FOTD: Turquoise and Champagne Birthday Look!

It’s my birthday! So I did a look using all my favorite colors. Champagne and turquoise, together at last. While I love both of them, I think this is the first time I’ve used them together in the same look.

I like it a lot. It reminds me of the gold and turquoise mermaid inspired look I did in my Jupiter Rain post, just done with more skill.

 

Smiley glasses picture! I got cold and put on my jacket and realized I’d unwittingly sort of matched it, with the turquoise and toned down magenta.

 

Eyes:

• Aromaleigh #lovenotfear
• Shiro Maiden Queen
• Hello Waffle JK Meowling
• Shiro Cake!
• Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Intense Black
• Marc Jacobs Highliner in Blacquer
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

• MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation in NC20
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• Blackbird Magic Trick Super Powder in Translucent
• Tarte Flush Cheek Stain

Lips:

• Kae Q Sapodilla
• Fyrinnae Sexy Nerd

I started my priming my eyes. Then I applied #lovenotfear over the entire lid using a flat brush. I took a fluffy brush and worked Maiden Queen, a bright greenish turquoise, into the Champagne, starting at the outer corner and ending about 2/3 of the way across. I tried to blend them so there was an even gradient, from turquoise at the outer corner to champagne at the inner corner. Then I used a fluffy angled brush to put JK Meowling, another sparkly greeny turquoise, just a bit darker than Maiden Queen, in the out portion of my crease. I used a clean blending brush to even out the transitions. Then I used a teeny tiny brush to highlight my inner corner with Cake, a shimmery white with yellow and red to its sheen. I lined my upper lashline with liquid liner, winging it out at the end, and my lower lashline with pencil liner. I curled my lashes and put on my favorite mascara. I applied foundation, concealer and powder and dotted a berry cheek stain onto my cheeks and blended it in with my fingers. I highlighted the tops of my cheeks with a pinkish liquid highlighter. For my lips I started with a layer of Sapodilla, a nude that’s pretty close to my skintone. Then I dotted on Sexy Nerd, a magenta with a bit of gold shimmer, and blended them together with my finger.

So that’s it! I’m very happy with it, and I’ve been having a really good birthday so far too!

FOTD: Aromaleigh’s Neurodiversity Shadows

After using both of Aromaleigh’s Neurodiversity eyeshadows separately last week, I wanted to do a look with both of them together. They’re both neutrals with a twist, so the look I came up with is easy going and neutral. I used #lovenotfear all over my lids and Neurodivergent as liner. Eyes:

• Aromaleigh #lovenotfear
• Aromaleigh Neurodivergent
• Darling Girl Superstar Serum
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Pistol
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Maybelline Great Lash

Face:

• Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in Light
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Tarte Exposed
• Tarte Blissful

Lips:

• Benefit Rocketpop

I primed my lids and used a flat brush to apply #lovenotfear, a sparkly champagne, all over my lids and up to my crease. Then I mixed Neurodivergent, a brown and blue duochrome, with superstar serum and applied the mixture as line for my upper lids. I used a shimmer taupe pencil liner for my lower lashline and applied mascara to both my upper and lower lashes. I applied BB cream and concealer with my fingers and lightly set it with powder. I used a ruddy brown blush, but didn’t quite like it, so brushed a bright coral peach blush over the top to brighten it up. I finished with a cinnamon pink lipstick. I really like Neurodivergent as liner. It’s quite sparkly and pretty when the light catches it. I wasn’t up for complicated make up today, so this look was simple enough to do the trick.

