Sailor Moon Series: Sailor Venus

Venus Power, Makeup Up!

Sailor Venus is one of my favorite sailors, so I was very excited to be doing an inspired makeup look based on her. However, I have been really busy these past two weeks, and I have no had a lot of time to create a look. So I hastily had to create one today since it is the last day of September. I hope you like it anyways~

First Impression: Wet n Wild Holiday 2013

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Who's excited for more Wet n Wild products?! I know I am! These are the three new Holiday 2013 palettes! these are the Eyeshadow Medley palettes (this is my first time actually using these). These are limited edition and cost $4.99 each. I'm not entirely sure what stores will carry the displays but I'm pretty sure Walgreens will have them. According to Nouveau Cheap Burlington Coat Factory has displays of these.

 No Neutral Ground:

 Lights, Camera, Attraction:

 A Great Glistener:

I forgot to swatch the middle bronze shade in this palette!

                                                                      First Impression                                                                

Each palette has three super shimmery shades (top row), three semi-shimmery eyeshadows (middle row), and two mattes (bottom row). 'No Neautral Ground' has earthier/golden tones, 'Lights, Camera, Attraction' has pink/purple/blue tones, 'A Great Glistener' has a mix of tones but is mostly neutral colors. The pigmentation is good overall, but not as good as the eyeshadows from the ColorIcon 8 pan palettes.

'No Neautral Ground' has the best pigmentation of the three and I personally like the shades from that palette the best (they seem more holiday-y to me). The palette I like the least is 'A Great Glistener' because it has the worst pigmentation and the colors are not super interesting to me. But what I do really like about this Medley palettes is that each palette has three types of eyeshadow finishes. It is better to have different finishes to choose from in one palette instead of just having all shimmers or all mattes. I still have to use these more to really get a solid opinion on them, but if you guys are interested in these you at least have a bit of information on them!

Disclosure: Products shown were sent to me for consideration and review. All opinions stated are my own.

FOTD: Starry Cranberry (Ft. Oslo Cosmetics)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Here's another Autumn look for you guys :D This is a super easy smokey eye using some eyeshadows from a new indie brand called Oslo Cosmetics.

Review: Wet n Wild Fergie 'Rose Parade' Palette

 Greetings from the Dark Side!

Thank You!

Hello, and thank you for being a part of the Dark Side ♥

I have been blogging for over two years now, and I feel so lucky to have this blog and all of you amazing readers! I wanted to thank you all so, so, so much! All of you who visit my blog, read my posts, comment, and even just glance at any of my work...THANK YOU. I could have never imagined anyone giving my eye looks more than a glace so I just feel awed to have even just one person give me such sweet compliments about my makeup looks. 

I also want to thank my brother (who recently found out about my blog, haha) because he has been really helpful to me. He agreed to draw up some things for my blog when I asked him, so yay! And I am still trying to convince him to make a new header for my blog, although I'm not sure if he will actually do it xD My brother has a natural talent for drawing, but he hasn't drawn much in the past years. He recently bought a drawing tablet and created a DeviantArt account, and has decided to start drawing again. He definitely needs some encouragement though! I thought that I would try to encourage him by asking him to draw some characters from anime I like. The first request was a quick drawing of a chibi Konan (character from the popular anime/manga Naruto) that I could use for review posts. It turned out super cute!

If you can take the time to check out his page and give him a little encouragement, I will love you forever! ♥  http://azurefenix.deviantart.com/

So if you see any other drawings from now on, it will for sure be something that my older brother drew for me :) 

Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time!

Return of the Look: Gryffindor (Harry Potter)

"You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
    Set Gryffindors apart" -Sorting Hat

After Ravenclaw, Gryffindor would be my next pick for a house at Hogwarts. Gryffindor is the most memorable house because most of the characters from Harry Potter that we came to know and love were from this house. I personally love the Weasley family (Weasley twins FTW!) so I have to love Gryffindor! By the way, for those of you who are not familiar with my "Return of the Look" series, it is a series where I redo looks I did in the past. Well, this is a redo of my Gryffindor look that I did a while ago.

Keep reading more for a pictorial!

FOTD: Fall is Here!

Greetings from the Dark Side!

And yay for Autumn!

As a northern Californian, I very much welcome the Autumn weather. It has been so hot north of the Bay Area and it still felt like summer even though it was the middle of September. But finally we experienced some rain and some low temperatures on Saturday. It was a breath of fresh air! So now, it actually feels like Autumn to me. I decided to get out some of my Fall colors and get to work on a Fall look!~

Lac Attack 'Hogwarts'

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I feel like September is the official month for Harry Potter, so let us have more magical things inspired by the wizarding world! This nail polish shade is from the Lac Attack Magical Musings collection and it is called 'Hogwarts'. And if you are anything like me, you probably wish Hogwarts was real so you could have gone to school there!

