Ugly-Pretty

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Guerlain's Coup de Foudre eyeshadow palette.  I bought it on a whim - no doubt swayed by its popularity on the web (I'm looking at you, MUA MUB).  I will say that while I was very unsure about it when I wore this on Friday, it's grown on me since.  I'm rather fond of it right at this moment!

Things I am wearing here:  Koh Gen Do Aqua PK-0, Nars Light Reflecting Powder Loose, Illamasqua Lover blush, Dior Addict Lip Balm Crystal Coral, Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil Soft Brunette, Guerlain Maxi Lash mascara....and some other stuff.  For the eyes, I started with Nars eye primer, then lined uppers and lowers with UD Uzi pencil.  I smudged the dark gray shadow into it.  Then I blended the olive shadow onto my lids and a little into the creases.  Next, I blended the mint shade into my inner crease area.  The coral color is, of course, above my mid-outer crease.  I also used a tiny bit of the dark gray on the outer corner of my lids.  YSL black cream liner lined both waterlines.  And while I used Guerlain's Maxi Lash on my upper lashes, I used Maybelline's water-resistant Clump Crusher for my lower lashes.  It's annoying that I have to use very specific mascaras on my lowers - they just love to smudge, when given the chance!

The pigmentation on the Coup de Foudre eyeshadows leaves something to be desired.  At least, with the dark gray and olive I felt I really had to pack it on to get the color I wanted (even the coral, if I'm honest with myself).  Perhaps they are not meant to be worn so opaquely.  Perhaps I am nit-picking.  In any case, it was worth the effort and not too much trouble.  I just figure for that amount of money I should get pigment galore.  :)

I'll leave you with that.  Please feel free to ask any questions!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Peach Parfait

I'm still here!  Fear not.  :)  I just love Revlon's Lip Butter in Peach Parfait.  I'm wearing it here.  Yummy!  Other things I am wearing:  Tarte's Tinted Treatment BB Primer in Fair, Tarte's Amazonian Clay blush in Glisten (sadly looked a bit feverish in real life, but I think photographed very nicely), the Hourglass Soft Brunette brow pencil, and some eye stuff.  Mwahaha!

So, for the eyes...I mainly used Too Faced's The Return of Sexy palette.  I worked off the grouping to the far right, called "The Bombshell."  "Maneater" sandy taupe all over the lid and blended into the crease.  "7 Year Itch" shimmery white on the inner corner/crease area.  "Hollywood" medium gray in the outer "v" and "Beautymark" darker gray just a bit along the end of the upper lash line.  The green is Urban Decay's Graffiti pencil liner with Rouge Bunny Rouge Whispering Ibis smudged into it.  I also used Sephora Flashy Ultra Green liner on my waterline.  Tightline was Stila Stay All Day black liner pen.  For mascara, I used Guerlain's Maxi Lash, which I'm pretty happy with so far.

I really liked this look overall, but was annoyed that I messed up the symmetry of the outer "v" portions of my eyes.  My blush looks quite uneven, as well.  It's always got to be something!  Hopefully no one noticed, though.  And even if they did, I'm only human.  :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Spring Forward

Face:
Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20 Translucent
Urban Decay Naked Skin 0.5
Illamasqua Concealer 115 (spots)
Tarte Maracuja Concealer Fair (under eye)
Nars Light Reflecting Powder Loose

Cheeks:
Illamasqua Katie
Nars New Order

Eyes:
Nars eye primer
Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Illusoire (lid into crease)
Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Vision (center of the lid over Illusoire)
Urban Decay Virgin e/s (inner corner and brow bone)
Sephora Flashy e/l Ultra Black
MUFE Aqua Eyes e/l 16L (lower lash line)
Fyrinnae Bitey Tyrannosaur (smudged into lowers)
Urban Decay El Dorado e/l pencil (inner lowers)
Urban Decay Mildew e/l pencil (waterline)
Stila Stay All Day liner pen (tight line)
L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Black Lacquer mascara
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo Ash Blonde (light side)

Lips:
Beaute Weightless Lip Creme Trace


Thoughts about this face...  I'm really happy with the color of the Urban Decay foundation.  It seems to be a good mix of yellow and pink on me.  It also photographs nicely!  I adore Illusoire and it's been a while since I wore it.  It did not disappoint and even though I've had some creasing in the past, it wore like a champ today and did not budge one bit.  Vision only gave me minimal fall out, too, so I'm pleased with that.  I adore the Trace lippie.  It's such a lovely, perfect pinky-nude on me.

I'm not happy about the under eye concealer looking a pinch too light here, but in person I think it was better.  And I'm wondering if I should have put mascara on my lower lashes or not.  Obviously, I went with the lazy option of not doing it.  I think I like it okay that way, but I'm not sure.

Enough rambling!  Thanks for stopping by!  Let me know what you think.

Scarlet

Face:
Armani Face Fabric primer
Korres Wild Rose Mineral Porcelain
Illamasqua Concealer 115
BareMinerals Stroke of Light Luminous 1
Korres WR Mineral Setting Powder

Cheeks:
Addiction Revenge
Nars Hungry Heart

Eyes:
Nars eye primer
Armani Eyes to Kill Intense #28
Makeup Geek Bling Bling (inner corner)
Stila Stay All Day black liner pen
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo Ash Blonde (light side)
Korres Volcanic mascara

Lips:
Bite lip primer
Bite High Pigment lip pencil Scarlet (LE)

This was a relatively quick look for me, from last week.  I really loved wearing the Scarlet pencil.  It seriously hydrated my lips - shocking to say.  After the day my lips felt soft.  CRAZY!  It doesn't hold on as tenaciously as some other more drying formulas out there, but I guess you can't have perfectly long wearing without being a least somewhat drying.  Yeah.

In any case, I can see more Bite pencils in my future.

Thanks for stopping by and do pardon my messy, not so fresh hair!  Eep.

Diamond Dusk

This was a face from last week.  I was wearing Make Up For Ever Lift Foundation in #11, Nars Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder, Guerlain Meteorites Perles du Paradis, Tarte AC Adored Blush, YSL Glossy Stain #15, and Tarina Tarantino's Diamond Dusk Aurora Jewel palette (LE from a while back).  How's about that for a quick product breakdown?!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Lady of the Lake

Face:
Georgio Armani Maestro Fusion 3
Illamasqua Concealer 115 (spots)
MUFE Lift Concealer 1
Nars Light Reflecting Setting Powder Loose

Cheeks:
Illamasqua Morale

Eyes:
Nars eye primer
lightest shimmer shade from Lorac Mint palette (Ulta version)
RBR Periwinkle Cardinal (crease and above)
Urban Decay e/l pencil Mildew
Stila Stay All Day black liner pen (tight line)
Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes!
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo Ash Blonde (lightest half only)

Lips:
Addiction Lady of the Lake lipstick (applied with a brush)

Neck:
Dior Aurora 01 Bronzer

I was surprised to not hate Maestro.  While it didn't wear too tenaciously on me, it did look nice and natural.  It was also oddly fun to apply!  I put several drops into the palm of my left hand, then dipped a finger tip from my right hand into the pool, and followed by quickly applying to my face.  Repeat, etc.  It glides on like liquid silk, which I rather enjoy.  I did not use a primer here, so that will be what I do next time around, to see if that helps it to wear better through the day.  Mainly my nose got shiny halfway through the day - a problem easily remedied with a quick pat from my MUFE Pro Finish compact.

My face felt comfortable and not dry, too, so that is always good.  I was sure to moisturize well underneath.  I'm still loving the new Nars loose powder.

I find it strange and interesting that Periwinkle Cardinal eyeshadow is most definitely not periwinkle.  It's a soft, almost minty green.

Let's talk about Lady of the Lake for a second.  I love this color.  The formula - not so much.  It's thick and smooth and waxy.  While the initial application was not so difficult, I had trouble with subsequent touch ups (which I found to need every hour or so for various reasons).  It got patchy or would ball up in areas.  I ended up using my finger tip to rub out the textural issues, and then would add more as needed.  Also, it felt dry - quite dry.  Now, I can put up with beastly dry lipsticks if they are going to look endlessly pretty and perform well.  I can!  But if they are high maintenance and drying, then it's hard to justify.  All that said, perhaps because little Lady of the Lake came such a long way to be with me, I am determined to make her work.  Next go around I will try a primer and also exfoliate my lips first.

Below is a pic of an eye from Monday.  I didn't fill in my brows here, so try not to get too distracted by that sadness.  I wore RBR Lilac Reef Curassow all over, Umber Firefinch in the crease, and Alabaster Starling in the inner corner.  I used UD Mildew pencil for liner.  I love the color combination and would definitely wear it again!

NW10

Recently, I picked up a sample of MAC Studio Fix liquid in NW10 to try out.  Here I am wearing it!

On my eyes, I used Urban Decay shadows:  Mushroom on the lid, AC/DC in and above the crease, and Ecstasy smudged into liner on the lowers.  I used UD Perversion pencil liner along both lash lines.  On the uppers, I smudged Perversion eyeshadow into it, under Mushroom.

I applied the Studio Fix using my fingers.  I found that a little goes a long way and also I needed to work quickly as it dries rather fast.  I am very pleased with the coverage and lasting power!  The color match is excellent, as well.  Normally I wear foundations that are a tiny bit darker than this and either bronze my neck to match or can't even be bothered to do that!  It's weird seeing myself in a color that matches my neck closely but also doesn't totally wash me out.

It's pretty hard to tell, but I've used UD Asphyxia pencil along the water line.  In my brows is Anastasia powder duo in Ash Blonde (just the lighter side).  Also, I'm testing out a sample of DiorShow Iconic OverCurl mascara.  It's not super dramatic, but it does get major points for wearing extremely well on both my upper and lower lash lines (most mascaras smudge terribly on my lower lashes).

I'd like to try mixing some radiance primer or something a bit glowy into the Studio Fix to see how that goes.  It's a bit more matte than what I'm used to!

Let's not forget lips and blush!  I'm wearing Illamasqua Katie Blusher and Korres Lip Butter Glaze in Jasmine (I later switched to a brighter rose lip, which I really liked with these colors).  I also used Nars New Order (or did I?  I'm fairly certain I did!) for a shimmery cheek highlight - but it's not evident whatsoever in these pictures.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed this look.