Life's Entropy Lip Theory Swatches + Combinations

Life's Entropy is a newer indie cosmetics company that has an awesome science theme. Seriously, I mean just look at these names! I geeked out hard core when I went shopping. 

These are the swatches of some of the lip theories, a satin finish liquid lipstick that's similar to OCC's Lip Tars. 

Link to Life's Entropy

The full sizes retail for $8 each for 10g of product

Samples are $1.50 for 1g of product

Colors range from traditional to nontraditional so there's something for everyone

Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Apricot Kernal Oil, Palm Kernal Oil, Carnauba Wax, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E), Kaolin Clay, Peppermint Oil | May Contain: D&C Red #6, D&C Red #7, D&C Red #27, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Yellow #5, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Mica.

The coolest thing about LE's Lip Theories is that she also sells these mixing tubes for those who want to make their own custom blends. You can buy a 3 piece set for $5 so they're extremely reasonable. 

She even sells a clear version for those who want to mix their favorite lip-safe eyeshadow or loose blush into a custom lip gloss

Swatches!     (Click the images to enlarge)

Reviews of the Colors

Enzyme - ZOMG I love this shade. It's amazing. It's a very pretty natural peachy My Lips But Better 

Crystal Violet - a pretty violet (stains magenta so watch out for that) that I probably wouldn't wear alone but is great for mixing with other colors (this was my free sample)

Coralation - I have a love/hate relationship with this color. I LOVE the shade in the tube. But this is a pressure sensitive color. When you apply moderate pressure it deepens and becomes a very fluorescent, hot coral. It's still pretty, it's just a bit bright for me. I do really like it though. I might wear it around the house to see if I can get used to it.

Big Bang Theory - a very pretty blue based red. This was the hardest to apply because of how dark it is so I'd recommend using a lip liner with this color. But I love the shade and it's perfect for fall!

On to the Experiments!

 I decided to play around and make some new colors. I did an approximate 50/50 blend by layering them in the order that they're listed. I really like how they turned out! I'm going to pick up some full sizes and tubes and get to work making my own colors :D

Overall Thoughts

I love the idea of these liquid lipsticks. I haven't worn them except to swatch so I can't speak to their dry down process or longevity. I tried an OCC Lip Tar once and it was a patchy mess that settled into the lines of my lips. I haven't had that problem with LE's Lip Theories, so I'm really happy to try them out and see if they work for me. 

I was disappointed with Coralation, but the shop warns you that it's pressure sensitive so it's not the creator's fault that I didn't read the description. I was just too excited when I saw coral. I'm a sucker for coral. It's still a lovely shade.

So I graduated from nursing school and went a little haul crazy

So, I just completed nursing school. Yay! Now I'm studying for the NCLEX. Boo! My parents got me the Canon Rebel t5i as a graduation present and I'm so excited to finally have a good camera! So of course I immediately used it to take selfies and swatch photos. heh


My hauls included Shiro, Detrivore, Life's Entropy, Fyrinnae, and Pumpkin & Poppy. I'll post the Detriovre stuff and the Life's Entropy Lip Theories later since I didn't get any photos yet.

The Damage

Swatches!

Swatches are over NYX's White Eyeshadow base (left) and bare skin (right)

Look at that glow on Glowsticks of Destiny! Hnnng

I'm super impressed with the opacity of Life's Entropy. You don't need a primer or base at all!

Sooooo sparkly. These shades are gorgeous. I don't have any of Stila's Magnificent Metal Foils but I believe that Fyrinnae's Gaiety could be a good dupe if applied wet.

Now for the contour swatches! I'm obsessed with contouring now.

Heavy swatch followed by blended swatch

I've been using NYX Taupe but haven't been too happy with how pink it turns on me. My skin brings our pink tones. My face is cool/neutral but my body is neutral/warm so I always feel like I struggle with foundation and contour colors.

Life's Entropy - Proton

Life's Entropy in Proton is marketed as a neutral taupe for pale skin tones. It definitely appears more warm/yellow toned, though. I'll try contouring with this but I'm afraid it will be too warm for my face. I might end up giving this to a friend who is a little more tan/yellow. It blends well and I like the formula.

