Top 10 Looks of 2013

Happy New Year's Eve! 

2013 has been a fantastic year. I have seen my makeup skills improve significantly and I have created a few looks that I am very proud of. I thank you for the feedback, support, and inspiration that you all have given me. I couldn't have made any of these looks without this makeup community! These are not really in order, but these are my top 10 favorite looks for this year! I also included the New Year's makeup look I posted yesterday.

1. Disney Sleeping Beauty - Maleficent

New Years Tutorial: Midnight Mermaid

Greetings from the Dark Side

And a Happy New Year!

I wanted to share my New Year's look a day early just in case some one of you are looking for some inspiration. I might seem like a bandwagoner because I added glitter to this look, but I just love glitter for my New Year's Eve looks! I hope you guys like this look as much as I do! And if this look isn't your style, you can check out my Elsa inspired look which would also be perfect for New Year's Eve!

Oh and before I forget, I want to thank you all for sticking with me this year! I am truly grateful ♥

Haul: Maybelline, Rimmel, Wet n Wild, Kiss

Hello everyone!

I went to Rite Aid and Walgreens today and I found a few items that actually really interested me. I believe that these are all new products for 2014! How exciting! I will be posting more in depth posts about each product along with swatches and a short first impression. Keep and eye out for that :)

1. Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser ($6.99)

I've heard so many great things about this product and I was so excited to finally see it at my Walgreens. I really wanted this to use it on my nose area since I have very visible pores there and hopefully this will help with that!

Harry Potter Series: Luna Lovegood

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Harry Potter fans, don't you just love Looney Luna Lovegood? She is one of my favorite characters in the series because she is just so freaking weird! Someone asked me to do a Luna inspired look and I came up with a look inspired by her Dirigible plum earrings (that also look like radishes)! This also doubled as my Christmas look xD

Review: Brija Cosmetics 'Rachel' Lip Tint

Greetings from the Dark Side :)

Today I have another indie product to share with you. This is the Brija Cosmetics Lip Tint in the shade 'Rachel'. I don't own many indie lip products so it is extra important for me to share them all the ones I do have!

Review: L'oreal Lash Out Butterfly Mascara

Greetings from the Dark Side :)

And Happy Holidays to you all!

Review: L'oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Are you all ready to start seeing some of the new 2014 collections? I am starting out with the new L'oreal line of lip products, the Colour Riche Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks.

Skin Care DIY: Oatmeal Cleanser

Greetings from the Dark Side ♥

Oatmeal not only makes a hearty breakfast, but it also makes the an amazing DIY acne-fighting cleanser! I was previously using the Honey and Cinnamon mask to help with my acne, but I wanted to try something new. I was on the MakeupAlley product review section and I saw the reviews for oatmeal as a beauty product. There are so many positive reviews, especially from people who have acne. It seems that oatmeal is amazing to help acne because it is anti-inflammatory and it  helps to smooth and exfoliate the skin. It will also help to gently unclog pores while still being moisturizing on the skin. 

Not my image.

The Hobbit Series: Fifteen Birds in Five Fir Trees

Hello everyone! I have another look using the Shiro Cosmetics There and Back Again collection inspired by The Hobbit! I've sort of been obsessed with green eyeshadow lately so I just had to use green tones for this look! I hope you like it :D 

"Fifteen birds in five fir-trees

their feathers were fanned in a fiery breeze!

But, funny little birds, they had no wings!

O what shall we do with the funny little things?
Roast 'em alive, or stew them in a pot;

fry them, boil them and eat them hot?" (The Hobbit).

Review: Image Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Ever since I was in high school, I have used the same cleanser for my combination acne-prone skin. I used the Artistry Hydrating Cleanser, which I still absolutely love. But I felt it was time to move on and find something that would help a bit more with my acne and that would help my skin balance out. In October, I went to a spa and had a facial. The aesthetician recommended this organic cleanser for my troubled skin so I decided to give it a try. I started using it right away and I have been using it since. When trying out a skin care product, you should always give it at least a month before giving up on it. I have used it for about two months now, so I think I can give you all a clear and non-biased review of the Image Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser.

