2013 Favorites: Foundations

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I promise I'm almost done with my 2013 favorites! There are just so many products to talk about! 

Today, I want to discuss my favorite face products: primers, foundations, and concealers. Base makeup is really important to me because I have shitty skin, and the products I picked for this post are products that I have enjoyed using to cover my imperfections. Keep reading for more information~!

Foundations,Powders, and Concealers I Currently Own

Greetings from the Dark Side :)

I hope you have all been well.

I noticed that my stash of foundations has been growing in the past year, and I really dislike having so many foundations. I don't want them to go bad before I get a chance to use them and develop a solid opinion about them. I made it my mission to use these foundations and recall how I felt about them so I can give you a mini review of each product :D I hope this is helpful!

*FYI I have combination skin that is oily around my nose and forehead and super dry along my jaw and chin. I have acne-prone skin that also has a tendency to flake.

Dupe Alert: Revlon Photoready 'Muse' Palette (Evening Opulence Collection)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I mentioned in THIS tutorial that when I saw the new Revlon Evening Opulence collection, I immediately recongnized the colors from the Photoready eyeshadow palette in 'Muse'. It is identical to the YSL Ombres 5 Lumieres palette #11 Midnight Garden from the the Fall 2011 collection. I wanted to see if this Revlon palette was a close dupe to the YSL one, so I swatched the colors side by side to compare the two!

Review: YSL Faux Cils Mascara

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Today, I am going to review a highly raved mascara that I've been using for the past two months. This is the YSL Faux Cils mascara, a pretty tube with a hefty price tag of $30. This was given to me as a present for Christmas and I was delighted to finally have the chance to try this out. I personally have always prefered drugstore mascaras because they are cheaper, but it was nice to try out a high end one for a change, especially one that has such amazing reviews. Will the YSL Faux Cils blow me away? Or will drugstore mascaras win me over once more? Keep reading for a full review~

March Hits and Misses

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I haven't posted any of my monthly favorites in a while, but I actually had a lot of favorites this past month. I've tried a lot of products recently, but the products below have been real standouts for me. I also have three complete misses! Keep reading if you want to know about the HITS and the MISSES.

                                                    HITS                                               

1. Hard Candy "CC" Correction Cream (Fair)
I already posted a First Impression post for this product, but I just want to just say how awesome this stuff is. I really wish Hard Candy had a better color selection because I know that the shade range has been a huge problem for most people. However, the actual product is marvelous. It is a decently pigmented, natural-looking "foundation" that is perfect for everyday wear. It looks so natural that it is like a second skin. I have been alternating this with my Lioele Super Gold Snail BB cream. I usually use the CC cream for school or days when I want a very light makeup look.

2. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (NC20)
Because the Hard Candy CC cream is very lightweight, sometimes a need a little more coverage for any stubborn scars or pimples. I love this stuff because it is really pigmented and it stays on all day. It is by far the best concealer I have used to date.

3.Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser (Neutralizer)
I've had this concealer for a while, and as you can see I have already used up more than half. I don't have particularly bad dark circles, but I like my undereye area to look bright (especially on the days I don't get much sleep). This stuff is really amazing; it conceals and brightens. I suggest you get the Neutralizer shade. It is the best one, IMO.

EOTD: YSL Midnight Garden

Greetings from the Dark Side!~ 

Just a super quick look of the day using Chanel and YSL eyeshadows :) This look was hardly worth a post but since my weekly challenge included posting a look with high end products, I thought I might as well post something xD

                                                                    Products Used                                                                      

-Chanel Illusion D'ombre eyeshadow in 'Vision' (base)

-YSL Ombres 5 Lumieres Palette in #11 'Midnight Garden' 

(dark teal, dark purple, light purple, mint green eyeshadows)

-Rimmel SandalEyes Kajal pencil in 'Sparkling Black'

-Maybelline Mega Plush mascara

Foundations I Currently Use and Own

Greetings from the Dark Side~!

