My Valentine's Day Makeup: Glowy Skin, Sparkly Red Eyeliner & Matte Red Lips

Happy Thursday to everyone, and oh! Better yet: happy post-Valentine's Day! Hope you had a wonderful day with all your loved ones! Now bust out ya chocolates and ya makeup brushes, everyone! It's a V-Day makeup look! Eh, one day late, no less, but...nothing wrong with that! After taking priority of practicing Seitz' Concerto No 2 Op 13 yesterday (and today) over blogging my V-Day look I wore yesterday... phew, at long last, I'm getting this posted! Before I went out today, I was able to catch the sun and get better lighting for better pictures of the products I used. 😀 

This post will be a breakdown of the products I used for this quick and simple, somewhat effortless Valentine's Day look! If you'd like a wee bit of a spoiler, most of what I used is Colourpop. 😊 A gorgeous red winged liner paired with a warm hazy caramel-toned eye makeup and a plush bright matte red lip (yeeeaaah, I was going to take pictures on my Canon, but I'm so out of the blogging loop, that between my last blog post and now, I've since somehow managed to misplace my SD card, and had to use my phone to take all of these pics. Thus, the eye makeup looks a lot muddier than it would have if I had taken the pics with my actual camera).

Tutorial: COOL TONES | Bright Cranberry-Red Fall Transitional Makeup

Happy Sunday, everyone!  Cailee here, and I'm just checking in and today's post will be showcasing a video tutorial I just recently posted: a colourful berry-monochromatic makeup look. So, I wore this out Friday evening, and surprisingly received a couple compliments on it! I generally shy away from these colors, especially around the eyes, but it's all about placement! These berry-magenta hues are a happy medium for this transitional period between seasons that we're in right now, just before the air turns ever more crisp and the leaves begin to turn yellow. This is a better quality video than the last two I've posted, so I'll try to make that consistent. 😊 

 Continue reading for the video tutorial! 

'What the Heck?' Product Regret: NYX Gotcha Covered Concealer | Review

NYX Gotcha Covered Full Coverage Waterproof Concealer in 'Ivory'

Hello lovelies!  Welcome to my third post in my blog's 'What the Heck?' Product Regret series! That's weird, isn't it...to say 'Welcome to my blog post!' Strange, hmph... Ideally, I wouldn't have to do any of these, but since I occasionally make impulse buys at the drugstore just like most everyone else, there are some products that don't pass my usual 'You don't need it. You've read nothing about it, so just walk away' mental filter. I won't say who, but there was a YouTube beauty gal I had watched for quite a while who has a similar skin type to me (dry skin) and last year I saw a review where she said this concealer had worked nicely for her, so I went out and promptly bought it. And I've had this tube for 7 months now, so at long last - here we are! A review! 😄 

NYX Gotcha Covered Full Coverage Waterproof Concealer in 'Ivory'

Blue & Brown Colorful Smokey Eye + Purple Lips

     Hello beauties! Let's call this look Sunday's experimentation! I wore this when I went out with friends in the evening, and I must say I felt so comfortable wearing these brighter tones! Could it be a sign that brights are one of the paths less traveled for me that should in fact be traveled more often? Who knows! I swear, every time I watch a Kat Von D video, I'm always inspired to get my makeup out, experiment with colors, and go crazy. The lady and her artistry is a force to be reckoned with, and all the same, I own absolutely nothing from her brand (only heaven knows why). This look actually isn't inspired from any of the looks I've seen - I just winged it and hoped for the best. 😊This is quite a statement look that's perfect for parties and nights out!

This look is comprised of a blue brown duochrome pigment on the lid, some warm and cool mattes in the crease, and a matte azure blue and a dazzling icy green pigment peeking out from beneath. I finished with a creamy glow to the skin, and a matte smokey purple lip. This will include a full list of products used, and at the very end of the post will be a step-by-step on how I achieved the eye makeup!

Nude Lip Review & Swatches: NYX Lingerie Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Exotic'

NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in 'Exotic'

     Hello, hiya, bonjour! How is everyone's week going so far? About a month ago, I wrote a review on another one of these Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks from NYX, where I expressed my disliking of the formula, color, pretty much everything. I was not impressed.

Well, I had mentioned in the review that the other shade I owned from the Lingerie collection performed better for me, and this beautiful mahogany, oddly named 'Exotic,' (eh? not really what I would name a color like this) happens to be that shade I was talking about. You'll be able to understand from the lip swatches, so ya might wanna take a look!