FOTD: Posion Ivy

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Yesterday, I made the rash decision of dying the ends of my hair an orange-red shade! I swear, I am so indecisive with my hair...
And since yesterday I have worn green eyeshadow and red lipstick. It all struck me to be Poison Ivy-esque so I just had to share the look! Let me know what you think :)

                                                                      Products Used                                                                    

-Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper

-L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow 'Golden Emerald'

-Prestige Total Intensity black pencil eyeliner

-L'oreal Butterfly Effect mascara

-Lioele Super Gold Snail BB Cream

-Maybelline 'Golden Fuse' Baked Blush

-Wet n Wild Fergie 'Saraghina' Lipstick (just a dab)

The Hobbit Series: The Desolation of Smaug

"Revenge! The King under the Mountain is dead and where are his kin that dare seek revenge? Girion Lord of Dale is dead, and I have eaten his people like wolf among sheep. And where are his sons' sons that dare approach me? I kill where I wish and none dare resist" (Smaug, The Hobbit).

Not my image. From Google Images.

Just a few hours remain before I head out to the midnight premiere of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug! I am so excited to see this movie so I dedicated today's makeup to the great dragon Smaug, the Chiefest of Calamities. Smaug is described as a "a vast red-golden dragon" (The Hobbit) so I wanted my makeup to reflect his coloring. I also chose some lashes that had gold and silver glitter to represent Smaug's hoarded treasure. And I used eyeshadows from The Hobbit inspired Shiro Cosmetics collection called There and Back Again  to make this a truly inspired look! 

^_^ I hope you like it!

The Hobbit Series: An Unexpected Party

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Oh my, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is out in theaters next week and I am so excited to go see it! If you did not know I am a HUGE Tolkien fan. I watched the The Lord of the Rings trilogy in theaters when I was in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. In 7th grade, I finally read The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion (albeit with some difficulty, Tolkien in not the easiest to read). I have read and re-read most of Tolkien's work throughout most of my teenage and adult life; The Hobbit is still one of my favorite things to read during the winter while I'm wrapped up in a warm blanket. Although I am a die-hard fan of Tolkien novels, stories, and poems, I still love to watch Peter Jackson's interpretations of Tolkien's works. They are not true to the books, however they are still fun to watch. I see the movies as completely separate entities and I try my best not too compare them too much. That being said, I am very thrilled to see the new installment of The Hobbit! I am particularly excited to finally see Thranduil, who is being played by Lee Pace. Holy moly, that guy makes the sexiest elf ever! 

Anyway...here is my Hobbit inspired look using two shades from the Shiro Cosmetics There and Back Again collection. I tried to keep this very Hobbit-like by using brown and green (those colors remind me of The Shire), and I think the two colors go well together since the brown actually has small green shimmer (which my camera did not capture...what a shame). And I absolutely had to use my LotR inspired products from Pumpkin & Poppy in this look too!

For a pictorial and product list, keep reading...

Review: Pond's Luminous Clean Wet Cleansing Towelettes

Greetings from the Dark Side!

For most of 2013, I was using the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes to remove my foundation every night. A few months ago, though, that changed when I saw these Pond's makeup removing wipes on sale (BOGO Free). I thought I had nothing to lose from trying out a new brand of makeup removing wipes so I ended up purchasing two packs. Now that I finished both packs, I want to finally give you a proper review. If you have used these before, let me know what you think of these in the comments section.

Top 5: Indie Eyeshadows

Greetings from the Dark Side ♥

Hope you are all healthy and happy :)

I haven't posted a "Top 5" post in a while, so I thought I could do a "Top 5" for my favorite indie eyeshadows. Now, I have loads and loads of indie eyeshadows; I am not even joking. I own more than half of the Fyrinnae and Shiro Cosmetics eyeshadows, almost all of the VDC eyeshadows, and bits and pieces from other brands. So as you can imagine picking only 5 is really crazy and insanely difficult for me. But I will do my best and give you a rough idea of the 5 eyeshadows I use often and love most. And remember that this list changes often because I try out new indie eyeshadows on a monthly basis.

Affordable Holiday Makeup (Ft. Wet n Wild)

Holiday greetings from the Dark Side!

