A Song of Ice and Fire Series: House Baratheon

"Ours is the Fury." 

Baratheon Sigil: "A crowned black stag rampant on a gold field"

House colors: Black and Gold

I don't know about all of you who are fans of the series, but I never thought much about the House Baratheon house sigil. When I was going to create a look based on this house, I went blank. I had no idea what to do! But it worked itself out and it turned out quite amazing, if I do say so myself. This is my favorite of the ASoIaF looks thus far!

This look, like the Baratheons, is fierce and powerful.

Review: Illamasqua 'Aurora' Gleam Highlighter

Greetings from the Dark Side~

Remember the Illamasqua Generation Q collection? It seems like so long ago! I've still have continued to use and test the products I bought from that collection, one of those products being the famous Gleam cream highlighter in 'Aurora'.

Something that I love about Illamasqua is that their collections are not limited edition and they will have the entire collections on their website for a long time. So if you are interested in this highlighter, you can still purchase it.

Organizing My Makeup Collection: Lip and Face Drawer

Greetings from the Dark Side~

It has always been my goal to have my makeup collection perfectly organized. It is very difficult to accomplish when you constantly acquire new products and when you have no space to store them. But ever since I organized my nail polish collection perfectly into one Helmer, I have been wanting really badly to organize my makeup collection into a few drawers. Organizing is also one of my goals for this week, so I took some time today to start to organize things a bit. I regret not having a "before" picture so you could see how much neater my Lip and Face drawer looks like (I will definitely let you see a before picture when I organize my eyeshadow drawer!). I still have so much more to organize so this is just a start. 

I know, I have a LOT of makeup, more than I really need. But makeup is one of my biggest passions. To me, makeup is not a tool to be pretty, it is a means to express who you are.Yes, sometimes I am freaked out by how much makeup I have, but then I get over it ^_^  

Anyways, what I am showing you is the top drawer of a 5-drawer furniture piece that I bought at IKEA.  It is really great for storing makeup, clothes, and other other personal belongings. I use one drawer for both all my lip and face products. Each photo shows half of the drawer. 

Project No-Buy: Week 3

Greetings from the Dark Side!

And welcome to the round up for Week 3 of my No-Buy!

 

 

Week 3 (January  21-27) actually has not been challenging at all. I did buy a few eyeliners, but other than that I have not been tempted to buy any makeup. I'd say my No-Buy is going fairly well :D

Also if you are new to my No-Buy, please check out my past posts:

-Project No Buy Introduction and Rules

-Week 1 Round Up 

-Week 2 Round Up

 

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.

NOTD: Pink Glitters

Greetings from the Dark Side~

I've neglected from doing any nail posts because my nails have been really crazy as of late. They grow long, then they break or they are all uneven >_<" 

But, either ways, I'll show you the mani I'm sporting at the moment. 

I have on Cult Nails 'Princess' as a base with OPI's 'Teenage Dream' glitter on top of all my nails except the ring finger which has Essie's 'A Cut Above'.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Essie's 'A Cut Above'. It has to be one of my favorite glitters ever!! It looks so gorgeous~! If you have not tried it, I recommend you do!

EOTD: Killer Neutrals (Ft. Glamour Doll Eyes)

Greetings from the Dark Side~

Sorry for this super short post today, but I'm not feeling very well. I do, however, want to share today's look either ways. Although I don't sport neutral eyeshadows that often, I do really like brown and green together. You can definitely create dramatic, show-stopping looks using just neutral colors; you don't have to use bright shades. Hope you like it :)

Products Used

-Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper (tube form)

-Glamour Doll Eyes 'Skin of a Killer' eyeshadow (lid)

-Glamour Doll Eyes 'Super Nova' eyeshadow (crease)

-Glamour Doll Eyes 'Show Off" eyeshadow (above crease)

-Glamour Doll Eyes 'Grease Lightning' eyeshadow (lower lash line)

-Prestige 'Bold Brown' pencil eyeliner (waterline)

-Maybelline Mega Plush mascara

-Milani black eyeliner pen

-Red Cherry #83 Lashes

Deboah Lippmann 'Ray of Light'

 Greetings from the Dark Side!

