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?