Tag Archives: makeup blog

Makeup of the Day – Urban Decay Vice 4 Look

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I’ve been playing with the UD Vice 4 palette and today I tried a shade I had yet to wear, but have totally been intrigued by because of the name – 1985!  This is a great fuscia shimmer shadow that looks amazing with Beatdown, the shade I have above it in the crease.  I wore MAC Vellum as the highlight, a funky white duochrome that reflects blue and pink.  

  
Eyes closed! 

  
The lipstick is Maybelline Creamy Matte in Vibrant Violet.  Boy, they ain’t kidding about vibrant!

So, there’s my “cabin fever makeup” as we are still somewhat snowed in here in the Southeastern US.  I hope you enjoyed it!

What are you wearing today? 

What’s on your nails? Zoya Blaze 

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Zoya makes a small amount of holo polishes, but the ones they do are gorgeous!  I recently got 3 of them in the 4 free promo and none disappoint.  Blaze is a scattered holo in a berry-red base.  It’s vibrant and amazing.  I had to take a photo in sunlight and still couldn’t capture the fire this has!

One day, I’m going to paint my nails as neatly as those nail bloggers do.  I swear it!  That would probably require me going back to using acetone, and for now, I am avoiding it.  I use <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Lavender-Nail-Polish-Remover/dp/B00G7S424O”>Karma Naturals non toxic nail polish remover</a> and then I just paint my nails and do not use acetone for clean up afterward, because I hate the smell (migraines).  I’m also trying to stick to more “natural” nail formulas, well, as much as that’s possible (let’s get real, no nail polish or removers are totally healthy, but some are less evil than others).  I may get back to a little nail stamping in the future and for that, you have to suck it up and use a little acetone.

What’s on your nails today?

Makeup of the day – Urban Decay Vice 4 + Kat Von D 

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Today’s makeup was inspired by being stuck in the house by over a foot of snow!  Somehow, we have managed to not lose electricity.  So, I played.

  
Eyes closed….

 
FULL BREAKDOWN:

FACE: 

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment Primer in Fair (more on this odd stuff later), NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (oh god, please don’t die on me!), NYX HD Concealer in Porcelain, Kat Von D Shade + Light Blush Duo in Gomez and Morticia (light side only)

EYES:  

Too Faced Shadow Insurance, MAC Vanilla shadow to highlight, Urban Decay Vice 4 palette Underhand on lid and lower lash line with Delete in crease and Framed as transition shade, Maybelline Master Precise liquid eyeliner in black, Urban Decay Velvet liner in black to tightline, L’Oreal Laquer Liner cream liner on lower lash line, Cover Girl Clump Crusher Mascara in black, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo in Ebony with ELF Clear Brow Gel

LIPS:

NUXE Reve de Miel balm (OMG so dry here), Skone Luxe Doubler pencil in Wine, Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Mercy

If you’re snowed in at the moment, how are you passing the time? 

Kat Von D Shade + Light Two Tone Blush in Morticia + Gomez

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So, a few days ago, I gasped and said, “OMG!” My husband was like, “What?”  I showed him the new Kat Von D Shade + Light Blushes and pointed to one in the most beautiful mulberry and rose tones and said, “THIS one is called Morticia and Gomez.”  His eyes widened and he said, “YOU NEED THAT.  Matter of fact, it’s an early Valentine’s Day present; I’m getting it for you!”  I was waiting for him to exclaim “Cara mia!” and grab my arm and start kissing it, but I digress…

Today, this bad boy showed up on my doorstep.   

 

The packaging is lovely, of course, even the box (look for the hidden stars). 

  
The compact is huge and holds a ton of product.  It’s about the size of my MAC Sculpt and Shape Duo – impressive!

 
The product comes with an insert that shows you different ways you can blush and contour with the colors.  

  
And of course, the name just gets to me.  (Not all of the names are happy or sweet – that goes with the dark/light theme of the Shade + Light line).

  
I swatched these shades very heavily on a moisturized arm, to really show the shades.  Also keep in mind that I’m around a MAC N10-NW10, so this won’t look as deep on deeper skin tones.  The third swatch is the colors mixed together.  

  
STUN. NING.  I may just have to do a monochromatic look using that deep shade on the eyes as well! I looooove the look of both shades swirled together.  

I’m so ready to see more Kat Von D spring launches!  Be sure to check out the rest of these blushes on Sephora – with names like “Sid + Nancy” and “Mickey and Mallory,” they certainly are a nod to pop culture, as well as being gorgeous.  

And now…my husband and I last Halloween!  

  

Don’t we all want a love like Morticia and Gomez? 

Zoya 4YOU PROMOTION – 4 Free Bottles of Polish for $15 Shipping

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I have done Zoya’s “free” nail polish with promotional shipping fee for the last 3 years.  Those years had 3 bottles for $12 shipping, which was a great deal; however, the shipping always took sooooooooo long!  This year, Zoya upped the ante with 4 free bottles of nail polish for $15 shipping, which brings your total to $3.75 a bottle.  That’s really great for a 5-free nail polish!

Imagine my surprise when my order arrived before the promo even ended?! 

 
ZOMG.  *tears open*

  *happy tears*  Oh my STARS, it’s a thing of beauty!  Colors are Sansa (hello, Game of Thrones fans!), Giada, Janel, and Willa.

So, then I was tipped off by a friend that this code works multiple times and ordered 4 more shades…meep!!!