Hogwarts has a clear base with lots and lots of silver, red, green, and blue  glitters. The glitter in this is quite small, and one coat covers most of the nail. I used one coat over Sinful Colors 'Ruby Ruby' polish, but you can use Hogwarts on its own if you want to. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the glitter colors represent the four Hogwarts houses (except that maybe Hufflepuff gets silver?) I don't know, but either way this is stunning! The pictures really do not do it any justice. In person, the glitter is so reflective and it makes your nails look magical! Really lovely glitter. 10 points for Lac Attack!

Swatches: Wet n Wild Fall 2013 Tough Girl Trio Collection

Greetings from the Dark Side!

You guys know I love Wet n Wild and that I am always super excited about new eyeshadow trios and palettes from them! The Fall 2013 collection, Tough Girl, includes some new eyeshadow trios. It is a little confusing though because there actually 6 trios, but I will be showing you 4 of them. They are also no longer in the packaging I will be showing you (they do not come in the trio+ protein mascara combo, just the trio itself). Wet n Wild ambassadors and affiliated bloggers received four in the original packaging, so I will be showing those to you today. Some of you might have the trios in this packaging because I believe that K-mart had these ones when they were first released. I will also show you the 6 trios you will see at Walgreens and other stores in a separate post.

FOTD: Rose Parade (Ft. Wet n Wild)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Review: Wet n Wild Tough Girl Textured Nail Polishes

Greetings from the Dark Side~

Wet n Wild's Fall 2013 collection included 6 textured nail polishes. The colors are Femme Trouper, Fatigue Glam, Tough Girl, Beauty is a Battlefield,  Left, Left, Left, Right, Left, and ATTEN Hut (not shown here). For swatches and a review, keep on reading ^_^

Femme Trouper: Light peachy beige with gold shimmer. One coat.

Some Updates/Plans for October: Tattoo, Videos, Confernece, and more

Heeeello everyone!

So I just wanted to make a quick post to let you all know of some updates and some of my plans for next month. I don't want to babble on here so I'll just get right to it!

Tattoo!

First of all, for all of you who do not follow me on any other social media sites, I have been super exited about my new tattoo! I got this tattoo on September 11 and I had been waiting to get this tattoo for so long! The tattoo is of the White Tree of Gondor surrounded by the inscription from the One Ring (Black Speech written in Tengwar), both of which are from The Lord of the Rings. I got it on my left shoulder. Why did I get this? Well I am a HUGE fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and he is one of my favorite authors (along with E.T.A. Hoffmann, Edgar Allen Poe, and Haruki Murakami). I got the tattoo done at this placed called Monster's Ink in Sacramento, CA. I think the tattoo artists did such a good job, and he was extremely gentle and precise. I didn't experience much pain, probably because it is not a tattoo that required coloring or shading. Plus I think I have a high tolerance for pain. Anyway, I am super happy with how it turned out!

Youtube videos?

Lately I've been seriously thinking about making Youtube videos. I have been blogging for over 2 years and it seems like it might be time to transition my blog to incorporate video tutorials. But to do this, I feel like I need to equip myself with some new stuff. I currently use the Canon EOS Rebel T3, which is not that great for videos IMO. I am thinking of upgrading to the T3i, but I need to save some money for that. I also need some lights and maybe a backdrop. Like I said, I am really thinking about it, but I haven't really taken any big steps into starting this up. I do think it would be really great to have a Youtube channel to accompany this blog, though. What do you guys think? If you have any suggestions for how to start making videos, please let me know in the comment section~

iFabbo Social Media Conference

October is an exciting month for me. I am going to be attending the iFabbo Social Media Conference in San Francisco on October 12. I am excited because this will be the first beauty blogger related event I will be attending! Yay~ Is anyone else going to be attending?

Disneyland?!

Before the 25th of October, I am supposed to be going to Disneyland for my birthday. My birthday is on the 25th so my friends and I decided to go to Disneyland for my birthday as well as to go for the Halloween decorations. I am not 100% sure we are going yet, but I hope we do because I love Disneyland~

October Series Challenge!

