Light Brushstrokes | Bleu Cobalt et Iridescent Violette - My Attempt at Editorial Eye Makeup

Clean-cut, crisp eye makeup on the top, and a happy imperfect mess on the bottom! I wanted to create a look that exemplifies my overall views and feelings towards makeup, and show that I don't mind being imperfect, nor do I mind being a makeup enthusiast, and not a professional! 

Scroll down to see what products were used to create this beautiful iridescent look!

Colourpop Goodies (I Should've Posted this in February. . .)

Hi there! Yes, I'm still alive on this 'ere blogosphere! At this point, I think it's pretty obvious that my sliiight obsession with Colourpop isn't going anywhere, at least not anytime soon...

Most of these products were from their Valentine's Day collection (plus their Flexitarian Supershock Highlight, which I purchased in the same order along with the V-Day collection) - as far as the limited edition Valentine's collection, a beautiful mini 6-pan palette of lovely cool toned eyeshadows, and three new shades from their lineup of Supernova Liquid Shadows. So since I bought these products back in February, I think I've had more than enough time to test them out, and I have a better idea of which ones I would recommend! So yesterday when I looked back on the Colourpop online shop for the first time in eons, I realized that, lo and behold, most of these products were still available to purchase on their site! So, naturally, here we are with a blog post and swatches! 😄

Supernova Liquid Shadows

L-R: From the Valley, Prelude, Over Again

     Ahh, my very first foray into the Colourpop Supernova line...so, all in all, I do quite enjoy the look these give once applied, but getting to that place of application is rather tricky. I find that putting the applicator directly onto my eyelids makes for a rather streaky application, and entirely too much applies when I use the applicator to apply them to my lids. Whenever I transfer the liquid shadow straight from the applicator to eyelid, they would dry down, and would instantly add a bunch of crepey texture to my eyelid, and the color would flake off entirely within the next hour. If I tried to blend in any way before they set, so much product was applied, that they would just look even more streaky, so blending afterwards was a no-go, when I used that method. 

     The way I opt to apply these is by simply dispersing some product onto my fingertip from the applicator and applying and blending them out in that way, so I have more control over how much product goes onto my eyelid, y'knows? In fact, that's the only way I've found to apply these so they look nice throughout wear and don't flake off. Beautiful duochromes in this lineup, but I always have to layer them over a colored eyeshadow cream or powder for them to really give that desired wow effect, as they are a bit sheer and much of that huzzah! factor is lost when they're applied to a bare primed lid. So the formula could definitely be tweaked a bit with these...

Colourpop Pretty Much Pigment Palette, $12

Swatches L-R: Ya Bish, It Me, NVM, OTP, Neither Do I, Cool It

     This little pocket-friendly number has a pretty lovely array of some beautiful berry pinks and purple tones, mixed with a couple cooler toned neutrals and a nice dose of a bronze shimmer. However, I find that the pink and bronze shimmers in this palette are a tad bit crumbly, and are quite flaky and dry, and take a little more work than I expected them to, as they need to be packed onto the lid to show up (which, I must say, is quite uncharacteristic and very unusual of Colourpop's quality as far as their pressed shadows go - maybe my palette was a fluke with those two shades, but I was left pretty disappointed, nonetheless), and although the mattes in the palette blend out fantastically and near flawlessly, I find that the only matte that is unique to my Colourpop collection is the matte taupe in this palette in 'NVM'. The other two mattes, 'Neither Do I' and 'Cool It,' are near identical to the mattes in my Fem Rosa palette, so this palette is just a bit repetitive for my needs.

I would wager that if you don't own the Fem Rosa palette, this might be a nice addition if you like the tones. However, if you own that palette already (or have similar tones) then this palette may be a bit superfluous for you, as it was for me.

Penny for your thoughts? I'd love to hear them! Sound off in the comments and tell me: As far as Colourpop palettes, what different color stories/combinations would you like to see released in their pocket sized palettes?

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).

It Goes On and On and On....Colourpop Orders from Holiday Sales #ColourpopHaulage

Well, hello there! Happy new year to ye! 