FOTD: Neurodivergent Duochrome Smoky Eye

Two days in a row now I’ve used Aromaleigh’s Neurodiversity shadows, which benefit Autism Acceptance charities. Two days in a row I’ve put them on my eyelids and instantaneously wanted to own them in full sizes. It’s my first time using my Aromaleigh shadows, and I’ve got to say, Kristin is seriously doing something right. Both shades are gorgeous and easy to wear but with a bit of a kick to them. With #lovenotfear, that kick is sparkle. With Neurodivergent, it’s duochrome. (Duochromes are colors that have one color as the base and an overlay of sparkle or shimmer in a different color. Which color you see depends on the angle and the lighting.) Duochromes get a lot of love in the indie community, but this is the first shadow that made me get it. And get it I do! I kept turning my head different angles to look at the color shift from blue to brown. So fricking cool.I just love this. So easy. So pretty. So interesting. Different angles to show off dat duochrome. Eyes:

• Aromaleigh Neurodivergent
• Stila Rain (In the Know Palette)
• Stila Air (In the Know Palette)
• Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Sephora Collection Black Lace Eyeliner
• 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
• Tarte Exposed

Lips:

• MAC Patisserie (I think. It might be Viva Glam V. I forgot to write it down.)

This was super super easy. I primed my lids and patted Pixie Epoxy on top. I waited 20 seconds then patted Neurodivergent, a brown with a blue duochrome, all over my lids. I blended out the edges with a matte smoky brown and highlighted under my browbone with a matte burnt vanilla. I lined my lids with black pencil liner and applied mascara. I did my face like always, with my go to smoky eye blush and lipstick. I love love love this. It’s convinced me that I need to buy full sizes of all of Aromaleigh’s Neurodiversity colors, including the new shade, Enigma. If you missed my post yesterday, for the month of April (which is Autism Awareness month), Kristin will donate half of the sales of Enigma to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. After April is finished, 25% of sales will be donated, like the two older colors. Neurodivergent also benefits ASAN, and #lovenotfear benefits the Golden Hat Foundation. Kristin (who is on the Autism spectrum herself) carefully considers the charities she donates to and has a very thorough explanation of her choices and reasoning on her page for the Enigma color, which I strongly encourage you to read if you’re interested in austism advocacy. In brief, she chooses charities that include support for autistic adults and that listen to autistic voices. I feel really good about supporting her charity work, and I love the colors to as well. I’m planning on picking up full sizes of all three this month, since I love the first two so much.

FOTD: #lovenotfear and a Classic Cat Eye

 This morning I was in the mood for something simple. I grabbed Aromaleigh’s #lovenotfear, which is one of her Autism Acceptance colors, and put it on my lids. I wasn’t planning on using just one shadow, but it was pretty enough I didn’t think it needed anything else. It’s a super gorgeous sparkly pink champagne. It’s similar to Shiro’s Doge which is probably my single most used eyeshadow, just a bit pinker and sparklier. I love it. 25% of the proceeds from it go to the Golden Hat Foundation as well, which is pretty neat. I’m totally in love with it.

 The rest of the look is pretty basic for me. Classic cat eye, rosy cheeks, reddish pink lips.

Eyes:

• Aromaleigh #lovenotfear
• 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
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Benefit Benetint

Lips:

• Fyrinnae Queer Theory

This look pretty much couldn’t have been easier. I primed my lids and applied #lovenotfear, a sparkly champagne pink, all over. I did a cat eye using black liquid liner, curled my lashes and applied mascara. I did my face. I swept three stripes of Benetint onto the apples of my cheeks and blended it in with my fingers. Then I applied Queer Theory, a bright pink-red lip lustre, with the doe foot.

I really love it when companies donate to causes they believe in, and for Aromaleigh, that cause is Autism Acceptance. Kristin, the owner, has been diagnosed with autism herself, and she released #lovenotfear the day she came out publicly about her autism. For the first year, she donated 50% of the proceeds from the color to the Golden Hat Foundation, and since then she’s donated 25%. She also has a color called Neurodivergent, and at the beginning of the month, she released a third color, Enigma. Both of these colors benefit the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, with 50% of initial sales going to the organization and 25% of subsequent sales. For the rest of the month of April, she’ll donate 50% of the sales of Enigma, a wearable sparkly taupe brown, to ASAN, so if you want to support the charity, now’s a good time to buy the color!

I’m definitely planning on picking up a full size of #lovenotfear, and at least a sample of Enigma as well. I did a look with Neurodivergent, which I love and will post tomorrow. It may have convinced me that I need it in a full size too.

Do companies that donate to charities affect your purchasing decisions? What are your favorite companies that donate to charity?