The Dark Side of Beauty: March 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014

Victorian Disco Cosmetics March Subscription

After some delays from the post office, I finally got my monthly subscription from Victorian Disco Cosmetics! I wanted to quickly show everyone what came in this sub! Everything came really cutely packaged. There are two full size eyeshadows, one sample eyeshadow, one sample blush, and one sample lip gloss. I particularly love the blush and the lip gloss!

Giveaway/Contest: Victorian Disco Cosmetics $50 Gift Card

This month, I partnered up with Victorian Disco Cosmetics to bring you a slightly different giveaway. Most of you know that every month I do hold a contest (which I call the Series Challenge) in which the winner gets a $20-30 gift card from the store of their choice. This month, in addition to that $20-$30 prize, you can also win a $50 gift card from Victorian Disco Cosmetics! Now, you might be wondering if you have to join the April Series Challenge in order to enter the $50 VDC gift card giveaway. To that the answer is NO. You can enter the Rafflecopter form and just skip over the entries that relate to the April Series Challenge. However, if you join the April Series Challenge, you will have a much higher chance of winning the $50 VDC gift certificate. Either way, you can join in!

Rules and Information

-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 :)
-There will only be 1 winner
-Fill out the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

April Series Challenge/Giveaway: World of Warcraft

Greetings from the Dark Side!

For an introduction of this Series Challenge, go HERE. Otherwise, welcome to another month of my challenge series! This month's theme will be: World of Warcraft, more specifically three of the Dragon Aspects. This month will be a little different because I will be partnering up with Victorian Disco Cosmetics to bring you a little extra giveaway/contest. So by this month's Series Challenge not only can you win the usual $20-30 gift card from the store of your choice from me, but you can also win a $50 gift card to Victorian Disco Cosmetics! For weekly dates and inspiration pictures, keep reading!

Roundup and Giveaway Winner: March Series Challenge

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Thank you for all the feedback/comments that I receive for these looks, and a huge thank you to all of those who participated in the March Challenge! It was about time I started to do some Star Wars inspired looks and I had so much fun with the three looks from this week! Anyway, let's get right into the monthly recap and announcing the winner of the challenge!

Star Wars Series: Stormtroopers

"These aren't the droids we're looking for."

I continue this Star Wars series with a character just as classic as Darth Vader himself, the Stormtrooper. Stormtroopers are in just about any kind of Star Wars related thing you see. It should be no surprise then that I decided to create a look based on these guys! Stormtroopers are soldiers that originate from the Jango Fett clones that were created to fight the Clone Wars for the Republic. Later they became Imperial soldiers for Emperor Palpatine when the Galactic Republic was reformed into the Galactic Empire. Many stormtroopers are still clones, but there are also many other non-clone soldiers among their ranks.

Review: Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day Mattifying Powder

Dark Sider Tips: Easy Way To Achieve a Colorful Eyeliner

If you saw my Darth Vader inspired eye look, you might already guess what this tip is all about. But in case you missed it, I want to re-iterate it here. This eye makeup look required to do a bright red eyeliner with the rest of the lid having intense black eyeshadow. It is really difficult to get a bright color on top of a dark color like black, so what can you do to make sure your eyeliner comes out looking super bright? Sometimes we do not have a bright red liquid liner or gel eyeliner, so how can we achieve the same type of look without those products? This might seem like common sense, but you can use a white eyeliner as a base! Using a base does not just have to apply to all-over eyeshadow color, it can also be applied with eyeliner on both the top or bottom lash lines.

First Impression: NARS Creamy Concealer

Empties #9

1. Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
I believe I have mentioned this product before along with one other PC product. I freaking love this product so much! I have purchased about 4 bottles already and I notice a huge difference when I don't use this. I stopped using this about 3 months ago (I started using a few other skin care products), and I recently noticed that my pores looked really bad. I started using this again a month go, and I immediately noticed that my pores looked cleaner and smaller. This stuff also is great for acne-prone skin and for overall exfoliation. I can't say enough good things about this stuff! I would most definitely purchase this again!!

2. Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water
I bought this small sample size at Sephora a while ago because I was curious about it. If you don't know what micellar water or cleansing water is, it is basically a makeup remover that feels just like water; it is not oily at all. I love Bioderma's micellar water, but I hate that I can only buy it online. I thought this stuff might be a good replacement for Bioderma and I can purchase it at Sephora which is really close to my house. I did really like this one, it worked pretty much the same as the Bioderma one. They both remove makeup really well and have a similar texture! However, I think the Koh Gen Do one is a bit more expensive than Bioderma. I think I will mull it over and see which of the two I prefer to buy...I would repurchase if I did not want to buy Bioderma online.

3. Bath & Body Works Moonlight Path Perfume
Ah this perfume smells so good! This is one of my favorite perfumes and I am sad that I finished it up. I will have to buy another one. This stuff smells so good that I have had three men come up to me and ask me what perfume I'm wearing because they really like it and want to buy it for their girlfriends. I guess this is a scent that both women and men really like because it is not very strong, but still has a nice floral and slightly musky scent. I would definitely repurchase this!

4. L'oreal Lash Out Butterfly Mascara
This mascara was alright. I liked the unique fan-like brush, but the formula left a lot to be desired. I would not repurchase this.

5. L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess Mascara
I really do not like this mascara. The brush is okay, but the formula is too clumpy and too moist. This just gave me very clumpy lashes! I would not repurchase.

Thank you for reading!

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Star Wars Series: Darth Vader

"You don't know the power of the Dark Side" -Darth Vader

Darth Vader is not just one of favorite Star Wars characters, but he is also one of the most iconic character in the series. He is one of the main antagonists of the Star Wars saga, yet he is also redeemed by his sacrifice in the end. When I thought about creating a Darth Vader look, I have to say I was quite intimidated; I didn't know how I could do any justice to his character. I knew I wanted something dark and smokey, but I wanted to add in red for his lightsaber too. I also wanted to add a bit of light, since he is not entirely a bad character which resulted in me adding some silver glitter. The sparkles over the black base in this look also are very reminiscent of all the space/galaxy scenes throughout the films. I was quite pleased with the outcome, and I hope you all like it as well!

In Progress: Indie Swatch Gallery

Hey guys! I wanted to let you know that I am currently doing a swatch gallery on imgur for my indie eyeshadows. Right now I only have Victorian Disco Cosmetics swatches, but now that I am done with school, I will have a lot of time to start swatching more of the brands I own. I hope to have albums for individual brands, and one folder for all the brands together. I am really new to making swatch galleries, and I am using imgur. If any of you know any other sites that would be better for this, please let me know!

I just added swatches of the VDC Sindarin collection which will hopefully be brought back in the VDC store soon! But, in the mean time, you can see colors side by side to see how they compare and how they look!

Weekly Favorites #2

Bath and Body Works Stress Relief Candle

I looooove this candle so much! I bought one during the holidays when a 2 for $22 sale was going on. I passed by B&BW the other day, and I noticed they were having another 2 for $22 sale so I picked up two of these. I love anything that is minty, but this isn't too minty and rather has a very spa-like scent. It definitely helps me relax. It has come in really handy this past week because I am really stressed with school right now >_<"

Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation and Airbuki Brush

I have been using this foudnation and brush for about two weeks now. I did a First Impression post and I am still waiting to do a full review on it. I am loving it though! It looks so natural but it still gives great coverage!

NARS Creamy Concealer

I haven't mentioned this concealer before on my blog, and that is because I recently purchased it (I really need to write up a haul post!). I bought this because I heard really great things about it and I've been using it in place of my MAC Pro Longwear Concealer for the past dew days. I will have a First Impression post, but for now I can say that it is living up to the hype!

Maybelline Baby Lips 'Grape Vine'

I don't love the Baby Lips that much, but I do really love this shade. I love the subtle dark purple color! And if you know me, you know I love purple lippies! The smell is wonderful too, like a grape popsicle!

NYX Butter Gloss 'Creme Brulee'

I mentioned this in my last week's favorites, but I needed to mention it again. I never thought I could love a nude gloss so much, but this one is AMAZING! I can't rave enough about it. The texture is awesome, the color suits every look, and it does not chap my lips. I can say with much confidence that this is pretty much the HG nude lip color I have been searching for.

