FOTD: Low Key Pink and Grey Look

I 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!

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

Eyes:

• 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.

Tutorial: Subtle Grey and Red Look with Purple Liner

I was talking to some of my friends in one of my reddit groups recently and they mentioned that they would like to see more tutorials. So I’m planning on doing tutorials for my favorite looks from my reviews. No time like the present to start, so I picked my favorite look from my Brilliant Deductions review to get started!

Make Up:

• Grey Eyeshadow (Aromaleigh Frailty of Genius)
• Burgundy Eyeshadow (Aromaleigh Damaged & Delusional)
• Dark Plum Eyeshadow (Aromaleigh Glittering Career)
• Foiling Medium (Darling Girl Superstar Serum)
• Eyeshadow Primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion)
• Mascara (Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara)
• Rosy Blush (Baroque Mucha Ado About Nothing)
• Burgundy Lipstick (Tilt/Shift Gravity)
• Foundation/Concealer/Powder or whatever your usual face routine is (MAC Face and Body in N1, Benefit Boi-ing in 1, Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light)

Brushes and Tools:

• Eyeshadow shading brush (Sigma E55)
• Fluffy angled eyeshadow brush (Sigma E70)
• Fluffy blending brush (Sigma E40)
• Eyeliner brush (mini Sigma E05)
• 1 or 2 Blush brushes (Nars travel blush brush, Eco Tools blush brush)
• Lip brush (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics)
• Whatever you usually use to apply your foundation, concealer and powder (Real Techniques Buffing Brush, Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush, MAC 159)
• A flat non-porous mixing surface (a piece of mirror)
• An eyelash curler if you use one (NYC eyelash curler)

For this look you’ll need a grey eyeshadow, a burgundy or dark red eyeshadow and a dark plum eyeshadow. I used Aromaleigh shadows for this, but you could definitely substitute, you just want them to be similarly warm or cool toned (so if you use a cool-toned grey, it would probably work best to use a cool red and purple to go with it). If you have Shiro’s Scarlet Witch COTM, I think it would be perfect for this look. I used Darling Girl’s Superstar Serum as a foiling medium to turn the purple eyeshadow into liner, but you could use contact lens solution, eye drops or just plain water if you don’t have something similar. You could even use purple pencil liner instead of making your own, if you have it! For the lip color, anything dark red should work. I think Kae Q’s Mulberry would be a great alternative. And choose a blush that works for your skintone. Blush is just a minor player in this look, so it shouldn’t be too noticeable.

I started with clean, moisturized skin. I put a tiny dot of eyeshadow primer on my finger and smoothed it over my eyelid, and repeated on the other side.

Next I patted my grey eyeshadow all over my mobile lid with a basic shading brush. It doesn’t matter if the top edge is messy, because we’ll blend that away later, but do try to get an even coat of color on the lid.

I picked up a tiny bit of red eyeshadow with a fluffy angled brush. To make sure I didn’t pick up too much I just touched my brush lightly to the powder that was stuck on the sides of my sample bag, avoiding the pile of shadow at the bottom entirely. I used a very light tapping motion to place the red shadow in the outer portion of my crease. I also angled my brush to connect the line of red with my outer corner.

Time to blend! I used my clean fluffy blending brush to make little circles at the outer corner of my eye without picking up my brush. Then I used my brush to diffuse the top edge of the shadow with a windshield wiper motion. I blended until the red was pretty subtle.

Next I mixed together my purple shadow with Superstar Serum to make liner. I tapped out a little bit of shadow onto a flat piece of mirror and dotted one drop of serum next to it. Then I dipped my liner brush into the serum and used it to push the eyeshadow together into a paste. I added a little bit more shadow to get the consistency you see in the last picture.

Next I applied the mixture as liner. I did my upper lashline first, and then used what was left on the brush to get a lighter line under my lower lashes. I curled my lashes and applied mascara to both my upper and lower lashes.

Now it’s time to do whatever your usual base makeup routine is. You can see my foundation routine here, if you’re interested. If the red eyeshadow is too far down at the outer corner of your eye, you can either remove it or cover it up with a pat of concealer like I did.

