Matte Purple Eye Tutorial

Today's tutorial uses two eyeshadow palettes, Sigma's Creme De Couture (limited edition) and The Balm's Meet Matte Nude.

I used Urban Decay primer potion and NYX eyeshadow base in white (the one in the pot) as my base. I applied it opaque over the lid and then blended it up to the brow bone.

Next apply Cherry Blossom to the inner corner, then violet whip to the center of the eye, and then Cassis to the outer third of the eye. Blend the colors together.

Apply Elderberry in the crease and outer V. Next use Matt Malloy to highlight the brow bone and blend the colors together.

Darling Girl Haul & Swatches

Darling Girl has some super cute packaging here.

Seriously, look at this! It's so pretty.

I bought the Mini Sample sizes which are 1/4 tsp

For the most part they pressed okay. They seem to be very oxide heavy despite having mica as the first ingredient. If I order from Darling Girl again I probably won't press them unless they're very shimmery colors. They're still totally usable, but they pressed very compact. 

Swatches are all with Urban Decay Primer Potion on the left, NYX Milk, Nyx Black Bean, and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Top to Bottom: Persuasion, Kitty Ka Boom, Jeweled Taupe, Witch Way Now, Brocade, Innocence, London, My Little Pony, Hope, Leviathan

Top to botttom: Persuasion, Kitty Ka Boom, Jeweled Taupe

Top to Bottom: Witch Way Now, Brocade, Innocence, London

I guess the Pixie Epoxy was still drying in places which is why the right side looks so funky, sorry!

Top to Bottom: My Little Pony, Hope, Leviathan

I decided to swatch Leviathan last minute which is why it's so sparse. I was being lazy and decided not to add more primer/base.

Overall I really like Darling Girl Cosmetics. Petites are $2.50 for 1/4 tsp and Full sizes are $5.90 for 3/4 tsp. The swatches on their website are very accurate.

I didn't swatch it here but the Glitter Glue is awesome. It works just like Pixie Epoxy and works for mattes and satins as well as shimmery shadows. I like the squeeze tube better than the doe wand as well. This will probably replace my Pixie Epoxy when I go through it.

Lip Swatches - Hello Waffle and Shiro

Hello Waffle Vegan Tinted Lip Balms

I asked Hello Waffle to leave out the peppermint oil since I find that it dries my lips. The formula thins easily with a little heat and glides on smoothly. The color can be put on sheer or built up to a moderate opacity. 

The original formula is a sheer balm. It was a little stiff to apply but once on the lips it glides easily.

Cotton Candy is a bright petal pink that applies easily. This one was the best of the three colors I chose.

Maraschino is a bright cherry red but on my lips it becomes a little more of a coral red. Most reds tend to turn either coral or fuchsia on me so I wasn't surprised, and it's not a fault of the product. I really love this color! It has a great payoff and wasn't difficult to apply.

Vamp is a bolder wine red that I had trouble keeping cohesive. I had to do multiple passes to build up the color and when I pressed my lips together it tuned patchy. I think that if it was a thicker formula it would be easier to apply. The color is really beautiful though.

Ingredients: Mango Butter, Carnauba Wax, Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, Peppermint Extract

Hello Waffle Tinted Lip Balms get a 4/5

Shiro Vegan Intertubes and Glosses

Moon Prism Power is a very pretty sheer color with a strong green highlight. It's subtle but every now and then you'll see a flash of color from the light.

Why Not Zoidberg is a cult favorite and there's good reason why. Shiro's Intertubes are amazingly rich and moisturizing with good color payoff. And Zoidberg is the perfect coral.

Unforgettable is a shade that I had custom made in moderate opacity. This lip gloss is fierce! It's a darker almost brick red with subtle copper/gold sparkle and a fuchsia shift. 

Red Wedding was a free sample and I love it. This is a totally sparkle free true red with slight orange tones. It's scented with a fruit punch flavoring that smells great and isn't too strong. And it blots down to a really pretty muted coral.

Intertubes Ingredients: shea butter, organic jojoba oil, candelilla wax, vitamin E, yellow #6, red #27, red #40, iron oxide

Custom Gloss Ingredients (base only): hydrogenated polyisobutene, ethylene/propylene/styrene copolymer, butylene/ethylene/styrene copolymer, meadowfoam seed oil, cocoa butter, vitamin E

Red Wedding Ingredients: Ingredients: hydrogenated polyisobutene, ethylene/propylene/styrene copolymer, butylene/ethylene/styrene copolymer, meadowfoam seed oil, red 40, iron oxide, cocoa butter, castor oil, vitamin E, flavor

Shiro's Intertubes and Glosses get a 5/5

Lighting Comparison for your Makeup Vanity

So I've been frustrated lately with my lack of good lighting in my bedroom, which is where I keep my  makeup vanity. My bedroom only has one window and it faces South so I never really get much sunlight. But incandescent light is usually warm toned and can distort colors.


I went to Target today while running errands and found a lightbulb that looked like it would fit the bill. It was the GE Reveal LED lightbulb ($20) and it advertised itself as a bright white bulb that when compared to incandescent bulbs would "reveal" their true colors. It sounded perfect. It was a lie. This is the worst lightbulb I've ever used. It was actually worse than my Conair lighted mirror. It was dark, cast harsh shadows, and was super yellow. I've never hated an inanimate object with such rage before. I promptly returned it and bought two other lightbulbs at Lowes, a UtiliTech Natural LED Light ($11), and an OTTLite bulb ($6). You can see the results below and figure out which light you prefer.

You can see just how bad the natural lighting is in my room, even with full sun today I can't even get my whole face illuminated. 

The GE Reveal LED light is the worst lightbulb I've ever used. GE has a total fail here. I went right back to the store to return it immediately.

The UtiliTech LED light is nearly perfect, it's natural looking and gives a good amount a light. It could be just a smudge brighter, but this one is the closest to natural light. 

The OttLite bulb was the brightest one but the blue-tone is very strong and it washed me out a bit. Getting a 60watt one may solve this problem.

I really like both the Utilitech and the OttLite. I kind of wish there was an in between version. I think I'll pick up another clip on light and see if I can use both and get a happy medium. Until then I'll use the OttLite because it's actually the closest to the natural light photo.

Elsa from Frozen - B&A Tutorial with Shiro Cosmetics

Today's makeup look is inspired by Elsa from the Disney movie Frozen. Elsa has a very pretty winter look with lots of pink, purple, and plum. The color palette may be simple but this look is very feminine and polished.

 

Step One - Before

Products: I primed my face with Sephora's Oil Control Primer and then applied Maybelline's Baby Skin to my cheeks and nose.

Step Two - Concealer, Foundation, & Powder

Products: Skin 79 Original (hot pink) BB Cream, Lancome Effacernes Concealer in 1.0 Light, Estee Lauder DW Matte Pressed Powder in 1.0 Light

Step 3 - Contour

Product: Fyrinnae Bronzer Matte Light, Maybelline Bouncy Blush in Pink Frosting, InYourFaceMakeup Matte White Full Coverage Foundation as a matte highlighter

Step 4 - Prime Your Eyes

Product: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Step - 5 White Eyeshadow Base

Product: Nyx Milk, apply heavily to the lid and inner corner and blend lightly up to the brow bone

Step 6 - Color

Product: Shiro Master of Whispers applied heavily to the lid and inner corner

Step 7 - Crease

Product: Shiro Mother of Dragons applied to the outer corner and crease blending into the lid color and up the brow bone slightly

Step 8 - Outer Corner and Highlight

Product: Shiro Chimera applied in the outer V and blended down along the bottom lash line, Shiro The Truth applied to the brow bone as the highlight

Step 9 - Eyeliner, Mascara, and Brows

Product: Shiro Dwarf in the Flask as eyeliner, Rimmel ScandalEyes for mascara, and Lancome Eyebrow Pencil in Taupe

Step 10 - Finished!

Product: TKB Trading Silica Powder applied to oily areas and used to blend the blush and contour & Fyrinnae Pygmy Hippo Liquid Lipstick

Obligatory Before & After Comparison

The weather has been so dreary here lately. It actually rained for 3 days straight! I can't wait to see some sunlight again.