What I've Been Up To

Hey everyone!

Before I get into posting some makeup related posts, I thought I would just talk about what I have been up to during the time I've been gone ^_^ Nothing too exciting, but there has been quite a few changes over the months/years.

1. I've gotten more into cosplaying and photography!

I cosplay pretty regularly and create more costumes than I used to! I also have been fond of doing more photoshoots of my costumes. The costume below is Tharja from the game Fire Emblem: Awakening~ I made the entire costume myself  💜

Hello! After all this time...

Hi to anyone that might still be around! 

It's Nancy! Back from the dead, haha.

I'm sure the blogging world has changed much since I was last here but, but I was feeling the urge to create some new things lately! So you will be seeing some new content! ^_^  I've been quite busy being a cosplayer and mostly posting on my Instagram (@DarthNancy), so that is what I have mostly been doing with my time. For now, have my latest costume: genderbent 10th Doctor from Doctor Who~ It feels great to be back!

Bye for now, but much more to come~

Cosplay Makeup Tutorial: Candy Cane Miss Fortune/ Poison Ivy

Hi hi, everyone!

I posted a makeup tutorial on my other blog for this look! If you guys want to see the tutorial, check out the tutorial on my other blog ^_^

http://www.generationofcosplay.com/2015/10/makeup-tutorial-candy-cane-miss-fortune.html

 Facebook | Twitter | Google + |  Bloglovin' | Instagram | Giveaway

Cosplay Makeup Tutorial: Hyuuga Hinata (Naruto)

Greetings from the Dark Side!

*I posted this tutorial on my cosplay blog, but since it is makeup-related, I will post it here too!

Today I will be sharing with you guys a simple makeup tutorial for the makeup I wear with my Hinata cosplay. I have received tons of requests to do this in the past, so I am excited to finally share this! The makeup I wear could be way more complicated (I could wear lashes on my lower lash line or contour a lot), but I find that this makeup has worked the best for me. The white mesh lenses I wear are a little creepy, but I like how they make my cosplay look! Wearing lenses is totally up to you; don't feel like absolutely have to wear any. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the tutorial!

                                                                                                             Products Used                                                                                                

 

Eyes

- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser 'Neutralizer'

- ELF Undereye Setting Powder

- Lime Crime 'Lotus Noir ' eyeshadow (black eyeshadow)

- Wet n Wild 'Vanity' Palette (shimmery champagne and matte brown)

- Jesse's Girl liquid liner

- L'oreal Voluminous Mascara

- Ardel Lashes #105

- White Mesh lenses from Honey Color

Face & Lips 

- Wet n Wild CoverAll Foundation

- The Body Shop Honey Bronzer

- MAC 'Pink Swoon' Blush

- Revlon 'Berry Allure' lip gloss

                                                                                                                      Tutorial                                                                                                       

1. Start out by using a primer or concealer all over your lids. I used the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer to conceal any discoloration around my eyes and to act as a base for the rest of the makeup I will be using.

2. Use an eyeshadow or setting powder to set the concealer. I used the ELF Undereye Setting Powder.

3. Eyeliner is going to be your best friend with most anime makeup, so take a liquid eyeliner and line your lash line. You can make this as dramatic as you'd like. I went quite subtle with my eyeliner this time around! I used the Jesse's Girl liquid eyeliner.

4. Apply a generous coat of mascara. I used the L'oreal Voluminous mascara.

5. Apply false lashes. I used my favorite lashes, the Ardel #105 lashes.

6. Apply a bit of black eyeshadow on the end portion of the lower lash line (you can also go over that part with a bit of liquid liner).

7. Apply a shimmery champagne eyeshadow on the inner half of the lower lash line. This will brighten up and enlarge the eyes.

8. With a neutral light brown, contour the eye socket to add dimension to the eyes.'

9. Fill in your eyebrows with a blue eyeshadow. You can also cover the eyebrows and then draw them in (I  personally don't like doing that).

10. If you are using contacts, now is the time to put them in! I usually put contacts in first, but I cannot see with them so I have to put them in last. They do sometimes make my eyes really watery and it can ruin my makeup a bit (like it did in this case!).

Thank you all for joining me and I hope this simple tutorial is helpful to someone out there ^_~

Mercenary Katarina (LoL) Cosplay Part 6: Clothes, Belt, Shoes, and Wig

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
Part 4: Pauldron

Part 5: Bracers Revisited

Katarina Smokey Eye

Hi everyone! Today, I am going to show you the clothing, shoes, belts, and wig I have for my Mercenary Katarina cosplay! So let's get right to it :D

Mercenary Katarina (LoL) Cosplay Part 5: Bracers Revisited

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
Part 4: Pauldron

Katarina Smokey Eye

Update: Long time no see!

Well hello everyone!

It has been quite a long time, hasn't it? I have been out of the blogging sphere for quite sometime now, and I wanted to at least pop up and say hi! So hi xD

I haven't blogged in forever just because I have had a real lack of motivation and creativity. And honestly I have not been into makeup for a while now. I have been much more interested in cosplaying! I often post pictures about my cosplays on Instagram so you should check it out (@DarthNancy). I think I'll be posting on my blog more often about cosplaying and makeup for cosplays! I'll try my best to post more from now on!

For now, I will leave you with a picture from my latest makeup test for my Hyuuga  Hinata cosplay :)

So, how have you all been? really hope you have all been doing well! Let me know what kind of posts you would like to see in the comments!

FOTD: Pomegranate Punk

Greetings from the Dark Side!

This week it finally started to feel like autumn here in North California...finally. It has been so freaking, so the sudden onset of chilly days have been more than welcome. I cannot wait for it to get even colder! I am really not a summer person and I much prefer the colder weather~ Along with the autumn weather we start to see autumn trends, that including makeup trends. I wear dark makeup all throughout the year, but I wear it even more during fall and winter. Here is an easy purple/cranberry look using indie makeup and some drugstore items~ I really do need to use my indie eyeshadows more often! They are gorgeous!I hope you all like it ^_^

FOTD: Autumn Neutrals

Greetings from the Dark Side!

It has been a while guys! I am so sorry for being MIA! Life has been extremely busy for me (I am sure it has been for everyone!). I have had to juggle school, two jobs, and my social and home life. But mostly I have been lacking inspiration to do creative makeup and to blog, if I am totally honest. I felt really unmotivated to do any cool makeup looks or even to buy any new makeup. I have so much makeup that it makes me feel totally guilty about owning that much. But I decided to get back to blogging, even if it means just using the makeup I currently own. I can't believe my last FOTD was in July!!

The makeup look I am showing you today has been my sort of everyday neutral smokey eye. It just uses neutral bronzes and a pop of a smoked-out green eyeliner on the lash line. Keep reading if you want to know what products I used ;)

Giveaway: Maybelline The Nudes Palette

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I have been using this palette from Maybelline a lot recently so I thought I would give one away~ Good luck to everyone who enters!

                                                                      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

 Facebook | Twitter | Google + |  Bloglovin' | Instagram | Giveaway

Top 5: Holy Grail Products

Greetings from the Dark Side!

For me, it has always been very difficult to label a product as a Holy Grail (HG). I use so many different products that it is hard to choose only a few to call my HG products. But, I thought about it and choose 5 products I can definitely label as HG. My criteria for HG products are products that 1) I really, really like; 2) that I used very often; 3) that are NOT limited edition and could easily obtain them; and 4) if I lost/finished them I would immediately repurchase them.

Update!

Greetings from the Dark Side!

So...hi guys! It seems I have left my blog hanging for almost a month! Yikes >_<" I want to apologize for being so inactive, and not just on my blog but on all my social media. I was super busy with work, lazy, and (insert other lame excuse here). Honestly though I just did not feel inspired to write anything or create any makeup looks. In fact I have cut down on makeup-buying significantly and have been wearing pretty minimal makeup for most of July/beginning of August. I do want to get back on the wagon though and start writing again. I feel a bit more recharged after my mini blogging hiatus, so yay!

On other note, I totally did not do the July Series Challenge D: So I will be doing during this month (August). However, I will not be doing another Series Challenge giveaway since someone already won that prize. Look forward to seeing some looks from me this month!

 Thanks for reading!

 Facebook | Twitter | Google + |  Bloglovin' | Instagram | Giveaway

FOTD: Orange and Nude

Greetings from the Dark Side!

I'm not dead, I have just been a terrible blogger. And as usual, I blame both work and the fact that watching anime gets pretty addicting! I have been keeping my makeup quite minimal because of my job (and maybe you also noticed that my blue hair was quite short-lived!). I have been playing around with some of the new makeup I purchased recently and today I used the Maybelline The Nudes palette to create this eye look. I paired it with a very summery orange lip, Lime Crime's 'My Beautiful Rocket' lipstick~! I love pairing neutral eye looks with bright lip colors and Lime Crime lipsticks are always my go-to lipsticks for bright lips.

Thanks for reading!

 Facebook | Twitter | Google + |  Bloglovin' | Instagram | Giveaway

July Series Challenge: League of Legends

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: League of Legends!  For weekly dates and inspiration pictures, keep reading!

*Every person can do one look per inspiration (so a maximum total of three looks per month). 
*Share your weekly look  by the end of each week on my Facebook Page, my Twitter, and/or by email (darksideofbeautyblog@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:  Goth Annie

Week 2: Jinx

Week 3: Mercenary Katarina

                                                                   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 $20-30 gift certificate of the store of your choice. 

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

First Impression: Milani Bella Eyes Gel Eyeshadows

I'm throwing another First Impression post your way because I actually did a bit of hauling this past week. I've heard quite a lot of things about these new Milani Bella Eyes Gel Eyeshadows so I had to try them out for myself. The name is not only really long but also a bit weird. Are they powder or gel eyeshadows? Let's find out! Here are my first thoughts on two shades I picked up as well as some swatcharoos of both shades.

First Impression: Maybelline 'The Nudes' Palette

I recently found this new drugstore palette from Maybelline and I was really excited to pick it up! I don't own the Naked or Naked2 palettes so I wanted to try this version of a nude palette. I have my first impression as well as some swatches in this post for you guys, and I will also be posting some eye looks using this palette in future posts ^_^ Has anyone else tried this palette out?

Kill La Kill Series: Fight Club Mako

"Winning at friendship means winning at life!"

Mankanshoku Mako is by far my favorite character from Kill la Kill! She is so randomly awesome and cute! However, for a few moments in the serious we got to see her as a badass member of the Fight Club with her Two-Star goku uniform (the best uniform by far IMO). I loved seeing her in her goku uniform because she totally reminds me of some delinquent yakuza-ish anime character. Instead of doing something too neutral and cuteish, I decided to do a neutral look with a pop of blue, red, and a bit of black. This is a easy way to wear color AND it totally doubles as a subtle 4th of July look!