If you’re using loose blush in a sample bag, you can tap it out on to the clean side of your mirror or mixing surface. I’m pretty light so I only need the tiniest bit of blush.

Oftentimes when I’m using indie blush I wind up applying a little bit more than I need. When I do this I take a clean blush brush and use it to blend out the blush using a circular motion to make the color less intense. The difference is subtle on camera, but in person I can see it.

Last comes lipstick. Since I’m using a sample I need a lip brush to apply it. When I use a lip brush I outline my lips first, then put a little bit more lipstick on my brush to fill in the middle.

So that’s my look! I think it’s simple and I love how the grey balanced out the red and makes it more toned down and wearable. Combined with the the lip color, this look makes me feel really classy.

I’d love to hear how it works for you if you try it out. I like the idea of continuing to do tutorials for my favorite looks from my reviews, so keep an eye out for more in the future. If there’s a look I’ve done on the blog before that you’d like to see a tutorial for, you can request one in the comments too!

FOTD: Password Protected Smoky Eye

I was in the mood for a pixie epoxy smoky eye a while back, since it had been a while since I’d done one, and another user posted a really pretty look using Aromaleigh’s Password Protected over on r/indiemakeupandmore, so I decided to combine the two of them. I’ve had this post sitting in my drafts folder for a while, but I’m working on finally finishing up my enormous Brilliant Deductions review (21 shadows. Craziness.) so I figured I’d post this now as a sort of preview.

 For a look that is in theory purple, this wound up looking surprisingly neutral. I still like it though.

Eyes:

• Aromaleigh Password Protected
• Aromaleigh Psychosomatic Limp
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Tornado
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in Rose Gold
• Baroque Sonrel Not Sonrel

Lips:

• Marc Jacobs Lip Lacquer in Kissability

I did my usual pixie epoxy smoky eye here. I applied primer then patted pixie epoxy onto my mobile lid using my pinky. After it set, I patted Password Protected, a purple with a strong gold sheen, on top. I swiped what was left on my blush through my crease and below my lower lashes. Then I picked up a little Psychosomatic Limp, a light golden brown, with a blending brush and used it to blend out my crease. I put a little of it below my lower lashes to deepen the color there as well. Then I applied a purple pencil liner and smudged it out with a smudge brush. I finished my eyes with a coat of mascara. I did my usual face stuff and highlight my cheeks with a rose gold liquid highlighter. I also applied a plummy blush and a plum lipgloss with a bit of gold sparkle.

I like this look quite a bit. It’s very wearable way to do purple, and I think the gold looks really nice with my eyes.

FOTD: Lavender Lips

 There was a bright lips thread over at Indie Island of Misfits, so I decided to join in with today’s look. Usually when I think bright lips, I think bold reds, oranges and magentas, but I’ve gotten so much more comfortable wearing those that I decided to do something a little different and went with a bright lavender.

 The pastel base of this seemed very 60s to me, so I decided to do light eyeliner and mascara on my lower lashes ala Twiggy. Except less so, because I am not much of one for lower lash mascara.

Eyes:

• Shiro He Loves His Hammer
• Blackbird Smudge
• Hello Waffle Whale Hello There
• Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Intense Black
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Cuff
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• 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 Potion
• Baroque Mucha Ado About Nothing

Lips:

• Kae Q Passionflower
• Firebird Strawberry Tangerine lip balm

I started by priming my lids as I always do. Then I patted He Loves His Hammer, a really interesting shimmery reddish pewter, all over my lids. I deepened my crease with Smudge, a matte grey. I put some beneath my lower lashes as well. I lined my upper lids with winged black liquid liner and my lower waterline with sparkly silver pencil liner. I mascaraed both my upper and lower lashes. I finished my eyes with a touch of Whale Hello There, a light cool purple, in the inner corners. I did my foundation, concealer and powder, and put on a layer of Potion, a berry blush. It seemed too cool with the rest of the look so I layered Mucha Ado About Nothing, a warmer rose, on top of it. I started my lips with a layer of my waxiest base lip balm and used a doefoot applicator to smooth a layer of Passionflower, a bright lavender, over the top.