This promo ends tomorrow, so if you want in on it, get cracking!

http://www.zoya.com  

NYX Simply Lip Cream Sets

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Sometimes you just want a bold lip, but you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg!  I had seen the NYX Simply Vamp Lip Creams, but didn’t pull the trigger on these beauties until I saw the sets at Ulta.  These retail individually for around $6.49, but the holiday sets are $5.99 for 3 shades.  Each set also has a shade of the Simply Red Lip Creams and one set has one of the Simply Nude shades.  I also grabbed a Soft Matte Lip Cream in the cult favorite shade “Transylvania.”  Seven shades for under $20?  OK!  

  
Set 1:  Simply Red “Leading Lady,” Simply Vamp “Temptress,” and Simply Vamp “She Devil.”  Set 2:  Simply Nude “Fairest,” Simply Red “Marachino,” and Simply Vamp “Bewitching.”  Laying across the top of the boxes but hard to see, the dark vampy wine plum shade of Soft Matte Lip Cream “Transylvania.” 

These pencils are in a plastic casing and do not need to be sharpened.  They roll up by twisting the base.  Fabulous – no wasted product!  They are creamy and not drying, as far as I can tell – I have just worn one shade, Bewitching.  It dried down to a satin matte that wears for many hours, though it did transfer onto my coffee mug when I drank.  That’s ok…we are all used to my “marked mugs” around here!

What do you think?  This is NYX Simply Vamp in “Bewitching.”

  
Do you ever rock a vampy lip? 

What’s on your nails? Zoya Jem 

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Wow, sloppy paint job, but I’m not redoing a whole manicure over a couple flooded cuticles, LOL!  Isn’t this an amazing deep wine shade?  It has a gold metallic Pearl running through it. 

  
HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Thanks for being along for the ride – we are a brand new blog and growing slowly and we really appreciate your support!  

Benefit They’re Real Tinted Lash Primer Review

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So, for once, I have something to review for you guys before it’s released!  I don’t get PR products, but Sephora had promo sample sizes of these available, although they will not be for sale until 2016!

Here’s the package it came in.  Pretty hefty claims!


They’re Real Tinted Primer is a lash primer that’s unique in that it can be worn alone or under other mascaras.  It is a gel formula that is in a natural medium taupe brown shade.  I find that worn alone, it real does define and lengthen lashes, but I wear nothing but black mascara, so I would only use this under other mascaras.  I tried to get a photo of it alone, but my camera would NOT focus…


To be fair, I have REALLY long eyelashes to start with, so I feel a little guilty reviewing mascaras.  But the definition and separation this stuff gives is excellent.  It has a flexible wand, which I don’t love, though I know that’s a popular feature right now.  The bristles are the same as They’re Real Mascara, which is one of my favorite mascara brushes of all time, since you can use the spiky ball on the end to really fan out corner lashes.

And here it is underneath Covergirl Clump Crusher!  HOLY COW!!!


Like I said, I alread have long lashes,  but this result is kind of INSANE.

And with my eyes open…


The great thing about this product is that UNLIKE They’re Real mascara, this stuff is easy to remove!  I was able to easily take this off (including the extra coat of Covergirl) with nothing but Simple Micellar Water on a cotton pad.  I had stopped buying They’re Real because taking it off at night was a pain in the ass!

Lash primers are a luxury “extra” that I never spend money on, but this product is making me reconsider.  If I’m buying this at $24, and Covergirl at $6, then how is that different than a $30 Dior mascara?  THAT, my friends, is your introduction to “Rachel logic!”

Do you ever use a lash primer?

Bold lips with Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Mercy 

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I recently found myself really lusting for a Kat Von D Studded Kiss lipstick.  I had a credit after returning something to Sephora.  I still really couldn’t justify the price unless I found a shade unlike anything I already owned, yet something I would wear all the time (so not black or green, though I am still looking at those!), so I settled on this unique shade called Mercy.  Mercy is described as a “romantic garnet berry;” however what makes this really unique is that it is somehow matte and metallic at the same time.  It still manages to have a creamy and comfortable formula, unlike the unfortunate experience I had with a similar shade I had from the old Foiled Love line called “Oh My Goth.”  Oh My Goth was dry and dragged on the lips and had uneven pigment.  This lipstick is smooth and manages to be everything that one should have been – I’m in LOVE! 

Look at this beautiful packaging.  Kat says she designed it to look like her favorite studded wrist cuff.

  
The logo is stamped into the lipstick bullet.

  
This is a beautiful wine garnet shade!  If you aren’t pale as a ghost, this will not seem quite as dark. 

  
Pardon the damp hair!  Hubby’s napping and I don’t want to get out the noisy blow dryer.  

Do you have any new makeup favorites? 

Hope you all had a great holiday!!

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I had a wonderful holiday with my husband and family – and I even received a makeup gift, the Urban Decay Vice 4 palette! 

  
(playing with goodies before bed last night)

Today, I dipped into it for the first time and WOW!  These colors ain’t playing!

  
Those purples!  Those greens!

My sister also made me this amazing 40s style cloche hat by hand – isn’t it incredible! 

  
Holiday FASHION, you guys.  

Ok, I got even more festive and got out my MAC Black Friday nail polish from a few years ago…oh wait, it’s actually called Grey Friday.  

  
More GLITTER.

Ok, so I would post more, but my husband got me this Chromecast thing and we are showing each other YouTube videos on the TV.  LOLLLLLL 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, guys!