Since this was the first Christmas I've not been able to spend time with family, a lot of my time lately has been mostly comprised of studying, working, playing violin, visiting art districts and different landmarks, forever finding a professional music instructor, watching entirely too much of Supernatural on Netflix and history documentaries whilst dealing with the flu (twice), and upon getting better, proceeding to eat absolutely too much of Chicago's Pompei Italian (ok, I've only been there twice, but it seems like I've been there more, simply because their portion sizes are massive) check it out next time you're in Chicago! It's an incredible Italian food restaurant based in downtown, and I live not far from it, so...eh, 'tis the season for tons of carbs, deliciousness and empty calories, I guess! They are quite wonderful empty calories, nonetheless 😉). 

Alright, long time, no blog! However, I thought that these last couple of purchases I made from Colourpop's site were substantial enough to be consolidated into a blog post! I know so many of us go entirely too click-happy once we get an email about yet another sale on Colourpop's site...or is it just me? Ah, well, (scratches head)...alrighty then! And there were many things I wanted to try, and both orders I made were during a couple of huge sales they were having. I'm now at the point where I think I've had my Colourpop fill...for now. 😁 Seriously, it's one of the only brands I've been purchasing for color products for a hot minute, as well, I simply enjoy their quality that much!

Some of what the sales included: 30% off certain Super Shock Shadow kits and singles, a new holiday collection of exquisite, deep rich Liquid Matte Lipsticks, more sales on lip products, half off of pressed eyeshadow palettes, single pressed shadows for $2.80...must I go on about my evident lack of self control for this brand?

My first order/hurrah contained all of what you see above. I was able to snag the You Had Me at Hello and All I See Is Magic eyeshadow palettes on sale. The holiday collection matte liquid lippies were something I did pay full price for (I ended up loving all three of them, upon first impressions! I got them in Snowfleek, Cloudscape, and Fragile Things), and pressed shadow singles were on sale for $2.80 a pop. 

As you may tell, some of the pressed shadows I bought remained in their packaging until I could find a place for them (my MAC empty pro palettes hadn't gotten to me just yet when I took these pics). Just to note, those 4 other shades were Snake Eyes, Take it Slow, So Jaded, and a backup of Play by Play.

Super Shock Shadow Kits in 'Dusk 'Till Dawn' & 'Phase Me Out'

Dusk 'Till Dawn Supershock Set - Swatches L-R: Half Light (my personal favorite), Goodish (my least favorite), Slay Bells, Babykins, New Magic, Stargirl

Look...the shine! The bling! Best part? These swatches were done without primer or base! This Dusk 'Till Dawn set definitely became a fast favorite of mine! I've already put to extremely good use the sheer iridescent white with the blue flip, New Magic, as an eyeshadow sparkle-topper for at least three looks I've done. It is nothing short of mesmerizing on the lids. Goodish is a rather faint lavender, and, like New Magic, is meant to be an eyeshadow topper - however, with this shade, I was disappointed that there was little to no base color, the lavender is very faint (faint is a couple notches below what I would call sheer) and the base is a bit of a satin/almost matte finish at that, so it just doesn't give a very strong look when layered over more pigmented shadows, and the glitter is very fine and yields a nice texture, but it's an odd mixture of gold, peach, aqua, and purple sparkle, and it just falls flat, due to the base color not being strong enough in finish or in opacity, and sadly, all that shows up is this odd smattering of multi-colored glitter over a matte faint purple base, and it honestly cheapens my eye look a bit, whenever I use it. Just doesn't give the impact I'm accustomed to seeing with these SSS.

Other than that one Goodish shade being a bit of a flop, all the other shades in this set are absolutely divine, and are dense and saturated enough to be worn on their own! I never experience creasing with any of my SSS, and they last on my eyes all day without fading! There was only one dud in this set, and for that, I'm a happy camper! 

Phase Me Out Supershock Set - Swatches L-R: Itty Bitty, Going Rogue, One by One, Flipper

I bought these 2 Supershock sets when I placed my second order. I believe they were both on sale (my recall tells me that I may have paid full price for the Phase Me Out quad, though, but I am 100% certain that the Dusk 'Till Dawn set was on sale for $21 when I bought it).