Pumpkin & Poppy - Oak Bark

Pumpkin & Poppy's Oakbark is marketed as a cool-toned taupe for fair and cool toned skin. It's definitely cool! It looks grayish in the jar and swatches gray/taupe when it's heavily applied but when it's sheered out in normal application it looks great.

NYX - Taupe

This is what I've been using, but I felt like it was too pink for me. I also bring out pink tones in stuff, so it may just be my skin. Most people have good luck with this asa contour.

B&A with Pumpkin & Poppy Oak Bark

(p.s. I'm wearing Shiro's I loved a maid, no men like me, the truth, climbing chaos, and dwarf in the flask)

Bonus!

Here's how I'm doing my swatches now. Scotch tape creates clean borders for even spaced swatches. I use NYX's White Eye Primer/Base now instead of primer or glitter glue.

Ulta Haul with Date night B&A

So last night I did a semi-retro look for my date night. I wanted to rock a bold red lip. I had just gotten my Ulta haul with my new false lashes so I couldn't resist going super glam. 

I was super excited to get some new gel colors as well as the  new NYX Eyebrow Gel in blonde. I'm also allergic to latex and the Eylure Pre-glued lashes are the only latex-free falsies on the market and they've been discontinuing styles so I stocked up on my favorite since they were BOGO.

119 Shimmery Silhouette, 184 WOW!!, & 116 Simply Stunning as well as a mattifying topcoat.

The NYX Tinted Butter Lip Balms in Marshmallow (Top) and Macaroon (Bottom)

1. Prime

Sephora Oil Control Primer

2. Concealer

Lancome Effacernes Waterproof Concealer in 1.0

3. Foundation

Lancome Teint Idole 24 Hour in 100 Ivory

I love this foundation! It's super light and looks great for over 12 hours. I don't get that itchy feeling at the end of the night, and oiliness is minimal.

4. Contour, Blush, & Highlight

Pixi Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched, NYX Blush in Taupe as contour, & Sigma Creme de Couture blush in Strawberry Ambrosia, Watt's Up Highlighter

I did a very light contour because I wanted the lips to be the main focus

5. Eyes

Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer, The Balm Meet Matte Nude (Malloy, Singh, Rosen), Shiro Dwarf in the Flask as eyeliner, Estee Lauder DW Mascara, Lancome Waterproof Eyeliner in White, Eylure Lashes 117

I love the Meet Matt(e) Nude Palette. It's my go to favorite for when I want a soft, subtle eye look. The eyeshadows are buttery and blend easily. Since my eyes are slightly hooded I tight line using Shiro's Dwarf in the Flask.

6. Eyebrows

NYX Eyebrow Gel in Blonde

I am absolutely in love with the new NYX Eyebrow Gel. I used the blonde one. You can see how well it matches, and how natural it looks. I applied it with a stiff angled brush after squeezing some on the back of my hand. At Ulta I swatched this one and compared it to the Anastasia one and I preferred NYX's because it was less ashy and it was a little lighter.

7. Lips!

MUFE Aqua Lip Liner in 09C Burgundy, Fyrinnae Lip Luster in Dragon's Blood

Midsummer Dreams Apothecary Giveaway!

I'm gearing up for the imminent release of the five new Midsummer Dreams Apothecary scents. This time around we have five unisex colognes. Look below for a sneak peek of these new scents.

For the raffle I will be giving away two prizes. First prize is a sampler set of all 10 fragrances from the Fairy Tale Perfume and Fairy Tale Cologne collections.

Second prize is a sampler set of the 5 unisex colognes.

There are ten chances to win. Everyone gets one free entry. But you can also earn additional entries for becoming a fan on the Facebook page, by following me on Instagram, by signing up for the mailing list, and by reviewing a previous purchase on storenvy (or verifying that you've already left a review).

The raffle will be open from Tuesday 7/1/14 at 5 PM EST until Saturday 7/5/14 at 9:00 AM EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunless Tanning for Pale Girls

Summer is in full swing and living in Florida it's so tempting to go down to the beach to get your tan on. But with Swedish ancestry and a family history of skin cancer it's a painful, burning process. I've used fake tanner before but always found it frustrating.