I think this turned out kind of retro and fun. I was a little hesitant that Passionflower wouldn’t work on me, but I actually like it. It’s never going to be an all the time color for me, but I do think it’s fun.

FOTD: The Paper Magician Inspired Look

 I just finished reading The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg. I really enjoyed it, so I used it as my inspiration for this look. In the book, Magicians bond to one material, and that’s what they use to cast all of their spells. The main character, Ceony, is training to become a paper magician (a folder) so her spells are folded out of paper, like enchanted origami.

 

 I used a creamy matte white on my lids to represent paper, and a sparkly dark red for blood, which also figures prominently in the book.

Eyes:

• Blackbird Half Full
• Blackbird Modesty
• Hello Waffle Kai
• Darling Girl Superstar Serum
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

• MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation in NC20
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Baroque Mucha Ado About Nothing

Lips:

• Kae Q Sapodilla
• Fyrinnae Glamorous Rebel

I started by priming my lids, then I blended Half Full, a matte cream, all over my lid. I worked Modesty, a matte light beige, into the crease. Then I mixed Kai, a sparkly copper red, with superstar serum to make a paste, which I applied with a liner brush. I winged it out at the end and applied a little along my lower lashline as well. I also put on mascara. I applied a different foundation than usual (MAC Mineralize Moisture, which I have a sample of but don’t love) with my usual brush, concealer and powder. I did my cheeks with Mucha Ado About Nothing, a slightly shimmery reddish rose. For my lips I mixed together two different colors. I started by applying a layer of Sapodilla, a nude balm, with a doefoot applicator. Then I put a tiny dot of Glamorous Rebel, a cool toned red, in the middle of each lip and blended it in with my finger, mixing the two colors together.

I really like this look, but I wish I’d used a thinner brush to apply the liner, since the red covers up most of the white, which I’d intended to be the centerpiece of the look. I really like the mix of Sapodilla and Glamorous Rebel, though. I suppose there are easier ways of getting pink lips, but I like this specific color.

Have you read The Paper Magician? Do you ever feel inspired to match your make up to books you like?

FOTD: Black and Gold Eyeshadow

 I have a few AFK eyeshadows that I picked up in a destash a while back and hadn’t gotten around to trying out yet. It’s a kind of random assortment of colors, so I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them, and wound up do a flared out black and gold look. I wound up using Baroque’s I’d Hate Toulouse You on both my cheeks and lips as well. I think it makes a really nice lip color, even if my application leaves something to be desired.

 Darknessssss was a little bit tricky to use. I took a lot of blending and a couple layers to get it to show up as dark as I wanted and even then, it’s not as even as I’d like. But I’m pretty sure it’s been/is being reformulated. But AFK’s closed at the moment, so I can’t go check.

Eyes:

• AFK Solar Flare
• AFK Darknessssss
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Stila Smudgestick in Stingray
• Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Benefit The Porefessional
• Benefit Watt’s Up
• Baroque I’d Hate Toulouse You

Lips:

• Baroque I’d Hate Toulouse You
• Lush Honey Trap

I started this look by priming my eyelids. Then I applied Solar Flare, a gold, all over my mobile lids. I applied Darknessssss, a blackish dark color, to the outer corner over the gold. I blended it down and in towards the middle and flared it up at the outer corner as well. I used a fluffy blending brush to blend the two together. Darknessssss wasn’t very opaque, so I had to apply a couple layers to get it darker. I brought a little bit of it under my lower lashes as well. The gold on my lower lashline was actually fallout, but I decided I liked it there, so I tidied it up and left it. I tidied up around the edges of the black as well. I lined my eyes with black pencil liner and applied mascara. I actually wore face primer today, mostly out of curiosity. I basically smeared it all over my face with me fingers before I applied my foundation (with a brush), my concealer (with my fingers) and powder (also with a brush). I used a blush brush to apply I’d Hate Toulouse You, a reddish blush, which I blended into the skin with a clean blush brush. I also applied a little bit of a golden highlight to the tops of my cheeks and blended it with my fingers. I decided to use I’d Hate Toulouse You on my lips as well. I exfoliated my lips (but not quite well enough, since I missed a patch of dry skin), then applied a thick layer of waxy lip balm. I used a brush to pat the blush on top of the balm and my finger to even things out. I didn’t do the best job applying it evenly, but I do think it makes a nice lip color.