Both of these closeup lip swatches show what the product looks like with a 2-coat application

Nude Lip Review: NYX Lingerie Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Bedtime Flirt'

NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in 'Bedtime Flirt'

     

     Hello to all of my lovely readers! Hope everyone is getting along with the holiday season thus far! 😊 So, this year when I ventured into trying two of these NYX Lingerie line of quick-drying matte liquid lipsticks not long after their release, I was initially overall impressed with the two shades I purchased! However, I think that my immediate liking of them may have escalated as soon as I had been sorely disappointed with their Liquid Suede liquid lipsticks prior to trying these, and upon comparing the two formulas, due to ill logic on my part, I decided rather too quickly that, since these Lingerie liquid lipsticks were a tad bit longer lasting, I made the immediate, albeit very wrong, mental decision that I liked them. Now? I'm finding that I just don't enjoy wearing them...at all. At least, not this particular shade in 'Bedtime Flirt.' 

FOTD: Autumn Leaves | Glittery Warm Brown Smokey Eye & Neutral Lips

🎃🎃

     Since today is All Hollow's Eve, I decided to go with a spicy, glittery brown smokey eye look today! It looks a bit warmer in person, and I gotta say, I don't really sport the whole costume look in the week leading up to Halloween, or even the day itself, be it a witch, goblin, fairy, a sprite....you name it. I just never really put in any effort to celebrate Halloween, and never really do any crazy costumes or makeup, and I s'pose I'm just keeping that tradition going for this year! I do, however, definitely get into some Lovecraft/Poe horror story mashup reading marathons every year, but eh, it doesn't even have to be close to Halloween for me to do that. 😄 I read spooky and cosmic horror stuff all the time, regardless of the season.

     

     Every autumn, I really enjoy visiting the cider mill and pumpkin patches, seeing the changing of the leaves' colors, and just breathing in the the crisper autumn air makes me elated, as it does many other people. The gradual changing colors of the leaves was where the color palette for the look was inspired, so you will see some beautiful green peeking out from beneath the eyes! Continue on for the products I used to achieve this look!

Soft Rose Gold Eyes | Simple Everyday Makeup Tutorial featuring LORAC Unzipped & Makeup Revolution

     Hello, and welcome back!  How are you all today? Since I recently got back to posting to the blog on more of a semi-regular basis (without any of those monthly gaps) I've also been wearing more makeup on a regular basis, including eyeshadow, some lovely high maintenance lip product or another, sheesh....sometimes even bronzer! ;) The overall rosy tones of this neutral look really brighten and liven up the complexion for anyone, I think. It's a very feminine, soft effect, and one that looks beautiful on every skin tone. Whether rose gold tones are paired with a neutral cool mauve or a warm nude lip and cheek, (or even with brighter tones of makeup!) either way, it makes for an all-encompassing elegant combination.

     For the eyes, I used my beautiful LORAC Unzipped Palette for the rose gold in the center of the lid, along with my highly coveted Makeup Revolution 32 Flawless Matte Palette for the crease-work. It's a ridiculously simple look to achieve, so the steps to get this eye makeup will be kept pretty succinct, and followed after will be the product breakdown for every product used on mah face. Let's continue! 

A Minimal Fall FOTD

     *Contains Affiliate Links

Hello, dolls!  Now that it has finally begun to cool off slightly here in the midwest, I thought, what better time than now to reiterate an updated post of my everyday fall makeup look! I've been wearing a slightly altered version of this look for the past couple of years (using different products, of course), and the best part? This look takes me less than 10 minutes to achieve! 

The overall finished look is a glossy berry lip, with a light wash of taupe shimmer on the eyes, winged liner and barely-there face makeup.

Read on if you would like to see which products helped me achieve this simple fall look!

A Cordial Affair: Dramatic Fall Makeup w/ Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

   *Contains Affiliate Links  

     Back to bloggin' I go! Yes, I didn't realize how out of practice I became with my makeup skills, and here's where I have to be honest and come clean: I have not been wearing makeup for months. Well, my daily routine has been involving a bit of makeup, but the most I've been using daily hasn't been any more than a light touch of concealer and maybe a coat of mascara.

Now that autumn is approaching as ever as the winds are quickening (where that came from, I have no idea), I just thought I would vampen it up a bit when I got home from class today. I popped out the palette that seems to be on every 'Ride or Die Products' tag that I've seen so far: feast your eyes (for the millionth time, I can imagine lol), on the ever-beloved Chocolate Bar......(ahem, by Too Faced, just in case you don't know of it for some unthinkable reason 😊)

After I applied primer: 
Step 1: I blended the light pink shade in the palette, 'Strawberry Bon Bon' into the entire crease socket and above the crease, stopping just below the browbone. This shade required quite a bit of layering to show up, and I so rarely use it, that I was shocked, and pleased to see that it didn't look powdery or chalky on the skin, even after multiple layers.
Step 2: Then came the warm-toned reddened brown, called 'Cherry Cordial.' This was blended right into the crease and kept on the socket and not blended anywhere above that. I blended it and extended it towards the inner corner of my eye. 
Step 3: The dull one of the palette (but still quite pretty! Its nuances and dry texture remind me a bit of MAC Patina), called 'Amaretto,' was packed onto the mobile lid all the way to the inner corner.
Step 4: I then took this stunning, warm (but wearable!) gilded gold called 'Creme Brulee' and packed it on the center of the lid, switching back and forth between this shade and 'Amaretto' as I went, and finally reinforcing 'Cherry Cordial' at the very end to tie the crease together.