Ultra Matte & Ultra Satin Lips

Along with the Supershocks, I also ordered most of the liquid lipsticks during my second Colourpop Holiday Hurrah! Let me say, that since these were all on sale, it was of utmost difficulty for me to restrain myself! So far, I'm happy with every single shade I picked up, and have worn each one at least once. Here are the shades I picked up, listed in order as to how they are pictured above, left to right:

Calypso (Ultra Satin from Up & Away Bundle)

Love Bug (Ultra Matte from Up & Away Bundle)

Mama (Ultra Matte from Up & Away Bundle)

Mess Around (Ultra Satin)

Littlestitious (Ultra Satin)

Little Weapon from Alexis Ren Collection (Ultra Matte)

Bare Necessities from Alexis Ren Collection (Ultra Satin)

Oh, no, honey, this haul is not yet complete! You know I had to pick up a backup of my 💗, the Ultra Matte Lip in Fresh Cut, as my current vial of this shade is about half-way gone, as it is well-loved. 💞 (Cue in mini-review): Fresh Cut was close to being the only lip color I wore for a couple months straight when I first moved to Chicago - the perfect medium pink that stands out on my complexion, and it packs a bit more of a punch, because it's a wee-bit brighter than most mauve pinks we see because it's not really that purple, nor is it neutral, nor is it a cool-toned 'powder pink.' It doesn't lean too blue-based either. So, what is this shade, exactly? Actually, I don't have a pink that's quite like this. It definitely leans towards more of a mid-toned rosy pink on me with just a slight mauve undertone to keep it cool, but it also has a nice tinge of berry in it, and shockingly, I see a hint of warmth in this shade as well! Though I can detect no coral or orange tones in it! It's very strange, and dare I say, a result of sorcery at Colourpop headquarters? 😆 And it's not what I would call an understated color on my skintone, but it's just bright enough to stand out, and the hue is perfect enough to be my perfect everyday color! It's definitely got something special in the shade that makes it a unique shade to my collection. Not a pink shade (or mauve shade, though I wouldn't call it a mauve) that I'm used to seeing! I'm not usually a fan of most mauve shades, either, so you know this one is bringing something different to my life! It brightens up and warms up my complexion (which, again, I've never experienced with a cool-toned color lol) even when I'm not wearing much makeup at all, and I can make the color more natural on my lips when I'm just rocking a bare SPF face, only apply a bit of Fresh Cut Ultra Matte, and throw on some balm over it to give it a nice satin finish, and just.....ugh....beautiful. If they will release a Supershock or pressed powder blush in this exact color, I would be up on that shit sooo quickly lol. I love this that much, and will never be without it! 😁

More swatches to come, and I will be doing reviews as I get a chance to try out these products more! I'm wearing Snake Eyes eyeshadow in the picture below, though you can't see much of the lid space it's occupying. It's quite possibly my favorite of all the pressed shadows I picked up, so you'll definitely be seeing it in another makeup look in the future! Take care, lovelies! Peace & Blessings 

😄 Love, Cailee

Packing Makeup for Long-Term Traveling! Which Products Made the FINAL CUT?

     Salutations, and happy and beautiful Sunday to you all! I have finally gotten to the "settling down" stages of my Chicago move, I wanted to make a roundup post of all the pretties widdled out of my self-perpetuating sea of beauty products to fit into my carryon bag. These products were ultimately selected to come with me to my initial hurrah of my trip, before I could go back to my home city to get the rest of my stuff. I managed to get through two months using just these products! 😁😌 The only casualty of my trip was, indeed, the Sleek eye palette that I was raving about in the video. I hadn't even had it that long...ah well.

                                 

                         View from Merchant Mart! Chicago, IL

Aquatic Navy Sparkle | New Wet 'n' Wild Midnight Mermaid Collection! + YouTube Video + Swatches!

Good morrow! How dost thou?  This is one of the most excited I've ever been for a Wet 'n' Wild collection to hit brick-and-mortar locations! If you want to be a mythological creature (or just err on the side of dressing up like one for the day 🌠😁), Wet 'n' Wild is showing all of you lotsa love with collection upon collection inspired by mythological, fantastic beasts, creatures from land and from the deep blue! First was unicorns, and now...mermaids! 

If you can think of a character like, say Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd as a mermaid, she would definitely wear colors like these. So, steampunk inspired jewel tones, with a whimsically aquatic air of mystery, is my view of this collection in a conch shell! 😉

🔍If you would like to know what I used to get this Aquatic Navy Sparkle look, please watch the video and check out the description bar for all products used! A tutorial is coming soon!

⚓⚓ Wet 'n' Wild Haul + First Impressions Video! ⚓⚓

🔎 ⇨ Watch on YouTube ⇦ 🔍

My Choosings from Wet 'n' Wild's New Fall Collections!