This look makes me feel like I should be going to a Tiger’s hockey game. The goldenrod base of Solar Flare matches their colors pretty well. I feel like my application wasn’t quite on point today, but I enjoy what I came up with anyways.

FOTD: Sunshiney Look with Kae Q and Baroque

Baroque and Kae Q, two of my favorite indie brands share an anniversary. Instead of competing with each other, they decided to team up and do a joint sale. Today and tomorrow you can get 20% off at either site with the code SUNSHINE. To kind of dorkily celebrate their anniversaries, I decided to do a sunshine themed look, using Baroque and Kae Q products.

Both shops carry yellow-orange products, and if you by one in a fullsize you get a coupon for the other shop that’s good for the next month (or so? I’m not quite sure). From Baroque, it’s their Kilmt Eastwood blush, which I used on both my eyes and cheeks in this look. From Kae Q it’s Carambola, a sheer lip color.

Eyes:

• Baroque Klimt Eastwood (technically a blush)
• Baroque Walking on Air
• Baroque She Likes My SPARK
• Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Intense Black
• Sephora Collection Black Lace Eyeliner
• Urban Decay Primer Potion

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Baroque Klimt Eastwood
• Baroque Mucha Ado About Nothing

Lips:

• Kae Q Mamey

I primed my eyes like always and then I patted Klimt Eastwood, a yellow orange blush, all over my lids. I added Walking on Air, a peachy light orange, to the outer corner, blending it into the yellow and blowing it out a little. I used a liner brush to apply She Likes My SPARK, a shimmery copper orange, below my lower lashes. I used black liquid liner and winged it out for my upper lashline. I used a black pencil liner to lightly line my lower lashes. I actually forgot to apply mascara. Oops. Then I did my foundation/concealer/powder thing. I applied Mucha Ado About Nothing, a reddish rose, to my cheeks. I used a contour brush to apply Klimt Eastwood above it, kind of like a yellow highlighter on the tops of my cheeks, and blended it down to form a slight gradient. I finished off with Mamey, a muted salmon balm, which I applied with a doe foot applicator.

I’m really happy with how this turned out. It’s been grey here for weeks on end (it’s Southern Hemisphere winter, after all), so it was nice to do something cheery and warm.

This post is not in any way sponsored, although I did use a blogger discount on my order from Kae Q. I’m just genuinely a fan of both of these brands and wanted to share! Kae Q’s lip products are very creamy and easy to apply and surprisingly opaque for what’s marketed as a balm. (Although she has added some sheer balms to her summer lineup that I’m interested in trying as well.) And Baroque’s eyeshadow formula is a shimmery, easy to blend delight. Her colors can be a bit on the sheer side for some, but I like it because it makes me feel ethereal and glowy when I wear them.

Have you tried Baroque or Kae Q? Are you planning on picking anything up in either sale?

FOTD: Slapdash Test Out the New Camera Before It Gets Dark Look

So after a somewhat agonizing 12 cameraless days, I finally have a new camera and can blog again! Which meant I needed to try it out immediately. I wasn’t wearing much make up at the time (only eyeliner and mascara), so I slapped some on the rest of my face and got to work taking pictures. I feel like the camera captures a good level of detail and will be good for closeups, but these pictures seem sort of green-tinted/cool-toned to me. I’m hoping that’s just because it was later in the day than usual for my picture taking and then when I try again tomorrow, the colors will be more accurate. Eyes:

• Shiro Doge
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Mars
• Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

Face:

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

Lips:

• Kae Q Guava

I was already wearing shimmery green eyeliner along my top lashes and in my lower waterline and a coat of mascara, so I just swiped some Doge, a sparkly champagne, across my lids to even out their color. I applied foundation, under eye concealer and powder, and finished with blush and a light pink tinted balm. I’m so happy to be back blogging again! I missed it a somewhat ridiculous amount. I’ve got a ton of ideas stored up in my brain as well as some looks I did while I was unable to photograph them that I want to redo and put up. Plus my next review was almost finished when my camera broke. So that should be up in the next couple days as well. :)

FOTD: Lavender Eyes and Dark Purple Lips

My starting point for this look was the lip color. I knew I wanted to try out my dark purple beso balm, but I wasn’t sure what sort of eye look to match it with. I was rifling through my shadows when a lavender caught my eye. I figured a lavender smoky eye would complement the purple lips without being too intense.