For the rest of the eye products used: 
1. Primer: Wet 'n' Wild Photo Focus Eyeshadow Primer
2. Liner: Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner in 'Blackest Black'
3. Lashes: Jordana Best Lash Extreme in Black
4. Brows: L'Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Light to Medium
5. IC Highlight, Tho!: L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in 'Iced Latte' was that high shine, blinding, angelic inner corner highlight

Face

Base/Foundation: Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super+ BB Cream

Undereye Concealer: Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream in 'No 1 Salmon Blooming'

Contour/Undereye Setting Powder: Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Contouring Palette in 'Caramel Toffee'

Blush: NARS Sin

Lips

Liner: NYX 'Currant' Lip Liner

Lip Color Combo: NYX Matte Lipstick in 'Up the Bass' and NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in 'Prague' applied on top of the purple to lessen its gray undertones

Hope you all have a beautiful day! So tell me: What products are you wearing more of, now that the fall season is approaching?

💋 xoxo-Cailee

Fall Vibes 2015: Smokey Emerald Eyes & Deep Mauve Lips

     For this upcoming fall season, there is a multitude of application techniques, colors, and overall experimentation with hair and and makeup that I would like to dip my toes into, and work with a lot more very soon. This morning, I happened to pull out my powder pigments with the idea of soon gathering more products together and compiling a couple of decluttering posts for my blog (as well as for my personal well-being). I want to include pigments, despite already having quite a small range of them to begin with, because I'm moving very soon, and there are some things I have in my apartment that I know I just can't be bothered with keeping, so am taking small steps in that direction by cleaning out a few things where beauty products are concerned. As far as that, I digress....it will be a future post. 😄

Back to pigments, yes? As I was perusing an indie brand of shadow pigments that I have not touched in a long time, brand in question being none other than Fyrinnae, my eyes zeroed in on this forest-emerald green pigment sample, and thought it would be an absolutely perfect shade to steal the spotlight in the fall smokey eye look I did today. Feast your eyes upon Fyrinnae 'Dressed To Kill' eyeshadow! (Product breakdown will be at the end of the post)

A Review: NYX Powder Blush in 'Peach'

     Hello lovelies!  I had initially planned to post one, roundup compilation review of the shades of NYX powder blushes that I currently own, however this one is special enough that I feel it deserves its own post. Of all the blushes I own from different companies and price points, there are only two  blushes that I can say with certainty are the most loved and most used in my collection. Ladies and gents, NYX Peach is one of those blushes.

     For whatever reason this is called peach, is a mystery to me. It is definitely a matte soft pale pink that leans slightly warm. 

NYX Powder Blush in Peach, in pan and swatched, natural lighting

Springtime 'Beat': Lavender & Coral Eye Makeup

     Hello lovelies!  Hmmm....this lavender and coral combo that I was working with on the eyes, really puts an image to mind of blossoming hydrangeas, don't you think? I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself with the springtime pastels, especially when I'm reminded of the foot of snow that showed up completely uninvited on my driveway over the weekend. Oh, and the freezing wind chill temperatures that my city hasn't seen on record for the month since the late 1800s. 'Tis spring fever.....Need I say more?

     The eyes are a recreation and my take on the beautiful celebrity makeup artist Tamanna Roashan's Lavender & Coral Smokey Eyes. The woman has amazing talent and is such an inspiration. Just in case you don't know who she is, her name should at the very least sound familiar, because of her collaboration with Anastasia Beverly Hills this past holiday season, where she had a hand in the design and creation of the beautifully exotic (and unfortunately, limited edition, so, yours truly missed out) Tamanna Eyeshadow Palette. 

Scroll down for a list of products that were used on the eyes and face!

Clearance Finds, Baby!

     Good day to you all!  Well, I must say, it is a rare occasion that I get suckered into clearance beauty buys, with me being the healthily cautious person that I am. Just being real here, because in so many cases, those products are just sitting there on the shelf with molested safety seals and peeled plastic labels with a clearance sticker barely hanging off the side, yet holding on for dear life in the mere hope that someone may come along...and, I just can't...in most instances.

     However, I know for a fact that none of my local Targets have carried NYX until just recently, probably within the last few months. So, when I saw an entire display right in front of the pharmacy, of exclusively  NYX Butter Glosses, and  that half of the shades were already on clearance (only a dollar and some change off of the regular $4.99 price, down to $3.87 each or something close to that, but I digress), let me tell you, I couldn't snatch them up fast enough, because I realized at that very fateful moment that I didn't have a single red or bright violet gloss in my existing collection.