Behold . . . Swatches! ✨

Wet 'n' Wild Catsuit Matte Metallic Liquid Lips in 'Sea Seduction' and 'Coral Crown'

Wet 'n' Wild Metallic Liquid Eyeshadow in 'Aquatic Prism' and 'Moonlight Majesty'

Wet 'n' Wild Limited Edition Fantasy Makers Palette in 'Neutrals'

Wet 'n' Wild Limited Edition Fantasy Makers Palette in 'Metallics'

Note: These Wet 'n' Wild Paint Palettes are labeled as ❌unsafe for use around the immediate eye area.❌Yes, that doth suck tremendously for those of us with sensitive eyes, but there are many more awesome ways these can be used as cream bases for other face powders and pigments for costume/Halloween/Cosplay makeup! Wet 'n' Wild is giving us the chance to channel our creativity and form something we may not have previously thought possible! Just use your imagination!

What are you planning on getting your hands on in these new Wet 'n' Wild collections? Stay tuned for a tutorial of this aquatic navy look! Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

✨Love , - Cailee

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! 

Rimmel 'Midnight' Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick | Reviewed & Swatched!

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lip Color in 'Midnight'

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Midnight,' swatched

Hiya everyone!  Obviously we are fast approaching the conclusion of August, and this has been a month of much lip color experimentation for me, and now that the leaves are about to change, the mild change in temperature is indicative that those crisp days are on the horizon, bringing with them the annual bearings that associate themselves with seemingly almost every blogger's favorite season. 😃 Many like myself, have an insatiable interest for deep, vampy colors, regardless of season or Sun's relative position to Earth in any given time of day. If the mood strikes, I wear whatever I please, so I figured I would test out a deep plum color that was introduced in this insanely affordable new liquid lipstick formula that Rimmel launched not too terribly long ago: behold, their Stay Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Midnight'.

🔍 Read onto the review 🔍 to see if I would recommend the Rimmel Stay Matte formula to anyone, or if it's a hard pass! You be the judge! 

2 Beloved (and Underrated!) Beauty Items that were No Small Feat to Finish | Empties

     Salve! Sorry, I'm a beginner at Latin, and know very few other greetings. 😅 So, sometimes beauty items cross our paths that we immediately develop an undying love for, and we either deliberately savor these items with the full intent of not using them up more quickly than products we just merely have a liking for, and sometimes these beloved products themselves have characteristics that actually make them rather difficult to finish up, even though we do love using them. The items displayed above are two items that exemplify the latter reasoning for me: one, an Oscar de la Renta eau de parfum, the other a salmon-toned correcting concealer from the wonderful Korean brand, Skinfood.

Glossy Summer Lip Combo: Iridescent Watermelon!

'Tis a beautiful day, and you all know why! 😊 Happy Mother's Day! 

Today's blog post will be featuring a bright (yet sheer!) summer lip combo that I've been wearing quite a lot of lately! It's an interesting combo of a punchy creamy watermelon with a flash of peach and violet iridescence! Revlon Lip Butters....oh, how I miss ye.

Spring Forward: A Small Haul + Some First Impressions!

     Spring is now officially upon us, it seems! Rain is aplenty, but those cloudy days haven't been overriding the days with sunshine, thankfully! Over the course of the past couple of months, yours truly has been scavenging Ulta drugstore sections and various other places for some spring beauty pick-me-ups (or, ahem, I guess cheap thrills is more like it). Bright vivid eyeliners, a poppy red lipstick (or two!), along with some neutral matte lipsticks, and some nice sweet-smelling balmy lip treats are the results of my attempt to change my makeup game a bit this season with some colors that may (or may not!) veer a little outside of my comfort zone! I've had the chance to try some of these items out as well, so you bet that some of these will include first impressions! Let's begin!

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!

Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs Neutrals Palette | Look No. 1: Warm & Glowy Pink

wearing Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette

     It's almost Friday! Every now and then we discover a makeup product that sends us into the horizon with wings, jumping up and down for joy and exclaiming to everyone, 'I've found it! It's here! The perfect tones to forever grace my crepey eyelids!' 

     Well, we may not do that in real life....but we certainly do tell everyone we can when cruising about online, yes? 😀 This palette became an addition to my collection last Christmas, and I'm ashamed to admit that I used it a mere two times, and then, for no reason other than the fact that I just wasn't wearing much makeup during that time, the palette sat in the back of my makeup drawer, untouched for a month or so. Roll in February, whence I dug it out and fell in love all over again.

Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette