FOTD: Fourth of July Red, White and Blue Cut Crease

fourth of july big Happy Fourth of July everyone! In America, I was never super into Independence Day, but living abroad makes being super American for a day more fun. So I put together an All-American red, white and blue look.

fourth of july look I feel like it’s pretty intense, but also fun and good for a holiday. Plus, I finally got around to doing another cut crease! I liked it in this case because it kept the red and the white separate, instead of them melding into pink.

fourth of july shadowsEyes:

  • Corvus Euterpe
  • Shiro What’s This Lever Do?
  • Shiro Attercop, Attercop
  • Darling Girl Superstar Serum
  • Urban Decay Primer Potion
  • Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

  • MAC Face and Body in N1
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
  • MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
  • Tarte Natural Beauty

Lips:

  • Fyrinnae 1952

After I primed my lids, I patted Euterpe, a matte creamy white, all over my lids. I then applied What’s This Lever Do?, a shimmery red, above my crease. I very lightly blended them together, and then I went back over my lid with a bit more white to keep the colors distinct. I mixed Attercop, Attercop, a sparkly navy, with Superstar Serum to make a paste and applied it as liner for my upper and lower lashes, making sure not to make the line too thick along my upper lashes so that the white was still visible with my eyes open. I curled my lashes and applied mascara. I did my usual base make up, and lightly applied a bright red blush, which I blended out with a clean blush brush. I finished the look with 1952, a warm red lip lustre, which I applied with a doefoot.

I actually really love this look. I wish I had a barbeque with lots of other Americans to wear it to! Happy Fourth everyone!

June Wrap-Up

June CollageAfter last month’s broken camera hiatus, I challenged myself to blog every day in June, and I’m really happy to say that I did it! I also posted my first in depth comparison of all my eyeshadows in a color family and it was really well received, so I want to keep doing more!

June SwatchesReviews: I reviewed two collections, Always With Me from Baroque, which I did five looks for, and Brilliant Deductions from Aromaleigh, which was so big it needed eight looks. I also swatched and compared ten of my gold eyeshadows.

June LooksLooks: I posted a ton of looks this month, 33 total. 13 from the two reviews I did, one for the IMAM planet collaboration and 19 regular face of the days. My favorite looks this month were:

June emptiesEmpties: I’m getting ready to move next month, so I have a lot of things that got finished up all at once, and a few that are just barely hanging on. I finished 9 full sizes, 4 minis and 12 foils. 25 empties is definitely a record for me!