Today, I want to share the Deborah Lippmann polish in 'Ray of Light'. Ray of Light is a deep blue jelly with copper-colored flakes. The formula is a tad thick, but I have no problems applying this. Two coats results in a nice full coverage. Was this worth the whopping $18 price tag? For me, yes. The color is unique and it has a pretty decent formula. I have very few Lippmanns, and I am glad to have this in my collection.

First Impression: Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliners

Greetings from the Dark Side~

After trying and totally loving the Prestige 'Hocus Pocus' eyeshadow, I went back to Rite Aid and picked up the Total Intense eyeliners. Here are my first thoughts on these eyeliners.

I am not sure how many colors there is in this range but I picked up four: Deepest Black, Bold Brown, Lively Turquoise, and Outrageous Emerald.

Skin Care DIY: Honey and Cinnamon Mask

Greetings from the Dark Side ♥

It is rather unusual for me to post a DIY, and a skin care one at that! I can ramble on and on about my crappy skin, but I'm sure you have heard all about it. To keep it simple, acne-prone skin, crazy hormones, and dry skin don't mix well and are a recipe for disaster. But, I will share one simple recipe that is amazing for your skin, and good chances are that you have the ingredients right in your kitchen. Yes, honey and cinnamon! These two ingredients combine to create a very potent and amazing mask that will leave your skin glowing!

Tutorial: Lingered in Twilight (Ft. Shiro Cosmetics)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Someone of you might be aware that I recently acquired the Shiro Cosmetics There And Back Again collection and which is so fantastic that I just had to start making some looks using the collection. Two of the colors that stood out to me and to many other Shiro fans are 'Lingered in Twilight' and 'The Wandering Wizard', which I am using today to create this look :) I hope you enjoy this look, my little hobbits ♥

Tutorial: Bruised! (Ft. Glamour Doll Eyes)

Greetings from the Dark Side~!

When I was in high school, I was kind of an emo kid. I exclusively wore black eyeliner and liked the panda eye look. I still like to do the panda eyes occasionaly but a little more sophisticated than before, and I am really stepping it by using eyeshadows instead of just black eyeliner. This might look like you have just been punched in the eye, but that's the look I'm going for! But in all seriousness, I think these type of looks work if you are hard-core and want something badass to wear to a concert. Or hey, maybe you just want something to wear to school or everyday activities because you are just that awesome. If you want to know how to achieve this look, check out my step-y-step tutorial =3

*Oh and totally ignore the stupid faces I make my in photos. Thanks!

Project No-Buy: Week 2

Greetings from the Dark Side!

And welcome to the round up for Week 2 of my No-Buy!

Week 2 (January 14th-January 20th) has been  a really exiting time for me because I think I am finally getting used to this No-Buy. This is also the first week that I have had two weekly goals to try to get through as well as award money to spend. If you want to see the stuff I have purchased this past week, my awards, and next week's goals stayed tuned!

Also if you are new to my No-Buy, please check out my past posts:

-Project No Buy Introduction and Rules

-Week 1 Round Up

Tutorial: Luna, Artemis, and Diana (Ft. Victorian Disco Cosmetics)

Greetings from the Dark Side ♥

I want to share this super quick tutorial on a look I wore yesterday wearing Luna, Artemis, and Diana eyeshadows from Victorian Disco Comestics. These three shadows are from the Sailor Scouts collection and are inspired by Luna, Artemis, and Diana, the three cats from the Sailor Moon series. This look is quite subtle and sweet, perfect for everyday or even for Valentine's Day!

Swatches: Shiro Cosmetics There And Back Again Collection

Greetings from the Dark Side!~

Today I have some super exciting swatches to share with you!This is the entire Shiro Cosmetics There And Back Again collection inspired by The Hobbit. I LOVE The Hobbit and everything else written by J.R.R. Tolkien. And if you are wondering why I have this even though I am on a No-Buy, and that is because this was a present from my dear mother =3 She was so sweet and offered to buy it for me! Anyways, enjoy ♥

P.S. The artwork stickers for this collection are so freaking cute!!!

