Aromaleigh

An Emerald Green FOTD w/ Hard Candy Space Cadet, Aromaleigh Spectacularly Ignorant, and Urban Decay Naked2 Pallet

9:28 AM


Taking a step away from my "neutral" rut I've been in recently, I decided to play matchy-matchy with my shirt and wear a rich emerald green smokey eye.  To do this, I am using an old shadow I dug up - Hard Candy Meteorite Shadow in Space Cadet (a rich emerald frost with emerald glitter), as well as Aromaleigh Spectacularly Ignorant and Urban Decay Naked2 Pallet.  

For the look, here is how I did it:

Face
Laura Geller Spackle
Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten in Fair
Laura Geller Balance 'n Bronze - contour
Laura Geller Blush 'n Brighten in Golden Apricot - blush

Eyes:
Urban Decay Naked2 Pallet - Tease - upper crease
Urban Decay Naked2 Pallet - Blackout - crease, outer corner
Hard Candy Space Cadet - all over lid / on top of Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Aromaleigh Spectacularly Ignorant - inner corner, lower lashline - on top of Pixie Epoxy
Urban Decay Naked2 Pallet - Foxy - highlight

Lips
NYX Lipstick Thalia

Hope you like!

CVS

NYX Thalia 50% off at CVS Beauty Sale - Swatches

9:00 AM


I love a good sale...I mean, who doesn't!?  CVS is having their annual Beauty Sale, and typically I am not running towards any particular brand.  This all changed with the addition of NYX to the CVS set, and there were a couple of items that I had to have, especially since they were marked down by 50%.  One was my beloved black eyeliner in Bewitching Betty, and the other was this lipstick - Thalia.  I had this originally years ago and used it up, so finding it for 50% off (about $2 when all said and done) made me a happy girl!  


Closeup of Thalia below.  


Thalia on - this definitely takes on a bit darker of a tone when applied (on me at least), but I love this as a go-to shade any day.  



What items are you snagging at the CVS Beauty sale?  There were only two brands with actual stickers at my local store, so I think they are just now getting around to tagging and marking.  I will go back in this weekend and see what else there is to pick up - perfect for stocking stuffers!

CVS

Spotted at CVS: NYX Cosmetics Permanent Display

10:34 AM


NYX permanent displays have been popping up at CVS, and the two by me finally have theirs.  This display has a majority of the base items, including eyeliners (the black gel is my favorite go-to eyeliner), blushes, primers, lipsticks, and lip glosses.  I am a huge fan of NYX, so knowing I can pick up some of my staples right in town is fantastic!  

I have been tempted by some of the lip butters and lip sticks on this display, so next time I have some Extra Care Bucks, I think those are going to be on the list of things to buy!

FOTD

FOTD: Fyrinnae Velvet Vampire and Alchemist Curse

9:30 AM


OK, so this may be one of my favorite color combinations in a while.  Purple is one of those go-to colors for me when I need a pick me up, and Fyrinnae doesn't disappoint when it comes to their color selection.  For this look, I wanted to wear Velvet Vampire, but needed just a pop more purple in the look, so I paired it with Alchemist Curse.  Talk about two pretty colors together!  On top of that, the dress I have on was Banana Republic steal from eBay, so I was one happy lady with this whole get-up!

Below is the full list of the look:

Face:
Laura Geller Spackle Primer
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer
Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten - Fair
Nars Laguna - Contour
Nars Orgasm - Blush

Eyes
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Fyrinnae Alchemist Curse (outer corner/crease)
Fyrinnae Velvet Vampire (inner/middle lid)
I can't remember what was used on the inner corner
MAC Vanilla Pigment - highlighter
Mally Volumizing Mascara - black
NYX Gel Eyeliner - Black

Lips:
Kate Moss for Rimmel 08


Eyeliners

Swatches: NYX Glam Liner Aqua Lux in Glam Golden (08)

9:00 AM


My next purchase from Ulta - another NYX eyeliner.  This time, the NYX Glam Liner Aqua Lux in Glam Golden (08). 


Glam Golden is a black translucent base with gold shimmer.  When on, it looks like a really rich black to golden olive shade.  Depending on how you pair it, the color takes on more golds or more greens.  


The applicator is a fine brush, which I prefer over a sponge or felt tip.  The liner applies smoothly, can be applied thick or thin.  Again, I picked this up at Ulta.  There are several other colors available, and the price is $5.49 each.  I actually went back and picked up purple, gold and a teal.  More swatches to come of those as well.


Another winner from NYX in my opinion.  Just some fun, easy to wear colors that can really kick up a look!

Eyeliners

Swatches: NYX Gel Liner & Smudger in Betwitching Betty

9:28 AM


After about a year, I finally hit the bottom of my beloved Physicians Formula Gel Eyeliner in Black from the Hazel Eyes collection.  Of course, this was clearanced out during the CVS beauty clearance, so I haven't been able to find this one to restock, and I missed out on the beauty clearance so I didn't end up buying anything to back up my inventory!  Whoops!  I have come to love using a gel eyeliner, particularly for black, because they go on smooth and don't crack or flake off during the day, where my liquid eyeliners tend to do just that.

Well, when I was in Ulta the other day looking for some St. Tropez self tanner, I spotted a new spread of NYX products.  Well, these are new to me anyway!  Included was a section of gel liners and smudgers, so I picked up the black, called Betwitching Betty.  I'm pretty sure I paid $6.49 in the store, but online they are $7.99 at Ulta.  The size is 0.11 oz/3g, and pretty much comparable in size to the Maybelline Eye Studio gel liners that come in a pot.


The idea behind this gel liner/smudger is it is multifunctional - use it simply as a liner, or smudge it out for a dramatic effect on the eye (above).  I will say, the formula is so smooth and creamy, it can easly be smudged out without tugging or dragging on the eye.  It is also so pigmented that one swipe with your eyeliner brush and this gives a rich, black line that blends right into the lashline.  It is wet enough to be very easy to apply, but dries quick enough that your eyeshadow doesn't fall out onto the liner and stick to it.  It's official.  I am in love. 


Below is a snapshot of the NYX liner pot next to the Maybelline Eye Studio as well as one of the Physicians Formula gel eyeliner pots, just for size comparison. 


Swatched side-by-side: Physicians Formula (top) and the NYX in Bewitching Betty (bottom).  One swipe each with my tarte eyeliner brush.  If you zoom in, you can see the Physician's Formula has a slight purple shimmer, which is to enhance the hazel in eyes.  The NYX is truly a pitch black liner. 


Like I said, I am in love.  I thought the Physician's Formula liners were easy to use, but this NYX is absolutly flawless.  It glides on, dries, and lasts all day without smudging, cracking, flaking or fading.  I like it so much I went and picked up the two browns in the collection - Charolotte (light brown) and Scarlette (dark brown).  I will swatch these in an upcoming post.

Have you tried these liners/smudgers?  What color did you try?  What is your favorite brand of gel eyeliner?


FOTD

A Pink and Gunmetal FOTD: Laura Geller and Mally Beauty

9:54 AM


Ever since I opened the Mally Beauty Favorite Things Volume 2, I have been in love with the bright springy lip colors that came in the set.  Bright corals and pink glosses can really brighten a look, and I find myself reaching for these glosses every day.  Recently I have been grabbing Punch, which is a crème pink. 

Below is a simple FOTD I did last week, using Laura Geller's Spumoni and Sinful Praline baked eyeshadow duo from the Eye Dream of Italy collection years ago. 


Face
Laura Geller Tinted Spackle "Champagne"
Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Coverage Foundation 115
Make Up For Ever HD Microfinishing Powder
Laura Geller Blush 'n Brighten Ethereal Rose

Eyes
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Laura Geller Spumoni (inner corner, lower lashline)
Laura Geller Sinful Praline - outer corner/crease
NYX Egg Whites - highlight
Physician's Formula Eyeliner Trio for Hazel Eyes - black - eyeliner
Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara

Lips
Mally Beauty Liquid Lipstick in Punch

FOTD Neutrals

My Valentines FOTD Using NYX Eyeshadow Singles in Wild Flower, Jazzy Bronze & Shimmer

11:55 AM

 
I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day.  I decided to play around with some pinks and peaches for my makeup yesterday, as opposed to reds.  Simply, I'm ready for spring, so I'm hoping some pastels will bring it sooner! 
 
A brand I haven't worn in a LONG time is NYX.  A few years ago I bought a ton of these from their website, and swatched them all here (pictures are kind of big, but you get the idea).  I picked out three complimentary colors to play with: Jazzy Bronze (far left), Shimmer (bottom right) and Wild Flower (top right).  Wild Flower would make a gorgeous blush too. 
 

Eyeliners

Swatches: NYX Candy Glitter Liners in Gold and Crystal

11:02 AM


After the holidays, Ulta put some items on sale that were all in a giant bin in the back of the store near me.  I spotted a few NYX Candy Glitter liners and picked them up at $2.99 each: Gold and Crystal. 


The NYX Candy Glitter liners have nice, thick brushes that allow some versatility in the thickness of the applied line.  The brushes are not flimsy, which sometimes happens, especially with glitter liners.  Also, the product itself has quite a bit of glitter in it, so you get a nice steady amount applied across the lashes. 

I don't wear glitter liner a whole lot any more, but sometimes a little sparkle is just enough to brighten a look.  Crystal is really pretty on top of black and Gold is just that - gold sparkles.  


Here's a closeup of the two.  I also have Disco Queen and Lavender, which can be seen here.

What's your favorite trick to add a little pizazz to your makeup look?
 

essence

FOTD: MAC Seasonally Cool Pigment, Laura Geller Black Cherry Baked Eyeshadow, Essence London Baby Gel Eyeliner

9:00 AM


A quick FOTD since I've been lacking in these recently.  I am really enjoying my Essence London Baby Gel Eyeliner, so this look is kind of built around it.  Enjoy!

Face:
Laura Geller Champagne Spackle
Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten Fair
Laura Geller Blush 'n Brighten Golden Apricot

Eyes:
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
MAC Seasonally Cool Pigment - inner corner, lower lashline
Laura Geller Black Cherry - outer corner, crease
NYX Eyeshadow Single Egg White - highlight
Essence Gel Eyeliner London Baby
Mally Volumizing Mascara "Black"

Lips:
Laura Geller Lipstick in Banana Berry


Bare Escentuals

FOTD: Bare Escentuals "True Gold", Ulta Mineral Eyeshadow "Atlantis" and Fyrinnae "Otherwordly"

10:58 AM


Happy New Year!  Bring on the sparkles for 2012!

A few days ago I saw my Ulta Mineral Eyeshadow/Liner in Atlantis, which I hadn't used it in a while.  Using it I built a turquoise and gold look around Atlantis with Fyrinnae Otherwordly and Bare Escentuals True Gold. 


For the look, here is what I did.

Face:
Laura Geller Champagne Spackle - primer
Laura Geller The Real Deal Concealer in Light - concealer
Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten in Porcelain - foundation
Milani Baked Blush in Corralina

Eyes:
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Bare Escentuals True Gold - inner corner
Fyrinnae Otherwordly - middle of lid
Ulta Mineral Eyeshadow in Atlantis - outer corner into crease
Milani Wet/Dry Eyeshadow in Lily White - highlight
Physicians Formula Gel Eyeliner - black from the Hazel Eyes collection
NYX Glitter Cream Sweet Chocolate Browns pallet - gold over black eyeliner
Lashblast Mascara in Black

Lips:
Laura Geller lipstick in Vista


It's hard to capture the sparkles in this look, so above I blurred it a bit so you get a good idea.  The NYX really stands out in the picture above. 

Below is a clear closeup of the look. 


I don't usually wear blues, but that Ulta shade is really pretty.  I actually love wearing it is a liner - it has enough green and teal in it to make it very wearable. 

That's all for now! 

Bare Escentuals

FOTD: Bare Escentuals Celestine, Sassy Minerals Pandora's Box, Milani Lilly White and NYX Cream Pallet in Sweet Chocolate Brown

9:57 AM


I have been looking at my NYX Glitter Cream Pallet Sweet Chocolate Browns for a couple of days now trying to figure out something to do with them.  I've used them on top of eyeshadows, but one thing I've wanted to try is to apply the glitters on top of a black eyeliner to try and add some glitz.  I was drawn to the gold microglitter, so I built a look around it.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my "good" camera on hand, so the resolution isn't great below, but I think you can still see how it turned out.


For the look, I used the following:

Face
Laura Geller's Real Deal concealer in Light
Pur Minerals Foundation in Porcelain
Milani Baked Blush in Coralina

Eyes
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
Bare Escentuals Eyeshadow in Celestine - inner corner
Sassy Minerals Eyeshadow in Pandoras Box - outer corner/crease
Milani Eyeshadow in Lily White - highlight
Milani Liqu'ify Eyeliner in Black
NYX Cream Pallet in Sweet Chocolate Brown - glitter gold on top of black eyeliner

Lips
Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm "Sheer Plum Tint"



These glitter pallets would be fun for New Year's Eve...just a thought!