  • Ten Three Labs Salve Stick in Holiday Spirits: My first indie empty! I really like Ten Three’s salve stick formula. It’s an in-between formula that works for me during the day if I apply a thin layer or overnight if I slather it on. This one was supposed to smell like spiked eggnog, but the scent didn’t quite hit it for me. It was like a minty bubblegum version of eggnog, which was a little weird. But my other salve sticks have better scents, so I’ll keep using them in different scents.
  • Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in Rocketpop: This was the first lipstick I really was into. It’s a rosy cinnamon color, but the formula is very, very slippery, in a way that makes it move around on your lips. It was discontinued a while ago, and I picked up a back up then, but now that I have more experience with make up, I don’t think it’s that special. I do have a soft spot for it though, cuz it was the first nice make up I bought myself, back when I was in college.
  • Lush Honey Trap: I really liked this lip balm. It’s my favorite for sticking eyeshadow to my lips, since it’s thicker and waxy, but it still moisturizes well, so I liked it as a nighttime balm. It has a nice not too strong honey scent too. I would definitely repurchase this.
  • Lush Eau Roma Water: This is my all time favorite toner. I spray it on after I wash my face before my lotion, and it makes my skin feels nice and my lotion apply more evenly. I’m not 100% sure what exactly it does, but my skin feels better with it than without it, so I’ll keep using it. Its smell is slightly rosy, but less strong than rosewater. The big bottle last approximately forever too. I will definitely replace this. It’s my HG toner. (I also really like spraying it on my body before putting on sunscreen. It helps it spread and absorb better.)
  • Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment: I love this stuff. I think I’ve bought three or four tubes over the years. It’s effective at making my pimple clear up faster.
  • Burt’s Bees Sensitive Night Cream: I like this, but it’s a little thin for an overnight cream for me. It’s absolutely perfect for layering over a serum or face oil, though. If I ever find a serum I love, I will definitely buy this again to layer on top. It also comes in a surprisingly weighty glass jar for something I bought at Target.
  • Clean and Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser: I first used this in middle school, I think, and I still like it. It’s not an every day cleanser for me, but I like using it for a deep clean once a week or so or if I’m really dirty, like after a dusty run. It’s also great to use before putting on a mask. It’s got a nice tingly cooling sensation, but doesn’t irritate my skin at all. When I use it regularly I definitely get fewer blackheads on my nose
  • The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter: If you’ve been paying attention to my empties, you know I love Satsuma. However, it doesn’t translate super well into the body butter format. It takes on a weird plasticky quality. This is one of the normal skin body butters and I really like the texture for my hands and feet before bed, but it works for the rest of my body too. But I wouldn’t buy this scent again.
  • The Body Shop Mango Body Butter: I also love the Body Shop’s Mango scent. It very tropical and fruity with a hint of floral. This one is for very dry skin, so it’s richer than the Satsuma. It leaves a slight sheen to my skin after I apply it, so I usually stick to using it as a before bed hand and foot cream, or for extra dry elbows when it’s cold. This is one I have repurchased.
  • The Body Shop Satsuma Hand Cream: More Satsuma! I love the scent in this, but the cream is not creamy enough for me. I like a thick hand cream, and this one is thin, with a slightly gel-like texture.
  • L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream: This was a nice, thick texture, but the smell reminded me of diaper cream and old ladies. I like L’Occitane’s hand cream formula, but now I know I need to be careful about what scents I choose.
  • L’Occitane Verbena Body Lotion: I love the scent of this. It’s very zesty and lemony, but it’s almost like there’s a hint of lime. Unfortunately, the formula doesn’t do much in terms of actual moisturizing.
  • Greenwich Bay Trading Co. Lemon Verbena Shea Butter Soap: This is the third soap from this company I’ve used now, and my least favorite. The formula still makes a good hand soap, but I like my lemon verbena scents to be sharper and more citrusy. This was definitely more floral than lemon.
  • Bliss Triple Oxygen +  C Energizing Cream: This is a very thin, runny lotion with a slight orange scent. It was prone to separating. It felt nice on my face, but it was very, very light.
  • Bumble and Bumble Surf Foam Wash and Creme Rinse: I used these together, so I can’t isolate what came from which product. The both have a nice, slightly generic aquatic smell, like I would expect from a nice quality ocean candle. They cleaned and conditioned my hair just fine. Afterwards, my hair was tanglier than usual the first day, but once I combed it out and let it dry, it looked really nice for several days afterwards, longer than with my usual shampoo and conditioner. So overall I liked it, but I don’t really buy expensive hair stuff, so I wouldn’t purchase it myself.
  • Soap and Glory The Righteous Body Butter: I hated this. It smelled very strong and floral in a gross way and it didn’t moisturize well. I did not even finish my sample.
  • Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil: I think might be too much for my skin. It smelled enough, in a gentle floral way, but it didn’t really help my skin. It didn’t break it out, exactly, but it brought a few tiny bumps to the sruface and made my forehead seem less smooth. Not for me.
  • Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet: Like the overnight oil, it wasn’t terrible, but it just wasn’t the right fit for my skin. I wouldn’t use it again, but I didn’t hate it. There’s just a lot out there that works better for me.
  • Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream: Yet another eye cream that I liked fine, but which was nothing special. I din’t look up how much it was, but I’m sure it’s more than I would be willing to pay for it.
  • Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment: I tried using this as a serum and it itched so much I washed it off. As a mask it fared slightly better, but was still a little bit stingy/unpleasant feeling to wear, and didn’t do anything to visibly improve my skin, so I wouldn’t use it again.
  • Formula X Quench Cuticle Oil: This was my first time using a cuticle oil, and I think I like it better than cuticle cream or butter. This has a delicious cherry candy scent that made me want to smell my fingers after using it. But it’s kind of expensive, so I’ll probably try out an indie cuticle oil instead of buying this.
  • MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation in NC20: I got a sample of this from a MAC counter when I went to get matched. It’s yellower than I prefer my foundation to be, so I need to use only a tiny bit of it on a clean brush to get it to blend into my skin nicely. The formula is very dewy, with slightly more coverage than my usual Face and Body. It’s also the same price for a quarter of the amount, so there’s no way I’m buying this.
  • Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original: This has become my go to eyeshadow primer. It’s a thicker formula, but it doesn’t show up on my lids, which I like. I’ve already bought a full size.
  • Diamond Wipes Cleansing and Makeup Remover Towelette: I have no idea where my mom got these, but I actually like them. I almost never use makeup remover wipes, but these removed most of my makeup and didn’t feel scratchy or irritate my skin.