     It's been a long time that I've been meaning to try Sephora's Formula X nail polishes, and when I stopped in my local Sephora and saw that some of the Xplosive Top Coats and Electrics were in the sale section, I may have squeaked a little. Those are further down in the post. 

NYX Butter Glosses

(L-R): Devil's Food Cake, Raspberry Tart, Red Velvet

'Fantastic Five' Series: Top 5 Taupe Eyeshadows

     Hi guys and gals! Hope you're all having a great weekend!  I'm beginning my very first series on this blog, that I must say, I am quite excited about. In this 'Fantastic Five' series, I will be showcasing my top five products under different product categories, and I thought I would kick-start the series today with my personal top five favorite taupe eyeshadows.  I'm a girl who loves her brights, but I love neutrals just as much, and taupes, to me, are far from boring. They can have so many different undertones (purple, bronze, blue, silver, and sometimes even green) and varying effects on the eyes.

     To me, the color taupe in general has such splendor, and is appropriate to wear for practically anything. I must say, it was a difficult task to pare it down to just five. I had a total of seven I really liked and wanted to include, but these ended up making the final cut. Now, let's begin, yes? 

L-R: Fyrinnae Work Safe Blue, TheBalm Just This Once Jamie, NYX Taupe Pearl, L'Oreal Infallible in Bronzed Taupe, LORAC Pewter

Things I Bought: ULTA & Milani Cosmetics

       Hey everyone!  In my neck of the woods, life has been pretty crazy as of lately, and my schedule for my blog posts has been pushed back, as I'm in the midst of packing up and moving (the news for this, which is actually good news, came to me out of nowhere). Therefore, due to inadequate lighting and settings, I haven't had the opportunity to take any pictures, and am now working with what pictures were already uploaded onto my computer, before the moving began. Alright, I think I've blabbed enough, yes? You already know what this post is all about! Now let's get on to the pretties!

Evening Pastel Eye Makeup

     Hi all!  I haven't the slightest clue what is up with me and bright colors lately, but I've certainly been wearing the heck out of them! Well, this look is more of a pastel mint smokey eye with some purple and black in the crease. So, not quite bright, I suppose. As you will see, the focal point here is the eyes, so I didn't try to work a little longer to try out a 'beat face' to go along with the eyes. The sun was setting and I wanted to get good natural lighting from my balcony window before dark. I also don't think I could create a 'beat face' just yet without looking like a clown. So, everything else is toned down and minimal. A nude lip with a touch of blush. I saw a few things about this look right off the bat that I would've done a lot differently, but I think it looks pretty good, with it being my first time trying it out. 

     Like my previous posts, this is just going to be a breakdown of the products used, and I'll be going into more detail about what was used on the eyes rather than my base skin face products. Oh, and I also wanted to mention: This is not one of the Sephora Pantone Elemental Energy palette looks that was promised. I will be getting those up soon! I did incorporate one of the shadows from that palette into this look, but it was just to layer over the mint shade (the shade called 'Murmur' from the Air quad, to be exact), so definitely not worthy enough to have 'Pantone Look' title in the post.

| PURPLE DIAMOND |

     Hi everyone!  I decided to recreate this look today after being inspired from a few purple smokey eye techniques I've come across in the past. I adjusted the techniques and shapes to my own eye shape, as I have quite hooded eyelids, and also incorporated a touch of glitter to give it more of an edge. I thought that it would be the perfect compliment to this frigid, chilly weather in the northern U.S. where I live. I can honestly say that I've never wanted so badly to sit out in 90 degree weather and just roast in the sun (ok, maybe a bit of an exaggeration) in a bathing suit by the pool. Ah, summertime...

     Nonetheless, with this look, in my head I was going for more of a monochromatic result than what it actually turned out to be. I was going for a more defined lip that was more of an apparent purple, but I still like the way it turned out. This post is just going to be a product breakdown for the eyes and lips, and I'll lightly touch on the actual color products (not necessarily the base and skintone products) that were used for the skin. Alright, let's go!

| FOTD: Signature Red Lip |

     Hello everyone! Hope you all are having a fantastic day! I figured that I would start everything off on here with a Face of the Day (more commonly known as FOTD's, so not necessarily a tutorial; however if anyone would like to see one, I plan on starting the other venue of uploading videos very soon! But for now, a tutorial for this would more than likely be uploaded as a pictorial, if requested). 😊

       So, the red lip has been probably the most loved and most feared aspect of makeup throughout the evolution of the art to this day. It seems to be the one color that just loves to feather and bleed the most, not to mention attach itself to our pearly whites just when we're about to take a picture, am I right? Now, I think I have found my perfect combination of products for a red lip!