Here's another issue that I want all of you to help me with: what should the theme for the October Series Challenge be? I have three ideas in mind: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Disney Villains, or the book covers of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel novel series by Michael Scott. Please let me know if there is one particular of the three (or a theme of your choice) that you would like to see for the October Series Challenge! I would really appreciate it :)

Review: E.L.F. Disney Villains Nail Polish Set 2013

Greetings from the Dark Side!

For those of you who have not heard the news, Walgreens is going to be getting a bunch of different collections based on four beloved Disney villains: Maleficent, Ursula, the Evil Queen, and Cruela De Vil. In 2012, ELF released three Villain palettes, and the trend continues this year. Except there is now four palettes, one nail polish set, four makeup bags, four sets of Ardell lashes, and four sets of Scunci hair ties. One of the first items I was able to find is the Nail Polish Set by ELF which is $9.99. This set has 12 polishes, three polishes for each of the four villains. To see swatches and hear my thoughts about this keep reading~

                                                                             Swatches                                                                      

*I used two coats of polish with a top coat for each polish.

Maleficent

-Bubble Gum Pink: creamy bubble gum pink.

-Mod Mauve: deep brown-toned mauve.

-Gina Girl: sheer grape purple base with purple, orange, green and red glitter.

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Review: Wet n Wild Fergie 'Bulletproof Glide' Palette

 Greetings from the Dark Side!

                                                                       Product Description                                                         

This is a new palette from the Wet n Wild Fergie line. It has 5 colors in a slim and lightweight compact. It also comes with a dual-sided sponge-tip applicator. 'Bulletproof Glide' leans towards neutral eyeshadow range. It has a satin ivory, a satin khaki brown, a shimmery sheer silver, a shimmery gunmetal grey and a matte black.

                                                                                  Swatches                                                                 

                                                                             Product in Action!                                                      

                                                                                   Review                                                                   

PROS:

-affordable

-easy to travel with

-overall great pigmentation

-smooth texture

-it includes both a brow highlight and a crease color that are semi-matte (they still have fine shimmer)

-overall better quality than previous Fergie palettes

 -the five colors in the palette go together very well; I managed to make quite a great look from the palette

CONS:

-not as pigmented as the Wet n Wild ColorIcon eyeshadows

-if you have a somewhat large makeup collection, you most likely can find something similar to the eyeshadows in this palette

-the colors are not super unique

-the silver shade in this palette is very sheer and barely shows up on my eye lids

                                                                                    Verdict                                                                  

If you have a rather large eyeshadow collection, I think you could skip this palette. The colors are nice and they have decent pigmentation, but it is likely that you already have something similar. If you have a normal-person size makeup collection, then this palette could be a great way to add some essentials into your makeup bag. It is always handy to have a nice brow bone highlight, a cool-toned brown for the crease, and a few darker colors to create a classic smokey eye. So although I don't think this is a must-have eye palette, it is definitely still a pretty great product and a great deal!

Rating: 8/10

FOTD: Dashing Doctor (Ft. Victorian Disco Cosmetics)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Here's a look I did last week using some of the eyeshadows from the Victorian Disco Cosmetics Time Lord Collection.I love these colors because they are neutral and go with pretty much any lip color, but they are Doctor Who inspired!! ♥

Sailor Moon Series: Luna

Greetings from the Dark Side!

This Sailor Moon inspired look is based on Luna's human form. I love how she looks as a human; she is so cute! For this I choose to use the yellow from her dress and black from her hair and dress. Luna is Latin for Moon, so it was only natural to take inspirations from her crescent moon shapes as well as from the moon itself~I'm not going to lie, this isn't the most wearable look, and it kind of makes me look like a panda. But panda's are cute, so I don't mind! xD

Keep reading more for a pictorial!

Rescue Beauty Lounge 'Scrangie 2.0'

Greetings from the Dark Side!

You may or may not know this, but I am a devout fan of Rescue Beauty Lounge. I have A LOT of RBLs in my nail polish stash, and they are all my most treasured nail polishes in my collection. I was very excited about the shade 'Scrangie 2.0' (named and inspired by Scrangie). Scrangie already has another nail polish (which I also own), and I was definitely looking forward to this second shade. Unfortunately it sold it out during the pre-sale and I thought I would never get my hands on it. Thankfully, it was re-stocked and I was able to get my greedy little hands on it the second time around! Hooray!

Scrangie 2.0 is a black base with a mix of olive, green, gold, and teal shimmer. It is really hard to capture the color because it shifts a lot depending on the lighting. It is really antique-looking, but it still has really fun glitter in it. The formula is amazing; I only used one coat for full opacity! I've worn it for a few days now with no sign of chipping.

What do you think of this shade? Yay or Nay? 