Juicy Couture 'Viva La Juicy' Perfume

This has been my favorite perfume for a very long time. I have tried other perfumes, but I never end up liking how they smell on me. Every time I wear this delicate floral scent I get so many compliments, and it has become like my signature scent. I think the reason I like it so much is because it has jasmine notes. I LOVE jasmine scents and this one applies too. I wish I could find another perfume that was a little more "mature" than this one because it is a bit "girly" and "young". If anyone has any good recommendations for me, I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you for reading! Join me next Sunday for another weekly favorites!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Star Wars Series: Boba Fett

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I am really excited to finally bring you another Star Wars inspired look! I should really have done lots of these by now since my blog name is inspired by Star Wars after all! Today I will be sharing my Boba Fett inspired look. Boba Fett, a Madalorian bounty hunter and the clone of Jango Fett, is one of favorite characters from Star Wars, mostly because I really like his armor. So I was very excited to try to create a look inspired by him!

Life Update and Upcoming Posts

Greetings from the Dark Side!

You might have noticed that I am not posting too much lately. I wanted to make sure to address a few things just so you all know that I am not neglecting my blog! Firstly, I am coming to the end of my undergraduate education. Next week, I have my final exams and after that I will be graduating! It is really exciting but it is also putting a lot of pressure and stress on me. I am currently trying to finish up a bunch of term papers before I begin to study for my exams. Because of this, I haven't had much time to post anything.

Even though I won't be posting much until after my exams are over (which is on the Saturday of next week) I will still be doing this week's and next week's series challenge looks. I think those will be the only posts I will have up until the end of my finals. But after that, I will have a lot of reviews, swatches, looks, and haul posts! So just stick with me for the next week until I resume my usual posting routine :D

Monday, March 10, 2014

Swatches: Wet n Wild Spring 2014 Palettes

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Today, I was very lucky to find a display of the new Spring 2014 Wet n Wild palettes! I have an obsession with getting all the limited edition Wet n Wild palettes (gotta catch 'em all!) so I had to pick these up as well. I wanted to get some quick swatches for you guys in case you were interested in getting these too. Right off the bat I can say that I really like 'Walking the Red Carpet', but I am not very impressed with 'Flirting at the After Party'. Hopefully I can have a few looks for you guys with these palettes soon!

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Weekly Favorites #1

1. NYX Butter Glosses
My absolute favorite product of this week was the NYX Butter Glosses. These are pigmented, smooth, and not sticky. I haven't been excited by lip glosses in a looooong time, so I was pleasantly surprised by these ones. The one in the picture is 'Peaches and Creme' but I absolutely love all the shades I have. In fact, my favorite of the bunch is actually 'Creme Brulee', a nude shade. I picked up 'Creme Brulee' at the recommendation of one of my favorite Youtube vloggers Claire Marshall, aka HeyClaire. I also used one of these in my Hufflepuff look.

First Impression: Rimmel Stay Matte Primer

A while back ago I bought this Rimmel primer to try out, but I haven't had a chance to use it because I was busy using the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser. I finally had a chance to try it out these past two days and I want to post my first thoughts on it. Keep reading for more information~

March Series Challenge: Star Wars

Greetings from the Dark Side!

For an introduction of this Series Challenge, go HERE. Otherwise, welcome to another month of my challenge series! This month's theme will be: Star Wars. For weekly dates and inspiration pictures, keep reading!

Roundup and Giveaway Winner: February Series Challenge

Greetings from the Dark Side!

Thank you for all the feedback/comments that I receive for my Disney looks, and a huge thank you to all of those who participated in the February Challenge! I had a lot of fun of with this Disney Princess theme :D It was a bit more challenging than usual because these were softer, girlier looks.

DIY Tutorial: Pressed Eyeshadow Palette

Greetings from the Dark Side~

Are you tired of having a bunch of loose eyeshadows? Do you want a better way to use and store all those jars and baggies of loose eyeshadows? Well you've come to the right place because today I will show you how you can turn those loose eyeshadows into some pressed eyeshadow palettes! It is not as hard as you might think and the result can be phenomenal!

First Impression: Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation + Airbuki Bamboo Powder Foundation Brush

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I recently purchased the Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation and the Airbuki brush that is meant for the foundation. I haven't purchased much from Sephora lately, but I received a Sephora and Ulta gift card from my lovely supervisor as a early graduation gift and as a goodbye from my work-study job and I decided to splurge a bit (I will post a haul shortly)! This foundation has been on my wishlist for a long time now, and I really wanted to give it a try. I have only used it twice and I want to post this First Impression post now to before I begin my 1-month test trial. Keep reading for more information~