As a beauty blogger, I am always looking for the next new amazing product. Sometimes I get really carried away and forget about my older products. But I am trying to stop buying new products and to use what I currently own. So before I use up the current foundations I own, I want to show you and do mini reviews for my the foundations I have in my makeup collection. What I own ranges from drugstore to high end, so I am sure you can find something that you might be interested in!

*From the swatches, all the colors differ slightly. But they blend in very well into my skin tone. The shade that fits my skin tone the best is the Revlon ColorStay in 'Buff'.

BB Creams

BB creams have become the focus to western brands in the last few months, but nothing compares to Asian BB creams. I always have at least one BB cream in my collection because they are a fantastic alternative to foundations.

Tutorial: Autumn Desires

Hii :D

I showed a picture of this makeup a while ago on my FB page, and I am finally getting around to posting it. I wore this to my friend's engagement party (which was so much fun!). If you can't tell, I cannot wait until autumn! It is my favorite season, so I decided to do a more autumn-y look. This is a burgundy eye with a very awesome lip color, NARS 'Autumn Leaves' Lipstick!

July Favorites 2012

Hello~! How are you all doing? I am sooooo happy it's August! I dislike the heat and I love autumn! But since July is already over, it is time to share my favorites for the month.

1. YSL Teint Resist Foundation #3 
I love this foundation! It is really amazing for the summer since it is both very lightweight and semi-matte. I have used it a lot since it has been freaking hot outside. It is super long wearing and it lasts all day. I heard this foundation has been discontinued T_T I am so sad!

2. Illamasqua 'Hollow' Cream Pigment
This is an amazing contour shade for pale skin people. It is cool-toned and it does not show up orange. It is actually very natural looking!

3. Prestige My Biggest Lashes
 This is my favorite mascara  at the moment, and it is really awesome~

 4.Fyrinnae 'Gilded Wings'
 One of my big obsessions is gold eyeshadow. This eyeshadow by Fyrinnae is freaking beautiful. It is very pigmented, it has a foiled look, and it is really stunning on the eyes.

5. Unbound Eden Cosmetics 'Frost Salts' and 'Cherry Frosting'
I recently purchased these eyeshadows and I LOVE them. I have used both of these shades a lot this past month. Frost Salts is a beautiful blue and Cherry Frosting is a very unique pink in my collection. They are very pigmented, smooth, and easy blendable.

6. Tokidoki Skeletrina Lip Balm Stain
I love this lip stain! It is so fun and bright, and it stays put on my lips for hours! I adore it! It is glossy and yet it is also a stain.


7. Jordana 'Lily Rose' Matte Lipstick
This is a beautiful purple-pink with a matte finish. Jordana lipsticks are really inexpensive but they are really great quality.


8.NYX 'Dolly Pink' Lip Pencil
I don't use lip pencils often but these are really great.  They are inexpensive and they do the job. Dolly Pink is a nice light pink; the perfect pretty pink for pink and purple-pink lipsticks.

9. Ardell Lashes
I've really been enjoying these lashes this month. They look beautiful and they are really easy to apply.

These were pretty much the products I used in the month of July. Have you tried any of these? What were your favorites?

FOTD: Fairy Magic

Hi darlings! ♥

I have an extra special look for you all today! This was actually a look a came up with last week, but I haven't been able to post it! I really love this look! It is bright and fun and very summer appropriate~ I used all Unbound Eden Cosmetics and Sugarpill :) Enjoy~

Products Used

EYES

-Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

-UEC 'Moon Sugar' Eyeshadow (lid)

-UEC 'Cherry Frosting' Eyeshadow (crease)

-Sugarpill Burning Heart Palette:

         'Poison Plum' (lower lash line and outer v) and 'Buttercupcake' (inner corner)

-Sugarpill 'Tako' Eyeshadow (brown bone)

-Dolly Wink liquid eyeliner

-Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara

-Ardell 'Wispies' Lashes

FACE & LIPS

-YSL Teint Resist Foundation in shade #3 

-Estee Lauder 'Modern Mercury' Highlighter

-UEC 'Fairy Folk' Lipstick

 Fairy Magic Look 

Since the eyes are colorful, I decided not to use any blush. I don't want to look like a complete circus clown!

Tell me what you think!