FOTD: Bulletproof Glide (Ft. Wet n Wild)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

First Impression: Pond's Luminous Finish BB+

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Yesterday, I purchased this drugstore BB Cream from Pond's. I've seen it on many blogs and Youtube channels, so I wanted to try it myself. I am not fond of western BB creams and I much prefer Asian ones. But I decided to try this BB cream anyways to see what my first impression of it was (and hopefully to find a good drugstore BB cream). If you are curious keep reading!

Haul!: Walgreens, Rite Aid, and ULTA

Greetings dark siders!

I recently started to clean out my makeup collection, but I guess I decided to invest in some new products so I went hauling xD I swear when ever I say "I don't really haul anymore", BAM! I go and buy a bunch of stuff! Oh well, more stuff for you guys to see on my blog ^_^

                                                                           Walgreens                                                                      

1. Pond's  Luminous Clean Wet Cleansing Towelettes

So I went to Walgreens because I needed to get some makeup removing wipes. I have been using the Simple Facial Wipes for a while now, and I noticed my skin breaking out a bit when I stopped using them. I usually get my makeup removing wipes from Rite Aid, but I was closer to Walgreens so I went there. Unfortunately the wipes were more than $6, and I always pay less than $4 per pack from Rite Aid. Instead I picked up the Pond's makeup removing wipes because they were BOGO FREE. I ended up getting 2 packs of 30 wipes for $5.99! Score! 

The Return of the Look: Ravenclaw (Harry Potter)

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind." - Sorting Hat

Two years ago, just before the last Harry Potter movie was released, I created four looks to correspond to the four Hogwarts Houses. The first look I created was for Ravenclaw because it is my favorite House (also I was sorted into Ravenclaw on Pottermore, woohoo!). I've been wanting to recreate these looks because in the past two years my makeup skills have improved significantly. You can see my first Ravenclaw look HERE. I'm also celebrating the fact that Victorian Disco is about to release a huge Harry Potter collection! I hope you like this new look!

Keep reading more for a pictorial!

Review: Revlon Lip Butters

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Revlon Lip Butters!! These babies have been in my makeup collection for a while, and I absolutely love them. I thought I would talk a little more in detail about each shade I own. I also want to show you guys how these look on my lips with my full-face makeup~ Keep reading for more!

*I couldn't find one of my lip butters in the shade 'Wild Watermelon', but I do have a photo of me wearing it.

Empties and Throw-Outs: Lip Products

Hello dark siders!

I mentioned on Facebook and Twitter how I decided to do a major cleaning of my makeup collection. My room and makeup collection are so cluttered, so I really need to get rid of a lot of things. I think I am getting to the point in my life where I have used so many different makeup products that I have already discovered products I really like and will repurchase for a long time. Because of this, I find myself hauling less and less than I used to. I have products I haven't used in ages, and it is time to clean out! I am using the rule that Ted Mosby uses in the show How I Met Your Mother: you have to get rid of stuff you haven't used it in the last year. So if I haven't used that product in 2013, it's time to either throw it out or give it away. I started cleaning my lipstick collection and here are some things I'm already getting rid of.

                                                                      Throw-Outs/Giveaways                                                    

1. Sephora Lipsticks 

I've had these Sephora brand lipsticks for such a long time! I haven't really used them that much and I don't particularly like them. They have that smell that tells me that these should no longer be used. So they are going in the thrash. Repurchase? No.

FOTD: Pumpkin & Poppy Starman Palette

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Pumpkin & Poppy Cosmetics is one of my favorite indie makeup brands. Kristy, the owner, puts so much effort into the inspirations of her collections! One of the most recent collections is the Starman collection. The collection is made up of  a palette and an eyeshadow inspired by David Bowie himself. I can't say I know a lot about David Bowie, but I do love him in the movie Labyrinth! I wanted to test out some of the products in the Palette today, so I created a very soft and wearable look.

Sailor Moon Series: Sailor Moon

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I am sure that most of you have watched or at least know of Sailor Moon. It is such an iconic and well-know anime series that it is really hard not to recognize the heroine. I myself watched Sailor Moon as a kid, although I actually watched it in Spanish. I was never a fan of Sailor Moon in the English dub, and I much prefer the original Japanese or the Spanish dub. Sailor Moon is definitely one of the anime series that I remember the most from my childhood, so I am super happy to be making some inspired looks based on the wonderful characters. This look is inspired by Usagi in her Sailor Moon regular Sailor Senshi outfit! Enjoy ^_~

Keep reading more for a pictorial!