Gradual tanners take too long for my attention span. But most instant tanning products streak or turn very yellow and make me look a little sickly. So when Sssamanthaa over at /r/makeupaddiction on Reddit did a sunless tanning review I was hooked. She recommended a product called Fake Bake Flawless Darker. Her post showed how she went from super pale to natural looking bronzed.

See her post here

Fake Bake Flawless Darker is a spray on liquid tanning product that you buff in with the included applicator mitt. I used the velour side. Just spray it on the mitt then start rubbing in circles. The color guide is a handy dandy visual for how the tan will develop. It tells you where you've applied too thin and where might streak. Just keep buffing away in circular motions for an even, streak-free tan.

The nice thing about Fake Bake Flawless Darker is that it gives a very natural, reddish tan. It's a "I tanned for hours" tan not a "my skin is naturally this shade" tan.

I bought it from Amazon for $15.90

Here's my leg before coloring

I followed the directions by exfoliating with a sugar scrub, making sure there was no soap residue, applying lotion to knees, ankles, and feet then toweling it off after a minute. You'll want to wear gloves under the applicator mitt as a precaution. The box comes with one pair of latex gloves and the applicator mitt. You spray the velour side of the mitt then buff it onto your skin in circular motions. Just keep it moving and keep buffing. If anywhere got too much product I used the rougher sponge side to kind of scrape it off then re-buffed it with the velour side.

And immediately after applying (you're seeing the color guard here)

It says this product works best when you leave it on for at least 4 hours, but they recommend applying before bed to let it work all night. I applied this in the afternoon and it felt dry to the touch after 30 minutes and completely dry after 2 hours. I left it on and went to bed then rinsed off in the morning. So total it was on for about 18 hours.

Some reviewers complained that they watched the color guard wash down the drain. They must not have left it on for the minimum amount of time, because I did not lose any color at all.

18 hours later

The directions say to apply twice a week, exfoliating once a week. And there's a fair amount of product in the bottle. I could see this lasting you for a couple of months, even with a twice a week application.

The comparison between my paleness and my fake tan-ness

Overall, I love it! I think it looks really natural and it was pretty easy to apply even for a total fake tan novice. Next time I think I'll super moisturize then wash it off after 30 minutes. I have very dry skin. And it says you can use it on your face but it did collect a little around my stubble where I'd shaved so I feel like it might sink into pores. I'm going to get their face tanner instead.

Opening Shop! Midsummer Dreams is open for business

Last night I made the grand reveal to my friends at /r/indiemakeupandmore . I've opened shop! For the past four months I have been conducting R&D while I developed my own line of perfumes and colognes. The shop is called Midsummer Dreams Apothecary and I currently offer 5 perfumes.

Midsummer Dreams Apothecary

Beauty

Creamy sweet vanilla joins with sensuous warm amber amidst the fragrance of a garden full of rich full-bodied roses, earthy rosewood, and hints of oakmoss. This perfume is both rich and feminine with a balance of bold florals, earthy scents, and sweet vanilla. Perfect to wear on a rainy afternoon while you cozy up with your favorite book.

Mermaid

A blend of sweet vanilla, sea salt, and calming lotus blossom is accompanied by the Hawaiian puakenikeni flower and rounded out with elegant gardenia. This blend is delicate and feminine and smells like a seaside garden on a breezy, spring day.

Rapunzel

Fields of fragrant sweet grass warmed by rich amber, with hints of delicate honeysuckle vines, climbing roses, and night blooming jasmine swirl together in this delicate blend.  This is a delightfully fresh and feminine perfume that smells like a sunny, grassy meadow covered in wildflowers.

Snow White

Sweet apple, juicy pear, and crisp fig mingle with the floral scent of sweet ylang ylang  and earthy scents of balsam cedar, and rosewood. This is a delicious blend of fruity and forest scents that is fresh and crisp.

Sultan's Daughter

Sultry, warm amber blends with sweet vanilla and is surrounded by a palace garden filled with rich jasmine blossoms, hints of fragrant and sweet ylang ylang, and fig. This is a feminine but slightly spicy blend that is warm and bold.

Midsummer Dreams is a vegan friendly brand offering perfume and cologne oils and solid perfume.