I think it worked nicely, although the shadows are a little bit cooler toned than the lips. Next time I might try warm purple eyeshadow instead.

Eyes:

• Blanche Neige Sweetest Voice
• Blanche Neige As Above, Below
• Blanche Neige Daughters of Air
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Stila Smudgestick in Halfmoon
• Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Baroque Sonrel Not Sonrel

Lips:

• Kae Q Passionfruit
• NYX Wonder Pencil in Light

I started my priming my eyelids and then patted Sweetest Voice, a lavender, on my lids up, stopping at my crease. I blended out my crease using Daughters of the Air, a beige. Then I pushed As Above, Below, a blueish grey, into the outer v and both lashlines. I lined my eyes with grey pencil liner, blended it out and finished with mascara. I did my usual foundation routine and used a plummy blush on my cheeks. I lined around the outside of my lips with a nude pencil and blended it in with my finger. Then I used a doefoot to apply Passionfruit, a dark purple balm.

I really like the formula of the beso balms, although this one was the trickiest of the three I’ve tried so far, probably because the color’s so deep. It’s not 100% opaque (which isn’t a surprise, because it’s a balm, not a lipstick), but it makes it a little bit tricky to get perfectly even coverage. It’s super comfortable to wear (like a really nice non-tinted lip balm, which makes me want to try Kae Q’s regular balm) but it doesn’t have much staying power. I ate a snack and when I was done all that was left was a faded line around the outside of my lips. But, on the plus side, it didn’t stain, so it was super easy to wipe off the ring with a tissue and my lips looked totally normal. I definitely wouldn’t recommend wearing this if you know you’re going to be eating, though. The color’s pretty much exactly like a non-sheer version of Shiro’s A Girl and a Cat tinted balm, which is kinda neat.

Do you wear dark purple lipstick? What do you pair it with?

FOTD: Yellow Blush

In my order from Baroque, Andi included her yellow blush, Klimt Eastwood, as my free sample. Yellow blush is one of those things that I probably wouldn’t have bought on my own, but since I have it I wanted to try it out. And you know what? It’s not bad.

I think it winds up looking like more of an apricot than a yellow once it’s on my face, so I paired it with some similar apricot eyeshadows.

Eyes:

• Aromaleigh Amelie
• Hello Waffle Summertime
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Intense Black
• Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Baroque Klimt Eastwood

Lips:

• Life’s Entropy Recursion
• NYX Wonder Pencil in Light

I started by priming my lids and then applied Amelie, a light shimmery peach to the mobile lid. I used an angled brush to place Summertime, a darker yellowish peach, in the outer portion of the crease and blended in down and in. I applied winged black liner on my upper lashline and black pencil liner on my lower lashline. I put a little more Summertime below my lower lashes as well. Then I curled them and applied mascara to both my upper and lower lashes. I did my foundation, concealer and powder like usual. I tapped some Klimt Eastwood, a yellow blush, out onto a piece of mirror and used my contour brush to pick some up, since it’s smaller and more precise than my blush brush. I applied it to my cheeks and blended it out with a clean blush brush. Then I lined around the outside of my lips with a skintoned pencil and blended it out with my finger. I used a lip brush to apply Recursion, a bright orangey red lip theory, to finish the look.

I was pleasantly surprised at how peachy Klimt Eastwood turned when applied. Even though it’s definitely a goldenrod yellow powder, the natural color of my cheeks shows through a little and makes it look more like a light orange. I like it. I could see myself using it again. If I wanted to make this look monochromatic, I’d swap out the Lip Theory for Shiro’s apricot Come Out, Come Out balm, which I think would match the blush perfectly.

Have you ever tried any unusual blush colors?