Do you want a glamorous holiday makeup look without breaking your budget? Well, don't fret because I have a super easy and affordable holiday makeup look for you today. Obviously, you can wear whatever makeup you want for holiday parties/dinners, but if you want to get a red lip/neutral eye look that is great for all your holiday outtings, then keep on reading :D

Review: Dreamworld Hermetica 'Pixie Gold' Lip Gloss

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I have another indie product to share with you all! I don't own a lot of indie lip glosses because I tend to gravitate towards indie eyeshadows. Since glosses are rare for me, I want to make sure to share with you all the ones I have tried. This one is from the brand Dreamworld Hermetica and it is called ' Magic Wand Lip Gloss. The shade I this in is 'Pixie Gold'.

Revlon Parfumerie 'Autumn Spice'

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Today is the first of December, and Christmas season is officially underway! I am still trying to hold onto a bit of fall though so I choose to wear this fall-tastic nail polish! Revlon's 'Autumn Spice' from the Parfumerie line is not just a gorgeous color, but it also has a lovely scent! 

Autumn Spice is a blackened brown base with orange, red, and golden shimmer. It is a very warm-toned and vibrant shade! The shimmers reflect light and make it look like it there's glowing embers on your nails. You will only need 1-2 coats for full opacity too~ The scent is very reminiscent of sweet pumpkin pie. It is definitely more like a sweet pumpkin spice; I was actually expecting a very spicy cinnamon scent. The smell is only present for about 1-2 days and it is not overwhelming at all. You will only be able to smell it if you have your nails quite close to your nose.

This is the first polish I have tried from this Revlon line. I think the bottles are super cute and some of the colors look really nice! This was the color that caught my attention the most so I decided to start with this one. I am quite impressed with it so I might try some of the other shades if I have money to spare. 

Have you tried any polishes from this Revlon line? If you have, what did you think of them?

Review: Brija Cosmetics Sherlock Collection

Greetings from the Dark Side!

You should all be used to seeing indie brands on my blog by now, and you should all know how much I love indie brands over drugstore/department store makeup brands. Indie brands are usually vegan/cruelty free  which is great for all of you who are vegan and/or prefer to buy cruelty-free makeup. They are also more creative with the inspirations for their makeup collections, which is the main reason why I just love indie makeup!

Brija Cosmetics is a relatively new brand to me, although I was already familiar with the owner. Brianna, the owner, makes Youtube videos as iluvjesse444 which I had watched prior to hearing about her makeup company. It is really interesting to see the owner of a makeup company make videos about other indie makeup! Anyway, I digress. Brinna gave me the opportunity to try some of her products some time ago and I've been using the products since then. The first set of products I tried was the Sherlock collection. I am pretty sure this was inspired by the BBC show called Sherlock, I mean look at the two photos below! The Sherlock and Watson from the labels have the same exact hair as the actors. The proof is in the hair my friends xD

iluvjesse44as

iluvjesse444

iluvjesse444

Disney Series: Elsa (Frozen)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Disney's Frozen is about to be released so here is my insanely late Elsa inspired makeup! Out of the two main female roles from this film, Elsa is by far my favorite. She isn't a villain, but not quite the "good guy" of this film either. I like the idea of having a Disney character with an uncontrollable power, it is quite reminiscent of many anime characters I have encountered. Also, her snowflake-themed dress is insanely cute! I will have to watch the film and see how I feel about Elsa then! 

FOTD: Satisfied Grin (Ft. Brija Cosmetics)

Greetings from the Dark Side~

I have been a terrible blogger lately D: I'm so sorry about that.  I have been either too busy or too lazy to blog much, but I'm trying to change that! Well, I have to start somewhere so how about today's makeup look? I've been quite lazy with what I wear lately so I'm sticking to simple and easy ways to do my makeup. I've especially been loving purples, reds, and burgundies so that is what inspired my makeup today. I used a few items that were sent to me from Brija Cosmetics too :D

This is literally the most easiest makeup ever. I blended out one purple/burgundy eyeshadow on my lid and lower lash line. I threw on some mascara and BAM! Eye look completed!
I conditioned my lips with the Brija Comsetics Lip Juice in 'Satisfied Grin', a sheer purple shade. This looks great on its own, but it also works as an awesome moisturizing base to a darker color. I added this dark lip color from NYC to make a slightly more gothic look. I didn't even use any lip liner (which maybe I should have).