And as always, thank you for reading ♥

Lime Crime FOTD: Sea Nymph

Hi darlings~!

I am on a roll! I have another look using the Lime Crime Aquatænia Palette. My first look was much more outlandish, and I think this one is more wearable. It is bright and fun, definitely not meant for the office, but I love how it came out. This is perfect for a night or day out, and just whatever you want really. I wore this to school and it I received a lot of compliments ^_^

Products Used

 Eyes

-Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper

-Lime Crime Aquatænia Palette (Seahorse Discourse, Nautilus Prime, Atlanteal)

-Lime Crime Magic Dust Eyeshadow "Medusa" and "Nymph" 

(use code MAGIC40 for 40% off these loose shadows since they are going to be discontinued)

- Lime Crime Uniliner 'Citreuse'

-Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara

-Wet n wild white pencil eyeliner

Face & Lips

-YSL Teint Resist Foundation #3

-Illasmqua 'Sin' Blush

-Lime Crime 'Airborne Unicorn' Lipstick

 Sea Nymph

-Seahorse Discourse on the lid

-Nautilus Prime on the crease and lower lash line

-Alanteal over Nautilus Prime and on the inner corner

-Medusa on the outer V

-Nymph on the brow bone

Do you guys like the look? I also hope you are enjoying the fact that I actually have full faced shots with better quality now!

Dark Side Tips: Concert Makeup

Are you a concert fiend like me? Are you afraid that your makeup will melt off while moshing? Or are you simply confused about what makeup to wear to a concert? Don't fear, the Dark Side of Beauty is here! Although my tips are going to focus on rock/metal type of concerts, these tips could be applied to all sorts of concerts.

1. Avoid the cake face / overdone foundation. 
This is a huge no-no, and I can say this by personal experience. Go light with your foundation or apply a lightweight and sweat-proof foundation. If you can, avoid applying foundation at all. Maybe stick with a long lasting concealer instead.
Why is this? Well because you will sweat and your foundation will look patchy and gross. If you are in a crowded area, with other pushed up so close against you that their sweat will get on you, you beat that your face will start to sweat and the foundation will just melt off. So keep it simple; apply something that will be easy to touch up. Concealer and a light but long lasting foundation will be better than a high coverage, mask-like foundation.

YSL Teint Resist Foundation / MAC Studio Finish Concealer  /  Everyday Minerals Kabuki brush

The Lipstick Compendium: YSL Rouge Volupte Perle #112 'Spellbinding Violet'

Hii ♥

I thought I would get right into reviewing the stuff from my last haul. This is the third YSL Rouge Volupte I have purchased, and the second one I own. The last one I had purchased was #108 Celestial Mauve, and although I had loved the color, it just did not work for me. It was patchy and gross on my lips. This one, though, has proved to be better.

 
Price and Availabilty

$34. I purchased this at my local Nordstrom, but you can find it where ever YSL in sold.

Spellbinding Violet is a dark plum with gold and violet shimmer. It is very creamy and glossy. It can be applied sheer or built up for an intense violet color. Overall I have not found this color to be drying on my lips, although if I have some dry areas this will emphasize them a little. I like that this can be worn without a lip liner, but at the same time I feel that this can slide around a bit on my lips so perhaps wearing a lip liner would be a good idea. 

Collective Haul: MAC, YSL, Shimmer Twins, Too Faced, and More

Hey guys! I haven't done a haul in a while. I got caught up in swatches and eye looks! Here is some of the things I bought in the last two months. I won't really have swatches (except for the MAC stuff because it is LE) but be sure that I will have separate reviews/swatches.

1. MAC 'Heroine' lipstick (MAC Reel Sexy collection)
Because I totally need another purple lipstick! But no, I love this shade. This is what I wanted 'Up the Amp' to be. It is a grape-purple! So pretty ♥

EOTD: From Day to Evening Teals

I often encounter people who are afraid to use bright colors, especially for day time wear. It is totally fine to stay with neutral colors, but if you are one of those people who wants to experiment with brighter colors, here are some tips on using bold colors.