Orders: I kind of bought all the things in June. It was my birthday month and I’m finishing up the end of my time abroad, so I was feeling generous with myself. I ordered from seven new-to-me brands (including being one of the very first orders for a new-to-everyone shop), and several shops that I already know I like. I also picked up my first indie pressed palette, from Baroque, and I’m really excited to play with it. But because of my prodigious ordering in June, I’m officially declaring it Low Buy July. I have two planned purchases I’m going to make and a small LE contingency fund, for if something limited edition that I really want is released. But beyond that no purchases, unless I finish up a staple product and need to replace it (which is a possibility for powder and concealer, which I’m running low on, but I think they’ll be able to hold out til August), or if the one polish brand I’ve been waiting for a sale from has a sale (and even then, I only want two bottles).

Goals: Next month I’m going to be traveling a bunch, so I’ll be on the road for three weeks straight. I want to keep wearing make up at least some of the time, and I’m going to try to still update the blog at least a couple times a week. I’ve got a few posts saved up and ready to go which should make that easier. And I’m sticking to my low buy!

How was June of you? Do you have any beauty goals for July?

FOTD: Sparkly Teal Liner

teal liner bigThis is a look I photographed awhile ago and forgot to put up on my blog. I wore this to one of the days of my conference, and I thought it was a nice balance of interesting and not drawing too much attention to itself. I got compliments on it, too!

teal liner lookSparkly champagne and turquoise/teal are pretty much my two favorite eyeshadow colors, so of course I like this.

Eyes:

  • Shiro Doge
  • Notoriously Morbid Jupiter Rain
  • Darling Girl Superstar Serum
  • Urban Decay Primer Potion
  • Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

  • MAC Face and Body in N1
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
  • MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
  • Tarte Blissful (I think. I didn’t write it down.)

Lips:

  • Kae Q Mamey

I started by applying primer to my lids and sweeping Doge, a sparkly champagne, on top. I mixed Superstar Serum with Jupiter Rain, a sparkly teal, to make a paste and applied it with a liner brush, winging it out at the outer corners, and lightly lining the outer half of my lower lashline. I applied mascara and I did my usual face stuff. I finished the look with Mamey, an orangey coral balm that I applied with a doe foot.

I don’t have much to say about this one, except I wish I’d put on a little more concealer. Good lord I look tired.

FOTD: A Sparkly Coral Pink Look

coral bigI built this look around Hello Waffle’s Fey, a color that’s right on the border between peach and pink gold. I love it, but I’ve got it in a mini instead of a sample baggie and so sometimes I forget I own it when I’m leafing through my eyeshadows. But I’m glad I found it, because it’s just so pretty.

coral lookI love pinky peachy coral looks. Besides Fey everything else is pretty monochromatic.

coral productsEyes:

  • Hello Waffle Fey
  • Notoriously Morbid Shoes to Kill For
  • Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Intense Black
  • Sephora Collection Black Lace Eyeliner
  • Benefit Stay Don’t Stray in Light/Medium
  • Sephora Collection Outrageous Curl Mascara

Face:

  • MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation in NC20
  • Benefit Boi-ing in 1
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
  • Blackbird Magic Trick Super Powder in Translucent
  • Shiro Gelato Beach

Lips:

  • Shiro It’s Called Love

I primed my lids, then patted Fey, a golden peach with a hint of pink, all over my lids. I placed Shoes to Kill For, a hot pink, in the outer corner and blended it in until it was diffused. I put some under my lower lashes as well. I lined my upper lashes with black liquid liner and winged it out. I lightly lined my lower water line with pencil liner also. I did my usual face stuff and placed Gelato Beach, a bright coral pink blush, on my cheeks using a contour blush and blended it out with a clean blush brush. I finished off with It’s Called Love, a bright coral pink tinted balm.

As, I said before, I’m super happy with this look. Fey is just a gorgeous color and I really want to do better about remembering it. Do you have any colors you love but forget about?

FOTD: Super Quick Taupe Look

hodor bigSometimes I want to wear make up but don’t really have time. This was one of those days. The pictures are from a while back, but I remember I was in a rush to get out the door because I needed to get to the bank, so I did something super foolproof and simple.

hodor lookI wound up with a super easy to wear, work appropriate look. For whatever reason, whenever I go to the bank I feel like I need to do super toned down make up. Like the type of make up I could wear if I actually worked at the bank.

hodor productsEyes:

  • Shiro Hodor
  • Urban Decay Primer Potion
  • Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Pistol
  • Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

  • MAC Face and Body in N1
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
  • MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
  • Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush

Lips:

  • Tilt/Shift Equinox

I primed my lids and swept Hodor, a lovely taupe, across my lids. I lined my eyes with shimmery taupe liner and mascaraed my lashes. I did my usual face stuff and dotted a berry cheek stain onto my cheeks, which I blended in with my fingers. I finished with Equinox, a peachy lipstick, which I applied with a lip brush cuz I only have a sample.

This is the type of easy look that I can do in a rush, because it’s pretty impossible to screw up. Do you wear make up if you’re running late? If so, what do you do?

FOTD: Coral and Green

coral green big I never would have thought to put coral and green together in an eye look, but it’s the theme for a new subreddit I joined, and they looked really nice together, so I thought I’d give it a go. Guess what? They look really nice together on my face too. Guess what else? I’m an enormous dork sometimes.

Coral green look I really, really like this look though.

coral green productsEyes:

  • Baroque Walking on Air
  • Shiro Gelato Beach (blush)
  • Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Mars
  • Benefit Stay Don’t Stray in Light/Medium
  • Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

  • Lancome Teint Miracle in Buff 4C
  • Benefit Boi-ing in 1
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
  • Blackbird Magic Trick Super Powder in Translucent
  • Shiro 1-Up

Lips:

  • Life’s Entropy Apoptosis

First I primed my eyelids. Then I patted Walking on Air, a light pinky orange, all over my mobile lids. I used a different brush to deepen the outer corners with Gelato Beach, a bright coral pink eye-safe blush. Then I lined all the way around my eyes with a shimmery dark green liner, including my waterlines. I used a smudge brush to smudge out the liner, working it up into my crease at the outer corners. The end of the green was a bit abrupt and I had too much liner on my smudge brush, so I went over the end of the green with the eyeshadow brush I’d used for the orange. I mascaraed my lashes, and applied foundation, a double whammy of concealer and setting powder. I used a light coral pink blush and filled in my lips with a bright orangey pink lip theory using a brush. I didn’t want the color to be as intense as possible, so I applied it in a very thin layer.

Have you ever seen a color pairing somewhere and thought “hey, those look nice? let me put it on my face!” or is that just me? What’s the most unexpected color pairing you’ve tried? Did it work out?

Comparison: Gold Eyeshadows

Golds swatches

DMM Aries, Shiro Perfect World, HW Tchaikovsky, Shiro Remake, Baroque Versailles / AFK Solar Flare, HW 1000 Likes, HW Amber, Shiro Mockingjay, Corvus Clio

Recently I wanted to find a dupe for Shiro’s Perfect World, my favorite gold eyeshadow, which is now sadly discontinued. I asked for suggestions on Indie Makeup and More, and realized I already had a couple of the suggested colors in my stash. I wound up pulling out all my metallic golds and decided to swatch them all to compare. (I skipped my peachy golds and yellow based golds, since that wasn’t what I was looking for.) I figured it might be useful to someone else who was also looking for a specific kind of gold.

All shadows are swatched over Urban Decay Primer Potion on the top/left and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy on the bottom/right. The top picture was taken in indoor natural light and the bottom in direct sun, for maximum sparkle.

Gold swatches 1Dark Matter Makeup Aries, Shiro Perfect World, Shiro Remake, Baroque Versailles, AFK Solar Flare

Gold swatches 2Hello Waffle Amber, Hello Waffle Tchaikovsky, Hello Waffle 1000 Likes, Corvus Clio, Shiro Mockingjay

Aries 2Dark Matter Makeup Aries: “A light metallic gold with gold sparks. It also has an orange highlight that makes the color shift from a light to a more orange gold.” This is a pale sparkly light gold. Over primer it’s a little sheer. There’s a slight cool grey undertone to it in some lights. I don’t get the orange shift at all. If you’re looking for a sparkly gold, this is the one with the most sparkle out of the ten. (Previously reviewed here.)

Perfect WorldShiro Perfect World: “Pure, soft, slightly metallic gold.” This is my personal favorite gold. It’s description is spot on. It’s a neutral gold without noticeable undertones, and it’s very smooth and metallic. It doesn’t have any sparks. I’m super sad that Shiro discontinued it, since it’s great with my light skintone.

Tchaikovsky 2Hello Waffle Tchaikovsky: “Vibrant gold with red, silver, and blue sparks.” This is a neutral-toned gold, with a smooth metallic finish and noticeable sparkles. The sparkles mostly struck me as silver and blue. I didn’t really see red. Over Pixie Eposy it’s more densely metallic, but it looks nice over primer too. (Previously reviewed here.)

Remake 2Shiro Remake: “Shimmery gold-bronze with purple sparks.” This is a slightly warm, very metallic gold. When I reviewed it before I didn’t notice the sparks, but this time, with more experience looking at eyeshadow nuances, I definitely did, The strike me as bluey purple and are very pretty. (Previously reviewed here.)

VersaillesBaroque Versailles: “Antiqued molten gold.” This is a gold with a bit of a greenish tint to it, which makes it look antique. (The pictures pulled a little warm, but the green twinge is definitely noticeable in person. You can see the difference between it and the warmer golds in the shot of all them together at the beginning of the post.) It has a very smooth metallic finish, and a hint of silvery sparks. The antique greenish quality makes it distinctive in my collection.

Solar FlareAFK Solar Flare: “A bright and sunny gold with a metallic finish.” This is an orangey yellow gold, with less sparkle to it than most of the other golds I swatched. It’s like a mildly metallic goldenrod. Over primer it’s a little sheer, so it can come across as more yellow on the eyes if you don’t use a sticky base.

1000 Likes 2Hello Waffle 1000 Likes: “Dark gold shimmer.” This is a very warm orangey gold. It darkens as it gets more opaque and metallic on a sticky base. Over primer alone, it’s sheerer and lighter. The lumps you see in the swatch are 100% my fault for not waiting long enough for the Pixie Epoxy to dry. Last time I swatched it it didn’t have that problem at all, as you can see in this swatch. If you wait for your base to dry like a smart person, it applies very smoothly. (Previously reviewed here.)

AmberHello Waffle Amber: “Dark orange-gold shimmer.” This is a very warm gold, enough to make it look almost like a rose gold or a pale copper instead of a pure gold. It’s very smooth. Over primer it’s a little sheer, but on a sticky base it takes on a nice metallic sheen.

Mockingjay 2Shiro Mockingjay: “Metallic brown-copper-bronze.” So this one is more copper than gold (and as you can see, Shiro doesn’t even call it a gold), but in direct sun the shimmer takes on a bit of a yellow gold quality. In indoor light it looks like a shiny new penny. (Previously reviewed here.)

Clio 2Corvus Clio: “A slightly blackened molten gold with a metallic finish.” This is the darkest of my golds. It’s also the least shiny. Over primer it’s more of a tan brown with a hint of gold, but it’s almost matte. On a sticky base, there’s more of a sheen, but it’s still the least metallic of all the golds I swatched. Its darkness makes it excellent as a liner. (Previously reviewed here.)

So there you are! Ten of my golds swatched side by side. Hopefully this was helpful to someone else. If you’re interested in me adding in my more yellow or peachy golds, let me know and I can look into updating the post. If, like me, you were looking for a dupe for Perfect World, Hello Waffle Tchaikovsky or Dark Matter Makeup Aries are the closest that I have. Tchaikovsky looks closer to me over primer, but Aries is closest over Pixie Epoxy. Both of them are more sparkly than Perfect World, but it’s more noticeable with Aries. So if I had to choose one, I would go with Tchaikovsky.

How often do you wear gold eyeshadow? If you want some ideas on how I use it, all my posts tagged with gold are here.

Also, I finally got around to making a swatch gallery. It’s in the menu at the left and it has all my swatches sorted by brand. So hopefully that’s helpful to you!

FOTD: Gold Eyes and Bright Red Lips

recursion gold big Red lips + black glasses = win. I almost never wear my black glasses (they’re my “special occasion” glasses and I don’t want to scratch them up too much), but one of the times I’m most likely to pull them out is when I’m wearing red lipstick. It’s a classic combo and I love it.

recursion gold look I also wore gold eyeshadow! I’ve got a gold eyeshadow comparison post in the works, and having all my golds out made me want to put them on my eyes.

recursion gold productsEyes:

  • Shiro Perfect World
  • Baroque Versailles
  • Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
  • Marc Jacobs Highliner in Blacquer
  • Benefit Stay Don’t Stray in Light/Medium
  • Sephora Collection Outrageous Curl Mascara

Face:

  • MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation in NC20
  • Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 1
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
  • MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
  • Shiro 1-Up

Lips:

  • Life’s Entropy Recursion

I primed my lids and patted on Pixie Epoxy and waited for it to set. 20 seconds latter I applied Perfect World, a light gold, all over the top with a fluffy brush. I used a rounded blending brush to put Versailles, a darker gold, in the outer half of my crease. I lined my eyes with black liner, curled my lashes and applied mascara. I did pretty standard face stuff and finished off with Recursion, a bright red with a hint of orange, which I applied with a lip brush.

I really like Life’s Entropy’s lip theories. They’re smooth and super pigmented. My lips have been kind of dry lately, but I feel like it still looks good. It doesn’t cling too much to my dry patches. I lined up my samples this morning and let my husband pick which one I wore. Recursion is a super bright, almost neon red, but I still find it flattering. It’s being discontinued soon, so if you’re interested in it, you should probably pick it up now!

FOTD: Low Key Pink and Grey Look

pink and grey bigI love pink and grey together. The pairing feels soft and subtle, but still feminine. I like it. Although, to be honest I was expecting it to be more of a lavender and grey look, since that’s what Catticus Finch looked like in the bag and I hadn’t used or swatched it yet. But when it turned out to be pink, I went pink with the rest of my face too!

pink and grey lookSnapdragon and Mucha Ado About Nothing are both colors that go with pretty much everything. But they really go with Catticus Finch.

pink and grey shadowsEyes:

  • Hello Waffle Catticus Finch
  • Hello Waffle Purrian Gray
  • Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Uzi
  • Benefit Stay Don’t Stray in Light/Medium
  • Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

Face:

  • MAC Face and Body in N1
  • Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 1
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
  • MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
  • Baroque Mucha Ado About Nothing

Lips:

  • Kae Q Snapdragon

I primed my lids and patted Purian Gray, a sparkly almost-white light grey, all over my lids. I used a fluffy angled brush to work Catticus Finch, which I thought would be lavender but was actually mauvey pink, through the entire crease. I swiped the extra across my lower lashline. I used a blending brush to blend out the upper edge of my shadow. I lined my eyes with a shimmery dark grey liner and curled my lashes. I did my usual face stuff and used Mucha Ado About Nothing, a rosy blush that goes with everything, on my cheeks. I applied Snapdragon, a lovely MLBB pink, with a doefoot applicator.

Not much to say about this look. Simple and pretty.

Mainstream Monday: Shiny Red Lips and Soft Smoky Eyes with Lorac Pro

lorac bigIt’s been ages since I’ve done a mainstream look, but I figured I’d toss in a few mainstream lip products during the makeup rehab lip dare, so decided to use mainstream eyeshadow as well. MAC Ladybug is probably my favorite red, and while I almost never reach for it since I am not much of a gloss person, their Viva Glam Rihanna Lipglass is just stunning. Unfortunately, the Lorac Pro palette is not so impressive. I hear a lot of good things about it, and I’ve tried to like it, but at the end of the day I think I just don’t.

Lorac lookOh well. My lips are shiny, so it’s okay if my eye make up is boring.

lorac productsEyes:

  • Lorac Champagne
  • Lorac Pewter
  • Lorac Sable
  • Lorac Cream
  • Stila Smudgestick in Damsel
  • Benefit Stay Don’t Stray in Light/Medium
  • Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

Face:

  • MAC Face and Body in N1
  • Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 1
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
  • MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
  • Bare Minerals Beauty Blush

Lips:

  • MAC Ladybug
  • MAC Viva Glam Rihanna Lipglass

I primed my lids and then patted Champagne, a shimmery champagne (many Lorac shade names are self explanatory), all over my lids. There was a ton of fallout that looked like silver glitter and it made me grumpy so I used a q-tip and some make up remover to attempt to get rid of it. Then I applied Pewter, a shimmery taupe brown, to my outer corner and blended it. It didn’t show up as much as I wanted, so I used a narrow angled brush to apply Sable, a medium-dark matte brown, to my crease and below my lower lashes. I highlighted my browbone and inner corner with Cream, a matte cream. I lined my eyes with a dark brown pencil liner and smudged it out with a brush before doing my usual foundation/concealer/powder/blush thing. Then I exfoliated my lips, and put on the lipstick and lip gloss.

I’m honestly not sure what to do with my Lorac Pro. I like it in theory, but in practice it doesn’t really work for me. I’ll probably give it another chance or two (and maybe look up some tutorials that use it to give me some ideas), but if it doesn’t click then, it’ll probably wind up in the destash pile.