Eyeliners

Swatches: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils - Electric Blue, Pure Gold and Rock Mountain Green

8:00 AM


Every once in a while, you walk into a store and find something new (or at least new to that store) that catches your eye.  Well for me it was CVS and a discretely placed display strip of NYX Jumbo Pencils.  I read numerous reviews on the Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, and what a wonderful eyeshadow base it is, but unfortunately it wasn't on this display.  So....I picked up Pure Gold, Rock Mountain Green and Electric Blue.


These are big guys for sure.  Very smooth and creamy.  The gold and the green were the most pigmented, followed by the blue.  These are very blendable with the finger tip as well.  Recently I thought I'd give the Pure Gold a go as a primer/base, and was very pleasantly surprised with the outcome.  Not only do you get a nice base color to work with, but the gold came through a bit on the shadow I applied over the top, making the shades work really well together.  On top of it all, my shadows didn't move in the humid weather, so I consider that a win-win situation.  I haven't tried the other two, but I would expect a similar result. 


Right now these are on sale on Cherryculture.com for $2.99 a piece, off of the regular $4.50 price.  How many of you use Milk as your primer?  What other colors are your favorites?  There are plenty to choose from, that's for sure!!

e.l.f. Cosmetics

EOTD: NYX Secret World & e.l.f. Persimmon

7:06 AM

DSC03180.jpg picture by mnh3281

I had completely forgotten about my NYX Secret World palette until I stumbled across it in a drawer the other day, so I thought I would wear a few colors out of it, along with my e.l.f. Persimmon All Over Stick.  The Secret World palette is gorgeous - a compilation of browns, bronzes and greens - the colors coordinate perfectly!  I used the lime green and deep brown colors for this look.

DSC03179.jpg

Also, I used the e.l.f. All Over Stick in Persimmon as my blush.  These blend really well into my skin, and don't leave it greasy at all.  This does have some frost to it, so you can see that below, but I honestly think it left my skin with a nice glow because the color of the stick was a warm pink that looks like the "pinched cheeks" color I was going for, without being over the top.

DSC03177.jpg

Eyes:
LA Splash eyeshadow sealer - all over lid as base
NYX Secret World - lime green - inner corner
NYX Secret World - dark brown - outer corner, crease
NYX Secret World - champagne - highlight
e.l.f. Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil - Grassy Green - lower lashline
e.l.f. All Over Stick - Persimmon - blush

Eyeliners

NYX Candy Glitter Eyeliners: Disco Queen and Lavender

8:00 AM


The last installment of my glitter haul from Ulta a few weeks ago - the NYX Candy Glitter Eyeliners in Disco Queen and Lavender.  I've come to the conclusion that good glitter eyeliners are hard to come by - either they flake like crazy, the brush is worthless, or the color selection is limited to gold and silver.  NYX is definitely the exception to the rule!  

NYX offers 18 different colors in the Candy Glitter Eyeliners - yes, some are the basic golds, crystals and silvers, but there are various shades of greens, blues, purples, and even the deeper colors like irridescent black (Disco Queen!).   The brushes on these liners are very thick, durable, and pick up plenty of product without applying a gloppy line.  These are not felt-tip either, these are synthetic hair.  Although the brush is thicker, it still draws a very precise line.  The liner itself is full of moisturizers, so it leaves behind a nice smooth line that lasts, without become hard and chunky, and flaking off.  Note:  This is one of my biggest pet peeves about ANY liquid eyeliner, glitter or not.  I hate when a chunk of the liner flakes off, leaving a blank spot along your lashline! 


The colors are really quite beautiful in person.  The base of the liner has the hint of color (for instance, look at the swatch of Lavender below - see how the background shows the bright purple shade?).  The glitter then compliments the overall shade of the liner.  Because of their basic transparency, these are beautiful on their own for a subtle look, or you can apply over your favorite liner to add some *umph* to the shade.  I personally love to use these over black, but they are just as beautiful over any deep shaded liner. 

Disco Queen is a deep, almost-black, shade with various irridescent shades of glitter.  I get lots of blues, red and greens when I look in the tube, but upon movement you also see crystal, silver and golds.  This is a beauty of a shade! 

Lavender is just that - a bright and gorgeous irridescent purple.  There are also hints of blue, pink and turquoise in the liner as well.  This is so pretty on it's own, but I applied it over a basic purple liner and it just made it pop!


Below are all the other colors available, and from my memory, these are very true to life.  I just love the variety!

Bare Escentuals

NYX Glitter Cream Palettes: Sweet Chocolate Browns & One Night in Luxy

8:00 AM

I have seen the NYX Cream Glitter Palettes in magazines and specifically in Ulta numerous times, and just never splurged on them.  I couldn't exactly figure out what I needed them for, so I decided they might work well as a little added glitz to my basic brown and black eyeliners.  Soooo....I picked up the "Sweet Chocolate Browns" and "One Night in Luxy" sets, each complimenting black and brown.


All of these are a cream, if you will, but I think it is probably better described as a very dense gel.  Once applied, the product dries and you are left with a pretty glitter line or layer on top of your eyeshadow.  It doesn't smear your makeup or flake off through the day.  For the price, I was very impressed with the lasting power and quality of each.  I did find that the microglitter wore a little better than those with larger glitter, but I figure that is to be expected.  Although I picked up two neutral palettes, there are 9 sets available, ranging from blues, greens, turquoise, purples...you name it!  You can see them all here.

Sweet Chocolate Browns is a set of browns and golds. Two of the shades are a larger glitter, while the other three are consistent of micro glittler.  From left to right, we have 1) a deep chocolate brown made of larger glitter, 2) an irridescent, extreme gold micro glitter, 3) deep charcoal brown made of larger glitter, 4) dark brown microglitter, and 4) deep beige micro glitter.



One Night in Luxy is a set of more neutral blacks and grays.  All but the gold are micro glitters, where the gold has larger chunks.  From left to right, we have 1) a dark black/charcoal with microglitter, 2) a deep slate gray with microglitter, 3) deep taupe with microglitter, 4) iridescent gold made of larger glitter, and 5) black micro glitter.


Just as a note, I swatched all of these using my Bare Escentuals Heavenly Liner brush, which is an angled liner made of soft but dense hair.
Although I have only tested these out for a few days, I really do like the versatility.  I can see how fun they will be when I decide to get a little more exotic with my eyeshadow, and add some glitz and glam.  Seeing as it doesn't smear your eyeshadow underneath when applied (because it's not a "wet" gel), this applies easily and adds that shine that is fun to have every once in a while!
Who else has tried these out?  Thoughts??

NYX

NYX Haul: Swatches of Runway Collection "Secret World"

6:47 AM



Ulta had (or may still have - I haven't been by in the past few weeks) NYX items buy 2 get 1 free, so I used this as an opportunity to pick up a few new items I have been wanting to try.   I've always eyed the Glitter Cream Pallets, and of course had read numerous rave reviews about the Runway Collection, so I took this opportunity to pick a few of those up, as well as some of the glitter eyeliners.

Speciically, I wanted to show you how gorgeous this Runway Collection in "Secret World" is.  Obviously I picked up the greens...I mean, I'm such a sucker for olives and golds, this was a natural.  Below you can see all the shades available in this collection if greens and golds just aren't for you.

The close up is below - feel free to click the image for a larger view.  All of the shades are pearl/shimmers, although a handful of them have a hint of glitter (the second from the left on the top - golden beige shade - and the far right on the top - chocolate with golden glittler).  Each shade is full of pigmentation and very creamy.  They were easy to apply, and one stroke did it on my swatch below.  Even the the lighter and more natural shades had a lot of color to share, so they won't be wasted in the purchase like a lot of other multi-shade pallets.


The swatches are below - I started with the top and went left to right, and then moved onto the bottom.  The only one that is difficult to see due to the reflection from the flash is the bottom right, which is a warm snowy white pearl.


Also, as I mentioned above, there are tons of other shades available - a total of 8 color combinations.  There is something for everyone - blues, greys, neutrals, greens...you name it.  Some of them have matte shades available as well, so it really is a matter of going to the store and checking them out.  Ulta also has open pallets that are swatchable in store, so you can tell if you like them or not on the spot!

I really did find this pallet beautiful, and it will be one of my "go to's" for quite some time.  Do any of you have these?  I'd love to know what you think, and what shade you purchased as well!  

I'll show you swatches of the glitter pallets and the eyeliners coming up!

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