DAY
For a more conservative day time look while still using a bright color, I would advise you to simply do a colored liner look. Chose one bold color and  line your upper lash line. You can also line your lower lash line with a different color, but that is optional. This is very wearable because the color will be subtle enough to be worn during the day.Something you an add to any eyeshadow looks to make it more wearable, is to add a light matte brown to the crease. This helps to balance out any bright colors.
Here is what I did, mind you I had this on all day and now it looks kind of bad.

I used MAC Siahi Fluidline on the upper lash line, a matte brown on the crease, and Urban Decay Ransom 24/7 liner on the lower lash line.

NIGHT
The easiest way to take your day time look to a night time look is to chose one eyeshadow that matches the color of the liner, and simply apply it on the entire lid. If you applied a second color on the lower lash line, intesify it with another similar-colored eyeshadow.

 I used a dark teal, sparkly mint, and dark purple from my YSL Midnight Garden Palette.

Of course you can use any colors you wish or you can also just switch you lip colors to do a day to evening change. This is really easy because you can make a simple night time look with one or two eyeshadows. Hope you enjoyed :) I will try to do another, more complicated day to evening look sometime int he future :D

EOTD: Under the Sea

With this post, I will be done with all my Fyrinnae Halloween 2011 looks! Woot! I have enjoyed using all the colors so much!! And I will be using them more in future looks as well. But these posts were specifically designed to showcase all the shades so you can see how they look like in action. The last shade I will be using is 'Wake Not the Dead', which is a glittery purple. Go to my review for this collection if you haven't seen that yet ^_^ I used this shade in conjunction with my YSL Midnight Garden palette, and it ended up looking like some fun aquatic, Little Mermaid inspired look, IMO. This was super nostalgic because The Litther Mermaid was one of my favorite Disney movies when I was young, along with Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty. Anyways, here is my Under the Sea Look~

 

Sephora F&F Haul + YSL Fails

Hello again!~
I wanted to quickly show you what I purchased from the Sephora Friends and Family sale. I was surprised that I only purchased two things, but I was very proud that I didn't buy any more stuff. I also wanted to share with you some of my recent YSL regrets. I purchased  two products which I returned because I disliked them.

From the Sephora F&F sale I purchased:

-Tokidoki Pittura Brush Set: 24K Edition ($42)

 

EOTD: Midnight Faerie

*Check out my Blog Sale

There is something very alluring about the night. Whether it is because of the darkness or the mystery of what prowls at twilight, it is something that humans have associated with a time of magic and mischief. When I think of fairies, I usually imagine them in a wooded area, surrounded by flowers, under a bright moon. This look was inspired by this image. It is fun, mischievous, and has a touch of that faerie pixie-dust glamour.
This look, and the inspiration, ties in so well with the YSL Midnight Garden palette! And that is what I used, exclusively. Also, I have seen a lot of Fairy Halloween makeup tutorials, and I couldn't get the idea of fairy makeup out of my mind!

EOTD: Midnight Garden

Hii Dark Siders!

Here is one of the looks I promised you using the YSL Midnight Garden Palette. I will most likely have one or two more looks with this palette, so look out for that!
This is a darker, more smokey look. I blended the dark teal and darker plum color on the crease and above the crease for a dark, seductress look. If you want to keep this look more casual, simply don't add the dark teal and don't apply shadows above the crease.

YSL Midnight Garden Ombres 5 Lumieres

About two or three weeks ago I went to Nordstrom to buy a present for one of my friends, and I ended up looking around at the makeup counters. I passed by the YSL counter with no intention of buying anything. That is, until something sparkly and beautiful caught my eye: the YSL Midnight Garden collection!

The first thing that I noticed was the Ombres 5 Lumieres palette. I am not a huge fan of YSL palettes, and I have never been tempted to buy one before. But when I saw the palette for the Midnight Garden collection, I instantly fell in love <3 The palette I am talking about is the #11 in Midnight Garden and it is the named after the collection. I was so love-blinded that I purchased it without a second thought. Once I had it for a couple of days, I hesitated slightly because it was VERY expensive. Thus I wanted to conduct a thorough examination of this palette in order to determine whether I should keep it or not.