 

[WARNING: Many, many photos!]

Review: Total Intensity by Prestige Eyeshadow in 'Hocus Pocus'

Greetings my lovelies ♥

Since I am currently on a No-Buy, I have cut down a lot on makeup spending. But, through my rewards system, I can still allow myself to buy a few items of makeup. This week I picked up a new product that I had not seen before. This is a either a new line or just a new collection called Total Intensity by the brand Prestige. I love Prestige mascaras, and this eyeshadow line looked interesting so I bought it.

EOTD: Smoke and Grunge

 Greetings from the Dark Side!

I hope you are all having a lovely week.

This week I have been really into doing these weird and random smokey looks. They are not like traditional smokey eyes, and they have a bit of a punk/grunge kind of feel. This look in particular is a bit messy and has a black base with some purple, burgundy, and a whole lot of other colors. It has an "oil-slick"/greasy finish as well, which gives it that grunge effect. This is not a tutorial, but if you are interested in a step-by-step tutorial, let me know in the comments!

Tips for Eyebrow Grooming (Before and After)

Greetings from the Dark Side ^_^

I have a love/hate relationship with my eyebrows. But, I get a lot of compliments and comments from other people who really like my eyebrows. I like my eyebrows too, I do. They are dark and have a full-shape which I think compliments my features and make me look younger than I actually am. But, I hate the fact that if I don't constantly groom them, they look awfully wild and untamed. 

Today, I will share with your some of the things I do to make my eyebrows look more neat. These are pretty basic tricks that I have seem many other people do as well, so it is nothing revolutionary ;) 

                                                                                Before                                                                       

This is how my eyebrow looks after about 1-2 weeks of neglect. I have tried to grow them out as much as I can to show you how I groom them.

Giveaway: Get the Look #3

Greetings from the Dark Side ♥

Welcome to another giveaway where you can win makeup products to re-create one of the look I created. This giveaway includes some of the new Wet n Wild products I used to create this look that I wore on New Years. So if you want to win some of these new Wet n Wild products, definitely join this giveaway ;)

                                                                      Giveaway Prizes                                                       

-Wet n Wild 'Take on the Day' Eyeshadow Primer

-Wet n Wild  Palette in 'Metropolitan Nights'

-Wet n Wild 'Turn Up the Volume' mascara

-Wet n Wild Lipstick in 'Saraghina'

-Wet n Wild Megalast Nail Lacquer in 'Under Your Spell'

                                                                                  Rules:                                                                

-You must be 18+ years or have your parent's permission to enter
-You must be a follower of The Dark Side of Beauty
-This giveaway is international, so anyone can enter! ^_^
 -Fill out the Raffelcopter form

a Rafflecopter giveaway

                                                                        Good Luck ^_^

Review: TATCHA Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask

Greetings from the Dark Side!~

One of my greatest discoveries of 2012 was TATCHA skin care, and I am happy to say that I will be continuing to use and try out more of their products this year. 2013 literally started with me using their Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask. After the clock stroke midnight and I went home, I used this luxurious mask to hydrate my dry skin. Lately, my skin has been extremely dry, flaky, and overall just not as great as it had been the past two months.

Keep in mind that this is a face mask, and thus I am judging it on solely one use. For me, a mask should deliver results immediately. I personally don't see masks as a long-term skin care products, but rather a short-term and short-lasting boost for the skin. I like to use masks right before special occasions to make my skin to look particularly hydrated, supple, and radiant. If you want to know what I think of this face mask, keep reading~

Project No-Buy: Week 1

Greetings from the Dark Side!

And welcome to Week 1 of my No-Buy!

Week 1 (January 7th-January 13th) is the first week of my Project No-Buy, a project to reduce spending on beauty products and to go through a system of rewards in order to save money in order to buy new products. If you haven't check it out yet, go to my introduction post of this for a detailed account of this project. But let's see how my No-Buy has been so far!

Tutorial: Pink Concrete (Ft. Glamour Doll Eyes)

Greetings from the Dark Side! 

