Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick 31

Hello friends~

I'm in a bit of a counterproductive phase where I am using the same makeup everyday but I'm still continually purchasing new items.   I'm in the state of trying to use up old makeup that I have while doing a whole lot of retail therapy.  As a result, I have accumulated a rather ridiculous amount of unopened and/or unused makeup.  I try not to use the new goodies until I have had a chance to photograph products in their pristine condition.  But what good is makeup if you can't use it, right?

Today, I bring to you MUFE Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in shade 31 ($19.00 USD).  This lipstick is definitely up my alley--it's long lasting, pigmented, and a wearable dusty pink color.

Multiple swipes//One swipe

This is definitely not an unusual color, but the formula really can't be beat.  The formula is neither drying nor moisturizing, but is relatively long lasting and has fabulous color pay off.

What do you guys think?  Have you tried MUFE lipsticks?  If so, what colors/formula are your favorite? 

 

OCC Lip Tar in Narcissus

I've been spending all my blogging time on the Blog Everyday in May Challenge that I've been neglecting my blog for what I created it for: beauty.  I do apologize about that.

Now, normally I would consider this a FOTD post but I've had these pictures for so long that I actually can't remember what makeup products I used.  It's nothing special--just a daytime look with neutral shadows, winged eyeliner, and bright bright lips.

I remember spending the day at home with family when I did this look, so I had been searching for a neutral lipcolor to apply.  I also really wanted to use one of my lip tars because I have a pretty extensive collection and hardly give them any love.  For some odd reason, I thought Narcissus would be a good choice.

Or not.  It looks much more muted in these photos but I remember looking like Nicki Minaj in person.

Sorry for mugging you guys.  I am still taking pictures of myself in a mirror and trying to get used to my new camera.  

Nonetheless, I really like this color!  I really want to wear it to work but the last time I wore a lip tar to work it bled outside my lips and I don't have the luxury of being able to touch it up.  Problematic.

Is this color up anyone else's alley?

My first Fyrinnae Purchase (& Swatches!)

I've heard and seen absolutely amazing things from Fyrinnae.  I don't know why it took me so long to make an order, but I finally did!

I'm an eyeshadow whore, so eyeshadows and the legendary Pixie Epoxy were my targets.  There are just so many different colors and finishes that choose from that I didn't know where to start.  The only solution, then, was to go to the master list of colors and choose the first colors that caught my eye, and keep adding items into my cart until I think it was too much.  I managed to stop myself after selecting 8 colors and the Pixie Epoxy.  The makers of Fyrinnae were nice enough to throw a sample in there as well.

My goodies arrived in a bubble mailer, and a few extra layers of padding.

This is the Pixie Epoxy as compared to a MAC lipstick in terms of size.

And behold the eyeshadows and my little swatching station.  I was very pleasantly surprised at how packed these little jars are.

All swatches were done outdoors in the beautiful sunlight, without flash.  The top row is swatched on bare skin.  The second row is over Pixie Epoxy.

Damn Paladins, Beholder, Book of the Dead

Boytoy, Callipygian, Digital Faerie

Freya, Cuddlefish, and Bloggers Beauty

All of these colors are absolutely gorgeous.  Surprisingly, I found my favorites of this batch to be Damn Paladins and Bloggers Beauty, but only by a very tiny margin.  I really can't wait to make another purchase (I like collecting...), but not until I've played with all these colors and have a few more pennies saved up.

I know I'm late on discovering Fyrinnae.  Are there any other colors that you guys think are a "must-have"?  Let me know!

NOTD: Fast Track

Nail polish is not something I can wear very often because of work.  I generally have to keep my nails short or I'll scratch my flesh right off the bone in my sleep because of my eczema.  What is left of my nails, then, is not very much to work with in terms of producing nail art but I absolutely refuse to be left out of the fun.  When I have two days off in a row, I try to remember to add a little bit more color in my life.

After buying a crapload of China Glaze nail polishes, how can I not indulge?  May I introduce you to Fast Track by China Glaze, part of The Hunger Games collection.  Fast Track is the polish for District 6, transportation.  It's a beautiful soft beige with golden shimmer.  I don't seem to wear it very well, but I like it all the same. 

2 Coats

I can't tell you much about the wear time, but it seems to wear pretty well in the two days I had it on. I experienced no chipping whatsoever, and that is without a base coat or top coat.  Removing it was a pain in the ass because of all the glitter.

I'm wearing Luxe and Lush over Black Diamond on my toes right now and I LOOVEEE the combination.  I'm not sure I want to post pictures of my feet on my blog just yet though, so I'll have to show you another time.

By the way, China Glaze nail polishes are buy 2 get 1 free at Sally's for the entire month of April.  Definitely a good tie to stock up!

