Lip Love: Maybelline Color Elixir Glosses | My Collection + Swatches

     I can say with certainty that Maybelline lip products have tended to be some of my best purchases from the drugstore, with only a couple of exceptions that are only in terms of choosing an unflattering shade for my skintone, and not necessarily a faulty formula. I can say I have yet to encounter a Maybelline lip formula that I dislike. Their Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipsticks are always my first stop when I visit the brand's section, just to see if any new colors have been released. 😍 It's no question that the Creamy Matte formula is certainly in my top 5 favorite formulas of lip products, and that's not just for drugstore - it's overall! 

     Alas, it's almost time to part with one of my favorite moisturizing, comfortable lip gloss formulas - these Color Elixirs are at a heavily discounted price in many places, and so since it seems that the brand is phasing them out soon, I thought I'd show these glosses some love on my blog! It really is a lip love with these, as they really show the lips love by providing a hydrating feel and long lasting wear! Oh, and I almost forgot: They also only require 1 coat! All swatches below are done with only 1 pass of the applicator!

Maybelline Color Elixirs L-R: Signature Scarlet, Blush Essence, Caramel Infused, Mauve Mystique, Mystical Magenta

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!

Wet 'n' Wild Photo Focus Concealer | A Review

     Happy Sunday! Looks like I've been on a streak as of lately, because this is the second blog post in a row I've done with Wet 'n' Wild products. Dunno why, darling! I've just been using the brand on the regular! Today I am reviewing this lovely little $4 concealer from the brand's more recent skin base product launch, the new Photo Focus foundation and concealer line. The concealer shade I'll be reviewing is 'Light Ivory.' 

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)

Vibrant Violet | 'Mardi Gras' Inspired Makeup

     Good day, everyone!  This is the point where I'm trying to cram some summer tutorials/looks in at the tail-end of the season, before the fall season makes its presence official! The makeup look being featured in this post is a predominantly pink and violet-toned Mardi Gras inspired look that I just sort of winged, and while I'm not all that ecstatic about the end result of this first test run with it, I had a blast creating it! I am wanting to post a tutorial for this look on my YouTube channel, but first wanted to post it as a non-pictorial on my blog to get an idea if a video tutorial would be something you all would like to see!

     I will still do a breakdown in this post of not just the products that were used, but of the placement as well. Yeah.... the lines and overall shape of the eye makeup are a tad bit sloppy and uneven, and my asymmetrical eyes don't really help the cause. 😊 Nonetheless, I decided I want to document as I learn the art, and I am still in the beginning stages, and in the end, it's only makeup, and it's supposed to be fun! Although I know I'll tweak some things with it if I do  make a tutorial.

Tutorial: Nighttime Smokey Eyes Using UD Naked 2 Palette

     Hello there!  It has been almost a month since I last uploaded a makeup look of any sort (boo-hiss, hehe just kidding 😉), and I wanted to upload a post showing the eye makeup I wore today, and figured, why not make it a pictorial? So, I have to say that the eyes are quite dramatic for me, and I had to tone it down for daytime with a soft mauve lip and light pink cheeks, because I had Saturday morning errands to run, and.... well, my eyeballs still looked as though they were about to pop out of my skull in natural light, with this 'sandwich' method of eyeshadow placement. I unfortunately could not capture the true contrast of the shadows very accurately in these photos, as it has a much higher contrast in real life. All eyeshadows used for this look are from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette.

New Beauties from Coastal Scents! | Palettes & Brushes

     Back in 2009 was the year I was introduced to the "makeup utility" brand Coastal Scents. I heard all these accounts from seemingly everyone, their mother, and their mother's brother, about how economical of a brand it was (and still is!) for freelance makeup artists and makeup enthusiasts alike. At the time, I was still an enthusiast and hobbyist who just wanted some affordable, decent quality color palettes to play with, to possibly hone my skills with in the future, and yep, times have changed since then! :) In the recent years, the brand has exploded in popularity.

Favorites: Skincare & Haircare

     Hello!  When I decided to write a post dedicated to my skincare and haircare favorites (but mostly skincare) which spans over a non-specific time period (from the past three months or so, in this case), it was brought to my attention that I haven't created a single post regarding my monthly or weekly makeup  favorites. And I have come to the conclusion that featuring those type of posts on my blog will probably be few and far between, if any at all. I know, I know....Never say never.  So, it could  happen occasionally!

Wet 'n' Wild Spring 2015 Silver Lake Collection: My Picks + Swatches

     Honestly, these Wet 'n' Wild collections appear and disappear like little Houdinis....there's now a new Venice Beach Eyeshadow Collection  that came out right after this one that I'm now on the hunt for, and I was contemplating whether or not to even create a post for this Silver Lake collection, since it was released back in the spring, and may be a bit difficult to find now. 

     Then I realized that geographic location is quite different across the board when it comes to the availability of drugstore limited edition collections in general, and I didn't even see this collection anywhere near me until about two months after it was released, so.....ladies, there's still a chance you may find it! If you do, I think it's highly worth checking out, as the textures, formula, and overall quality of these products is really quite lovely. Read on for more pictures and my thoughts/first impressions on these beautiful products!