Whenever I create "girly" looks, I like to make that look have a bit of an edge. In this case, when I decided to use use a pink eyeshadpw, I wanted to contrast it with a darker color to make it kind of punk chic. If you want to see how I achieved this pink and black/grey look using Glamour Doll Eyes, please keep reading :D

Review: Wet n Wild Turn Up the Volume Mascara

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Are you ready for another review of an affordable mascara?
This time I have Wet n Wild's 'Turn Up the Volume' mascara, which was a part of the Fergie Centerstage collection. :)

Tutorial: Maldives Sky (Ft. Wet n Wild)

Greetings from the Dark Side ♥

And a warm welcome to all my new followers! 

I have been really into the new Wet n Wild products, and I was particularly interested in how the 'Maldives Sky' palette would apply since I have seen some bad/not too good reviews of it. Here is the look I made when I first tested out this palette. I tried to make a look that incorporates all 5 eyeshadows in the palette in case you have this palette and want to have a good use out of all the shades :) Hope you like it!

What's Inside My Helmer? (Nail Polish Collection)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

A long, long time ago- okay I lie it was only a few weeks ago, months at most- I bought a Helmer at IKEA because many other bloggers use it to store their nail polishes. The Helmer is not too expensive so I thought it would be a great way to organize my nail polishes. I was really lazy to build it though and I only managed to build it today and get all of my nail polishes inside! If you want to see what I have inside this little thing, stay tuned!

Project No Buy

Greetings from the Dark Side!

                                                               Project No-Buy Goals                                                              

As I mentioned in my 2013 Resolutions, I want to become stricter with myself when it comes to buying cosmetics. Many other bloggers have started a 100 day No-Buy, but I am a rather fickle person. I applaud to any of you who have the self-control to be able to do a complete no-buy! But for me, it is hopeless! I am very stubborn, even with myself. If I tell myself I can't buy any beauty-related products for 100 days, I will be even more tempted to buy things. I admit that I have a huge obsession with makeup and it is a weakness that I acknowledge. But instead of trying to suppress that weakness or to give it free reign over my life, I want to use it as a way to improve myself. Either ways, I am going to spend money on makeup, so why not use it as a tool to motivate myself?

That is why instead of a traditional no-buy, I decided to create a project for myself to 1) finish makeup I currently own, 2) not horde so much new makeup, 3) to keep up with my 2013 resolutions and 4) save money for something else other than makeup. I will be updating this project every Sunday and like those people doing the 100 No Buy, I will make a wish list for myself. If you are curious about my No-Buy project or if you also want to be part of it, keep reading!

Review: Maybelline Mega Plush Volume Express Mascara

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I am a one-mascara-at-a-time type of girl, and I have never been the type to have mulitple mascaras at the same time. Apparently this changed just recently because I have a lot of new mascaras, both opened and unopened. I am taking advantage of that to post some mascara reviews. I think mascaras are difficult for me to review because I tend to like most mascaras I use. Either I really like them or I really hate them. So instead of giving tons of opinions on the mascara,  I will let the photos give you a sense of how good or bad this mascara is.

Today's mascara is Maybelline's Mega Plush Volume Express mascara.

Review: Wet n Wild 'Desert Festival' Eyeshadow Palette

Greetings from the Dark Side ^_^

FOTD: Wild Desert

Greetings from the Dark Side!

For any of you who are still interested in the new Wet n Wild products, I have a FOTD more of the new Wet n Wild Fergie products :) If you want to see what products I used, stick around!

2013 Resolutions

Ah...New Years resolutions! Aren't they so much fun?  >_<"


I honestly didn't think I would be writing resolutions for this year, but I thought about it and I think it would be a great idea to at least write some down some of my goals for this year. The one I thing I am trying to stay away from is making unrealistic resolutions that will ultimately make me feel like a failure. Thus, I am going to make small goals that will keep me on track but still give me room for error ^_^


1. Manage my time more wisely. Leave some time for relaxation and play, but make sure that most of my time is dedicated to work and study.
I feel that in the past moths, I have been really bad at time management. I procrastinated so much on my university work this last quarter, and I don't want that to happen again. I start my new quarter on Monday and I desperately need to have a stricter schedule for myself. On the other hand, I want 2013 to be a year of self-discovery. I want to leave some time for myself to re-discover myself and think about who I am and what I want in life.