Gosh Magic Tricks: Swatches and First Impression

I picked up this eyeshadow quad while I was in Quebec.  These normally retail for $18 CAD, but I got it on clearance for $9.  I don't know if this means it is continued and no longer available, but you can find like items at Shoppers Drugmart/Pharmaprix.  I don't use greens and purples together in a look very often so this quad intrigued me.

With exception of the first two photos, all pictures were taken in natural light.  Swatches are done on bare skin with one swipe of the finger.

I have only used this quad once, but I found it to be a decent product.  There is good, not excellent, pigmentation with a primer.  The eyeshadows don't produce too much fall out and are not powdery.  I'll have to use this quad a few more times to make a final judgement, but I don't think I will be buying more quads from Gosh if they all have the same formula.  Because I have so many eyeshadows, I don't like to settle for ones that are just okay in pigmentation, and that is what this product has to offer.

With that said, I still like this quad for its fun colors.  I really like the lime green and purple together and hope to wear them more often. 

Review: Curacao Palette (LE)

So I found these pictures in my folder, cropped, labeled, and ready to go.  I have no idea why I did not post about these earlier, but you may kick me.

This palette is no longer available on the Sleek website, but you may still find quite a few of these on ebay.  I purchased mine for approximately $12 USD not including shipping.

Pictures were taking outside in broad daylight and apparently it was too bright because the colors look a bit washed out.  As usual, swatches are done on bare skin with one swipe of the finger.  Do enlarge the pictures. You'll like it :)

Again, the swatches are a bit washed out in the pictures because I imagine it was too damn bright outside when I took the pictures.

Tequila Sunrise, Martini, Blue Lagoon, and Purple Haze are the most pigmented of the bunch.  The rest of the eyeshadows have very good pigmentation, just not as good.

Sleek eyeshadows (the palettes at least) tend to be very powdery and a bit soft.  Sticking my fingers into the eyeshadows for swatches seems to have deformed them a bit but they're still lovely.

Here are a few looks I've done using this palette:
-MicaBella Ad Inspired
-Curacao Madness
-Girly Girl
-A Forest Within the Carribean

I've actually neglected this palette for quite a while.  I think it's time to do a Project 7 Day Palette with this baby...once I upload swatches and reviews of all the crap I bought in Quebec.  I've been here for a month and I'll be heading home tomorrow.  More on that in another post to come.

So what are my overall thoughts on this palette?  Sleek didn't disappoint.  This is a fantastic palette for its price because it is a lovely collection of bright, pigmented colors.  The packaging is sleek and compact, and there is a huge mirror inside the case, but just the eyeshadows themselves are enough to make me happy.  If you don't live in the UK, they are a bit of a hassle to get your hands on, but it's worth it!

Questions?  Comments?  Ridiculous color combination requests for a look?  Let me know!

Swatches: Inglot Part III

Another gift from another friend.  I put this palette together myself while I was with my friend Tony in Vegas.  When I went to pay for the palette, he stuck my wallet in his pants and paid for it.  Talk about guerilla tactics.

Pictures are taken in natural day light.

As always, swatches are on bare skin and with one swipe of the finger.

-395P: A shimmery light beige.  Perfect lid color for day looks or inner corner highlight for more dramatic looks.  Also makes a great cheek highlight.

-422P: Shimmery medium brown.

-DS 459:  A color I can't quite decipher.  It's a bit like a cross between a deep brown and eggplant.

-DS 500: A shimmery deep grey brown.

-AMC Shine 47: A metallic, almost frosty, slate grey with some blue hues.

This is definitely one of my go to palettes for creating my neutral smoky looks.  It's not complete but I tend to dip into this palette quite a bit.

If you've got your hands on some Inglot eyeshadows, do let me know what your favorite neutral colors are.  I really want to expand on my collection (eventually!).

Swatches: Inglot Part II

It's that time again!  Here is another round of Inglot eyeshadow swatches.  My sister got this palette for me January 2010 on her last trip to Las Vegas.  She picked 4 colors within the same color family, which is pretty smart seeing as how my own scatter brain tends to pick colors from all over the place.

Swatches were done on bare skin with one swipe of the finger.  Pictures were taken in natural day light.

440P is a light, shimmery carnation pink.  It is definitely one of the least pigmented of the four.

D.S. 482 is a shimmery, deep blue purple.

AMC Shine 14 is a lovely blue based pink.

420 P is an interesting sort of metallic, purple-toned taupe.

I have to hand it to my sister, she had a pretty good eye for colors.  No bad eggs in this palette!

And if you're curious, I have done a FOTD featuring these colors here.