Mercenary Katarina (LoL) Cosplay Part 4: Pauldron

Greetings from the Dark Side!

If you are new to my Mercenary Katarina Cosplay series check out the other posts first:

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Breastplate

Part 3: Arm Bracers

Katarina Smokey Eye

Hey guys! If you read my first three posts of this series you might have realized that I never finished posting my Work In Progress for this costume. This is because I rushed to finish this costume and I overlooked a lot of things. I was not 100% happy with the result and I have been meaning to fix the costume. I am not planning on attending any anime conventions any time soon, so I have been procrastinating. I though that writing these posts would help me to get my costume finished.

Disney Series: Anna (Frozen)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Who's excited to see the new Disney movie Frozen? I am very excited because I am loving the character of Elsa so far. Anna is the main protagonist and the sort of determined and daring one of the two sisters, whoever she looks a whole lot like Rapunzel (as many other people have pointed out). I was not very inspired by Anna's look so I had to work extra hard to come up with something. I wanted to use the colors of her outfit while still trying to make the eyeshadows look girly. So here is my attempt at a Anna inspired look! 

Rescue Beauty Lounge 'Fire Queen'

Greetings from the Dark Side!

You should all know by now that I have a huge obsession with Rescue Beauty Lounge nail polishes. I own a lot of them, many of which were gifted to me by my dad. The most recent collection is the Fan 2.0 Collection, a collection of polishes inspired by Rescue Beauty Lounge fans. I purchased most of the collection as a birthday present to myself, it was the only way I could justify the purchase xD. The first of the polishes I am trying out is the shade called 'Fire Queen', inspired by the so-called jadeite glass.

Fire Queen is a pale, jelly jade. One coat is very sheer, but the color builds up very nicely; I used three coats to achieve a good opacity. The result is a very muted and delicate jade color. I am loving this so very much! I have so many pale greens/mints, but there is something so sophisticated about this color. I can't really pinpoint what it is about this that sets it apart from other mints I own. I think it might be the fact that it is a jelly formula and that it is pale and vivid at the same time. It is a very pricey nail polish, but it splashes all my other pale greens out of the water!

More RBL swatches coming soon ^_~

November Series Challenge: Disney's Frozen

*Every person can do one look per week based on that week's inspiration. Example, you can turn in a Anna inspired look anytime from 11/11-11/16. Of course you can always create the looks before that and just send the look to me during that week.

*Share your weekly look  by the end of each week on my Facebook Page, my Twitter, and/or by email (yamireviews@gmail.com). You can do eye makeup, full-face makeup, or nails!

                                                                 Inspiration Pictures                                                                

*These are not my photos. You can use the photos I will be using for inspiration or you can use a different photo of the same character if you wish.

Week 1: Anna

Week 2:Elsa

                                                                   Contest Giveaway Prize                                                       

At the end of the month, all of you who have participated in the challenge will have a chance to win this: a $20-40 electronic gift card to any store of your choice!

*Share your looks  by the end of each week on my Facebook Page, my Twitter, and/or by email (yamireviews@gmail.com). You can do eye makeup, full-face makeup, or nails!

Let's celebrate another Disney classic!

FOTD: Bold Lips at the Workplace

Greetings from the Dark Side ^_^

Here's another workplace FOTD (hint: I've been working a lot lately!). Most jobs require you to have very conservative attire and makeup, but I noticed that many women in my workplace tend to wear very bold lip colors. However, if they do wear bold lip colors, they will always wear very muted eye makeup. I have worn bold lip colors like this in the past: very bold lips and very subtle eyes/cheeks. I decided to try this at work today and it worked very well, particularly because I wear glasses at work. I used Wet n Wild Fergie 'Ferguson Crest Cabernet' lipstick with only mascara on my eyes.

                                                                         Products Used                                                                 

-Wet n Wild MegaPlump mascara

-DreamWorld Hermetica Foundation 'Tiamet III C' Mineral Foundation

-Wet n Wild MegaGlow 'Catwalk Pink'

-Wet n Wild Fergie 'Ferguson Crest Cabernet' lipstick

For all of you who have conservative jobs, would you wear this to work? Or is it too much? On another note, this Wet n Wild shade is perfect for Fall/Winter!