2. Leave comments on other blogs more frequently.
This is something I have been so bad at this past year. I love reading other blogs and I have to get better at commenting. I love getting comments and I want to be able to return that favor to every blog I visit.

3. Drink more water.
I am not going to tell myself to drink insane amounts of water, but I really do need to drink more than I do now.

4. Eat healthier, lose some weight, but don't deprive myself from foods I want to eat.
My eating habits have been so crazy these past months. I have a really laid-back attitude when it comes to eating because I love food and I love eating what I want. We only have one life and I hate the thought of depriving myself the foods that I want to eat. But, I also want to eat healthier and have a slightly better lifestyle. I think that the best way is to eat healthy foods that I like and if I am craving some junk food to have some. I just need to have a good balance of both. 

5. Enjoy life to its fullest! Absorb the knowledge and joys this world has to offer.
I want to go out more, travel, and see the world. I want to learn about different cultures and about different beliefs. Instead of criticizing others' beliefs, learn about them. They might give you a new perspective on life.

6. Work more on my blog and re-discover The Dark Side of Beauty.
My blog has become a huge part of my life, therefore I also want my blog to change along with me. I still don't know exactly what I want to do or how I plan to change it, but it is a work in progress. I want to go back to my very first posts and remember why I started my blog in the first place. With my second blogiversary coming up in February, I want to make sure I am not losing touch with what The Dark Side of Beauty is all about.

7. Exercise!
I have noticed that I have become increasingly sluggish, groggy, and very stressed. I want to maintain a exercise routine to help with these problems. I want something simple and easy to keep up with. 

8. Save money!
I don't know if I have mentioned this, but I might be going to Japan this year and working there for a year (hopefully!). Whether or not I go, I want to have money saved up. This means that I have to become stricter with my makeup buying impulses. I think most bloggers are starting a no-buy for 100 days, which is a great idea. But I want to do this my own way. I actually have plan for a fun way to follow my resolutions, go on a makeup ban, and still be able to buy some makeup occasionally. I am still planning this out but I will have a post on it soon :)

9. Keep up with and improve my Japanese. 
Since I might go to Japan, I want to improve my Japanese. I have not taken any formal Japanese classes in over a year, so I have become rusty. I still read Japanese often but I want to get back on board and study Japanese in my spare time.

10. Read and update The Library of Babel.
You might know this or not, but I started a book review blog a while back. I haven't updated it in a long time though. I am a literature major, so I read A LOT when I'm in school and I also read a lot on my spare time. However, I have many books I have purchased that I have not yet read. I also keep buying books because I am always on the look-out for new books to read. I need to read all the books I own and stop buying new ones until after I have read the ones I already own. AND I also need to review those books on my blog =3

I'd say my resolutions are rather standard, but hopefully I can keep up with these resolutions this year! Wish me luck!

What are your resolutions for 2013?

Review: Wet n Wild 'Metropolitan Nights' Eyeshadow Palette

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Today's review is for the 'Metropolitan Nights' Palette from the Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage collection.

Top 10: 2012 Makeup Favorites

Greetings from the Dark Side!
And a happy 2013 to all ^_^

I am sure you have all seem plenty of these types of posts in the past week. But I think it is great to look back and think about which products have stood out to me. This really shows which products I have been 1) using a lot and 2) which products I have really loved.  I have loved a lot of new products this past year, but there are the products that have really stood out to me.

FOTD + EOTD: New Years Eve

Happy 2013!

I've been super busy and lazy since after New Years Eve so I have not posted anything. I did a couple of New Years looks but I only posted one on my blog. I was really busy so I just posted it on my Facebook page. If you are not following me on Facebook, do so because I usually post previews of upcoming looks and reviews. Since I don't have any proper tutorials I will just show you some pictures of the looks I wore for New Years ^_^

I wore this look for New Years day. As I said in my FB post, this was a re-creation of Michelle Phan's 2012 NYE look. I used all drugstore products (Wet n Wild Fergie products)~ I actually loved how this came out!