Swatches: Inglot Part I

Oh, how I have missed blogging!  I didn't truly realize how much I missed it until I put up my first post in maybe 2 weeks yesterday.  Now here is a post that I have been wanting to do for ages.

This is my first ever Inglot palette, acquired way back when in December 2009 as a Christmas gift from a guy friend who is now my boyfriend (lol....yes he has always been buying me makeup).  I got this when Inglot wasn't all the rage all over the interwebz and people were going crazy over them.  Why have I never blogged about them? Because I was not blogging at that time and I wasn't sure what was the best way to present them.  Lame.

Anyways, I ordered a whole bunch more of Inglot eyeshadows when they had their Black Friday Sale, and had planned to post swatches once I have reorganized my palettes.  However, I have 3 palettes that I have received as gifts so I won't be rearranging those.

Pictures were taken in natural day light.  Here is the beauty:

All swatches are done on bare skin with one swipe of the finger.

414P is a lovely emerald green with a pearl finish.  It is essentially a very rich and pigmented metallic green.
409P is also richly pigmented.  It is a deep, bronze-y brown, one of my favorites for smoky looks.

AMC73 is not as richly pigmented as the other eyeshadows in this palette, but it is very easy to build up the intensity.  This is an interesting finish, as it is a matte purple with lots of different color shimmer.

AMC Shine 43 is a metallic bronze.

Overall, these eyeshadows are amongst my favorites because they are inexpensive, and the majority of them are soft and amazingly pigmented.  They can get a little bit powdery and produce fall out upon application, so make sure you are using a patting motion when loading up your brush with product and applying them.

At the time of purchase, these eyeshadows had 2.7 grams of product each, but with the new Inglot eyeshadows seem to vary in the amount of product now.  They retail for $5 USD ($10 CAD, I think) each and are available at Inglot free standing stores and inglotusa.com (only within the U.S!).  You may also call any store and place a phone order with them.

Hope you this is helpful to some of you who are shopping for Inglot eyeshadows!

Swatches: NARS Danmari All About Cheek Palette

I figured I should probably get these pictures and swatches up while it's still available and while people are still doing their holiday shopping.

NARS Danmari All About Cheek Palette ($65 USD) is a limited edition palette that features 6 products (4 blushes, 1 highlighter, and 1 bronzer) including NARS's best selling blush in Orgasm.  Each product has 0.12 oz of product.  All products featured in this palette are available for purchase individually except for Hungry Heart.  Individual blushes retail at $27 USD a piece and contain 0.16 oz of product, while bronzers retail for $33 USD a piece and contain 0.28 oz of product.  Overall, getting this palette is a pretty good deal.

I first spotted this baby browsing through Sephora earlier this year in October.  I knew the Sephora Friends and Family Sale was coming up so I waited till then.  Let me tell you, it was actually kind of difficult getting my hands on this palette.  It kept getting sold out online and I literally checked everyday until it was available.  The entire palette is actually not as big as I expected it to be.

Swatches are done over bare skin and no base.  I swiped it with my finger 1-2 times.

I'm kicking myself because I still haven't actually used this palette yet.  Been too freaking busy for that.  For those of you who do own/use these blushes, do tell me what you think.  Before purchasing this palette I owned the Casino and Sin duo which I really like but don't use often enough.  Leave me a comment below!

Swatches: Sugarpill Loose Eyeshadows

For once, I actually have swatches up after posting a haul!  Hurray!  I should be ashamed of myself as a beauty blogger: I very strongly dislike swatching.  I hate digging my fingers, no matter how clean, into beautiful product and leaving behind finger prints and oil.  But not having swatches of the products I feature isn't very useful either so let's get on with it!

After all that ranting....I'll just say that I swatched these shadows over bare skin and no primer using a BRUSH.  LOL.

I own most of the loose eyeshadows now.  I'll start with the ones I recently acquired from the Black Friday Sale.

Goldilux: Metallic gold
Tiara: Metallic silver
Stella: Jet black with rainbow sparkle

Starling: Metallic turquoise
Asylum: Brick, almost rusty red
Tipsy: Grass green
Decora: Hot pink with green shimmer

I was a little disappointed that Asylum wasn't the scarlet red that I wanted, and that Decora wasn't as bright and blue based as I expected, but all the eyeshadows are very lovely.

Now to move on to the ones I already own.

Royal Sugar:  Bright blue with turquoise shimmer.  By far my favorite of the bunch!
Hysteric: Purple with turquoise and green shimmer.
Magpie: Blue with a black base and turquoise shimmer.
Weekender:  Blue-violet with lots of shimmer.

It feels so good to have clear, good pictures to share with you guys.  What colors do you like the most?