in my drawer into a pool of expensive wax and carmine. Alas. That lipstick was the bomb, I'll get it again when I'm making a good taxable salary. Employ me! Yes.
Nobody else had very noteworthy makeup, except Hoyt's Mama:
she's matched her lips to her earrings to her clothes,
and has gone and glued scary dead spiders on her eyes,
and the Fangtasia White Trash Daytime Guard lady,
who I swear to God is using MAC's Bare Truth lipglass,
but I'll run through their faces anyway from episodes 9 and 10 in a brief montage. They're pretty much all wearing what they've all been wearing most of the season.
Apparently there are only one or two more episodes until the end of the season? Bizarre happenings have occurred in Bon Temps that weren't in the books. Alan Ball has taken the characters and now they inhabit a strange, sexual, Spanish-Moss-draped world with liberal definitions of maenads.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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