FOTD: Wearable Purples (Ft. Brija Cosmetics)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Today I have a very wearable look using some purple Sherlock inspired colors from Brija Cosmetics. I recently got a new job and I have to wear very conservative makeup, and I'm looking for ways to make bright colors be wearable. Purple shades can be very dramatic, but you can also wear them and have them be extremely wearable. I used all three products from the Brija Comsetics Sherlock collection.

Roundup and Giveaway Winner: October Series Challenge

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I want to thank those of you participated in the October Series Challenge~ And a HUGE thank you to all of you who have left lovely comments on my weekly looks! Well here is this month's roundup~ Enjoy :D

Disney Villains Series: Dr. Facilier (The Princess and the Frog)

Greetings from the Dark Side~

"You can blame my friends on the other side"

I love the movie The Princess and the Frog, and I love Dr. Ficilier's song "Friend on the Other Side" even more. So I decided to do an inspired full face look based on his appearance during that song. Not only is he the movie's villain, but his look is very fitting for Halloween, which is only a few days away! This was my first time working with Aquacolors or with white face cream so I was super excited to do this look. I hope you all like it!

Disney Villains Series: Demona (Gargoyles)

Greetings my glamorous readers!

Hello everyone! I am soooooooo sorry this look is so late. This was supposed the be last week's look, but life has gotten in the way of my blogging. If you wanted to join the Series Challenge, you are welcome to do the Demona or the Dr. Facilier by the end of the month since I am super late on posting my own looks. If you did either of the Demon or Dr. Facilier looks on time, you will get an extra point for that.

Anyways, today's look is inspired by Demona, a villain (sometimes she is sort of an anti-hero) from the Disney cartoon Gargoyles. I grew up watching this show, and I absolutely love it! There are so many Shakespeare references, the story is engaging, and the characters are complex. You won't see many cartoons like this one now a days. The look came out like a bit of a mishmash of different colors, but I hope you enjoy it either way. ^_^

Keep reading more for a pictorial :)

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.

First Impression: Wet n Wild Fergie Jet-Set Palette

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who used to buy the huge makeup palettes back in the late 90's that had eyeshadows, lipsticks, blushes, and sometimes other crazy stuff. I used to have a bunch of them back when I first started wearing makeup. They seemed like an easy option since I didn't have much makeup, and these had a bunch of products for a low price. Most of the palettes I used were absolutely horrible; the eyeshadows were chalky and lacked pigmentation! They were truly bad products, so I decided to never buy one again.

When I first heard that Wet n Wild was releasing a palette like that for their Fergie line, I was conflicted. On the one hand, I was excited because I love Wet n Wild and I am always curious to see what they release next. On the other hand, I was not sure how I would feel about this type of all-in-one palette. I have very low expectations with palettes like these, so let's see how Wet n Wild did with their Fergie Jet-Set palette!

The Jet-Set palette has 132 shades: 72 eyeshadows, 48 lip colors, 6 blushes, 3 pencils, and 3 face powders. You can see the layout of the palette on the box below. 

Review: DreamWorld Hermetica Hocus Pocus Collection

Greetings from the Dark Side!

If you are looking for some more Halloween themed indie makeup, DreamWorld Hermetica's Hocus Pocus is an option to consider! The collection is called Hocus Pocus (I am pretty sure that this is inspired by the movie of the same name. I haven't seen that movie since I was a kid so I can't be 100% certain) and it has a whopping 16 eyeshadows and two blush colors (which are not swatched here). I tend to like more geeky themed indie eyeshadows, so I don't particularly care for the names, but the colors are stunning! Below are the swatches for all 16 eyeshadows~

EOT: Halloween Purples (Ft. Shiro Cosmetics)

Hello everyone!

Halloween is right around the corner and I haven't yet used my new Halloween shades from Shiro Cosmetics! So today I made a super simple eye look using both 'Zero' and 'Two Faced' eyeshadows from the Halloween collection :D

This literally took me less than a minute to do (I was in a hurry). I used 'Zaro' on most of the lid and 'Two Faced' on the crease and lower lash line. I added some black liner and mascara. BAM! You have a super quick and fun look!