Makeup of the Day

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Rachel

So, I feel off my makeup game today. I decided I wanted to give MAC Chromaline in Rich Purple another try today, although the last few tries had me feeling this plum-purple cream liner just had too much red for me to pull it off. I should have known better, because I’m having allergies today already. Sure, it matches my shirt, but I don’t think it’s doing me any favors.

Yep…off day. I also used my sample of MAC Strobe Cream under Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation, hoping it would make it look a little more satin and life like and less flat matte. Well, it did at least a tad…but the color is still a bit too light or something and oh my GOD you guys…the fragrance of the Strobe Cream is not going away! I did my makeup an hour ago. No Bueno! Yeah, I’ll stick to L’Oreal Lumi Primer, thanks.

At least my NYX lipstick in Hunk looks awesome. Thanks, Ipsy!

Ok, here I am 5 hours later, at 9:00 pm. I added Sephora Contour eyeliner pencil in Eccentric Diva, which is a blue purple, which I think looks a bit better. However, I think I’ve gone from “satin glowy skin” to straight up shiny (hard to tell here since my house is dark). Not sure how I’m going to like Strobe Cream in the summer (regardless of the scent). I am just so…combination. *gets out Blot Powder* I switched here to Wet N Wild Fergie lipstick in Ferguson Crest Cabernet. This lipstick has such great staying power!

Ever have makeup off days?

$10 off every $50 you spend at MAC Online – perfect time for me to get a few brushes!

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Rachel

So, MAC Cosmetics just launched a new website redesign and they’re doing something they’re not at all known for – they have a coupon code going on for $10 off every $50 you spend, plus, you can chose from 3 free samples. (Hey, with free shipping, why not make separate orders and try different samples?) I had just sold a few things on eBay and decided this was the time to replace the 210 super-extra-skinny eyeliner brush (Ok, I made up that name) and try 2 eyeshadow brushes I always wished I had – the 217 Blending Brush and the 239 Eye Shading Brush. I picked a sample of Strobe Cream and got $10.00 off my order!

For many of you, these shadow brushes are already staples; however, I still feel I should do a review on these later. Just feeling them in my hands, they are about 300,000 times softer than the Crown and Makeup Geek brushes I’ve been using – although we know that doesn’t necessarily mean better, so the proof will be in the test!

I had already used the 210 liner brush…for so many years, actually, that I killed it dead. Welcome home, new 210. Nobody makes a brush as skinny as you. I shall never stray again!

Here’s the code! It’s good until 11:59 on June 22.

What are your go to eye brushes?

How I learned to love the MAC 190 foundation brush

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Rachel

I’m a former MAC artist…ok, that was many years ago, but I still use some brushes by MAC (as well as many by other less expensive brands). The 190 foundation brush is a flat, paddle shaped foundation brush that has always vexed me a bit when I try to use it with liquid foundations, especially ones with a texture like Studio Fix Fluid that can be prone to streaking.

The MAC 190 foundation brush is a natural fiber brush (horse hair) and great for application of liquid and creams, but blending was where I was having a problem – this is because I was using back and forth “painting” type motions to work the product onto the skin and continued trying to blend this way. Eventually, I became disenchanted with my somewhat streaky results and stopped using this brush altogether, which sucks, because it’s expensive ($34.00 USD). One day I was feeling bummed out about it and started looking around YouTube for some tutorials on how to get better use from this brush. Low and behold, Wayne Goss (I love him!) had tips including using the side/tip to stipple and pat any streaky texture away once the product is on the skin, working in small areas of the face. This absolutely works wonderfully! I feel like I’m having a renewed love affair with an old brush now, as I have gotten my 190 out and have been using it for days.

Awesome!

MAC 190 brush with Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation in Porcelain with MAC 134 brush and Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder in Translucent

Have you rediscovered any old favorites or learned to love something you thought you didn’t like?

What’s on your nails? Essie For The Twill Of It

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Rachel

So, I’ve been under the weather, so no posts in a couple of days, but last night I managed a home mani-pedi! I used Nailtiques #2, Essie’s For The Twill Of It, and topped it with Poshe fast drying top coat. This nail polish is an amazing multi-chrome with hints of teal, magenta, and silver-brown. In some lights, it appears gunmetal. It came out 2 years ago, but if you can’t find it, supposedly Peace & Love & OPI by OPI is nearly exactly the same.

I really wish I could capture all the colors in this amazing polish better!

What’s on your nails?

What jewelry are you rocking for summer?

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Rachel

I have a deep, abiding love for white metals, always have. I have a great big bunch of sterling silver jewelry…ridiculous amounts of it, since you can sometimes find such great deals on it. One of the things I love about the current revival in 90s fashion is that suddenly, my jewelry is back in style. No, I never stopped wearing this stuff!

All those pieces were found in expensively on eBay…except one. I bought the thumb ring at a hippie boutique in 1994. Bringing back the 90s? Or kept it alive all this time?

So, I showed this photo to Kristin and she said “You know we all wore that stuff! Oh, and the black cabochon rings with the filigree around it.” To which I said, “Ahem, left hand,” and sent her this photo:

Pardon the swollen hands, but it’s hot as HECK here.

What jewelry are you rocking this summer?

What’s on your nails? Do you lilac it?

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Rachel

Today, I have a nice mixture of spooky and sweet going on – my claw midi ring and this lovely cool pastel purple nail polish, OPI’s “Do You Liliac It?”

I used Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover (blue gel of the gods), Nailtiques #2 as a base coat, two coats of the OPI color, and Poshe quick drying top coat. Honestly, this color had plenty of shine without the top coat!

What’s on your nails?

Seche Restore nail polish thinner – I love you!

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Rachel

Ok, so see this bottle of Milani glitter nail polish? It’s dead. Well…maybe it’s just pinin’ for the fjords.

No, this bottle of nail polish is not just merely dead, it has ceased to be.

It has gone to meet its maker! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! Its glittery processes are now history! It has kicked the bucket, shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain, and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible! THIS IS AN EX NAIL POLISH. But wait, what’s this…

Enter, stage left:

Seche Restore is a nail polish thinner that’s made especially to work with the quick dry top coat, Seche Vite. The awesome thing about this stuff, however, is that it works brilliantly to thin out regular nail polishes that are past their prime. Seche Restore comes with a glass pipette that is separate from the bottle, since the cap needs to stay extra tight so the chemicals don’t evaporate. That’s the only slightly odd thing about this product for me, but I don’t mind it, because:

*choir of angels sings* Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Just add a few drops, or a dropper, or however much your bottle needs to get to the consistency it needs to be to apply nicely again. Close it up tight and roll the bottle between your hands and then check the consistency until you get it just right. Voila! Amazing!

Just a note…Seche Restore does contain tolulene, so if remaining 3-free or 4-free or 5-free with your nail products is a big deal to you, then you’ll want to steer clear of this polish thinner. Then again, Seche Vite does contain tolulene also. I had tried to go all 3-free until I realized my nails do just terribly without my Nailtiques strengthener, so I am back off that train until I find a replacement (Citra did not work for me, so I’m open to suggestions).

I did this mani with this glitter polish, though I took it off a day later. I didn’t do the neatest job, but see that cup of coffee there? I think I’d had about 4 of them. 😉

It’s Sunday – time to organize and clean!

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Rachel

So, if I can get to it, I usually wash my brushes on Sunday (unless I haven’t used them much). This weekend I’ve been cleaning a lot and today I rearranged my new makeup desk setup (I recently moved EVERYTHING across the room because I decided standing up is for the birds). I’m sure I will keep moving it around because I cannot seem to get good lighting even with 2 lamps and a lighted mirror. Well…I got the cheap one…not the $200 one…ah, that’s a post for another day.

Last night as I kept dropping things while getting ready to go see Fury Road (holy shit, Kristin, you were right, OMGGGGGGG), I got sick of my desk space being taken up by my brush roll, dropping things, etc, so I went back to my cases and vase filler I put together with supplies from Michael’s. In no time, I will be sick of dust and random cat hairs…there is no winning when it comes to brush storage. (And yes, I’m running a brand new air purifier in here!)

That’s an obscene number of brushes. Some aren’t even shown here. I take really great care of them, though, and most of my MAC brushes are about 13-14 years old – no lie!! If you invest in quality brushes and care for them properly, it’s a worthwhile investment. That’s not to say there aren’t some cheap gems out there – see that $1 ELF concealer brush? I spot conceal with it nearly every day. There are some Sonia Kashuk and Eco Tools brushes in there, too, along with the MAC and Sigma. You might even spot one or two detail brushes from the art store!

What brushes are your favorite? Any special tips for how you store them?

My NYX Memorial Day Sale Goodies <3

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Rachel

At the end of May, I posted about NYX’s annual Memorial Day sale. I took this opportunity to grab a few things I had really been wanting, but had not yet trekked across town to Ulta to get (especially considering our Ulta is not always well stocked and it is 20 minutes away). It took quite a while to get my order, because this is a huge sale and it takes a while each year for them to process that many orders – but the savings are worth the wait! I got all this for a whopping $20.00 USD:

NYX Wicked Lippie in 01 Betrayal, NYX Primal Colors pressed Pigment Hot Black, NYX HD Blush in Taupe, NYX HD Concealer in Porcelain

Let’s take a look! First up, the thing I’m most excited about, the HD Blush in Taupe. I have been contouring for years with MAC’s Sculpt Powder in Bone Beige. It is light and sheer enough for my porcelain skin, but it has a bit too much redness in it for my skin tone. I make it work because it’s in a duo with a favorite highlighter (MAC Shape Powder in Emphasize). I have been wanting to try a more taupe colored contouring product, though, because let’s face it…shadows are not brown. I am pleased to say, this blush fits the bill for that purpose (there’s a photo at the end of this post of me wearing it.). Plus, the compact is very slim and takes up very little room in my kit and has a cute bow on the the clasp:

NYX HD Blush in Taupe

Would you look at that? It’s not orange! Hallelujah and praise the makeup gods!

Next up, the product I’m almost as excited about, because pale concealers at drug store prices are a bit of a unicorn…the NYX HD Concealer in Porcelain:

NYX HD Concealer in Porcelain

I’m also wearing this in the photo at the end of the post. This is a great high coverage concealer that works wonderfully for concealing imperfections on the face. It’s too thick and dry for using under my eyes; however, your mileage may vary. I’m using NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer for that. The NYX HD Concealer shade Porcelain is a lovely pale shade with a slight pink undertone that works great with my MAC Studio Fix Fluid shade in NW10. It’s a keeper!

Next up, NYX Primal Colors pressed pigment in Hot Black:

NYX Primal Colors pressed pigment in Hot Black

When I went to use this product today, I used it as an eyeliner with an angled eyeliner brush. It performed extremely well, but I did have some fallout as I was applying, getting some black powder on my cheeks. I sometimes forget this is an issue with pigments, whether they are pressed or not. I would say use this product where you do your eyes first, then the rest of your makeup. The great thing is, this is blaaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Like, black like my soul black (hahahaha!!!). It works great as liner and you could also use it to set pencil or gel liner. I have not tried it as eyeshadow yet, but hey, goth night is coming up…oh hey, maybe I’ll wear it to the Voltaire show tomorrow! (I am wearing it as liner in the photo at the bottom of this post, blended with Urban Decay Mushroom eyeshadow.)

All in all, I have to say that while NYX can be a hit or miss brand for me, I love everything I got in this order. (I am also wearing the Photo Loving Primer underneath my foundation today – a long time favorite!) I am wearing the concealer, blush for contour, and black pigment here. I like that the contour is subtle, but I can go heavier for an evening look if I want to. The only thing I haven’t tried yet is the purple lipstick, but the photos I’ve seen online are (wait for it) Wicked.

Also shown: Urban Decay Smoked eyeshadow palette, MAC Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre, Maybelline Lilac Flush lipstick with L’Oreal Extraordinaire Lip Color in Purple Prelude

What are your favorite NYX Products? Have you tried any of the new stuff for 2015?

And now, your moment of fail

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Rachel

I recently ordered some stuff from NYX from their Memorial Day sale. Some sweet warehouse person saw that I ordered a black eyeshadow and threw in a freebie pencil brush – how nice! As I was snipping off the plastic wrapper, the brush slid down in the package…

Well, it’s the thought that counts. Sigh.

Have you ever had an un-boxing disaster? This is not my worst one, by far. I once stabbed a pair of scissors right through the fabric of a corset. Luckily, it was a cheap one (giggle)! Yes, yes, I know…each time I swear I will pay better attention!

A Bad Homance

Fabulous is a State of Mind

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