May 30, 2013

Madd Style Cosmetics: Coral & Mint Tutorial

As you all probably already know.. I'm still obsessing over mint! I just can't get enough of it. Coral and mint seemed to be hot topics this month over in the Madd Style Cosmetics group on Facebook - you should join us if you haven't already! :)

I really wanted to give this color combo a shot but opted for more of a pink-toned coral to pair it with.

Products used for this look:


Top left: Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer, 
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero, 
Benefit Cosmetics 'They're Real!' Mascara, 
& Tick:Tock Infinity Eye Shadow Base in "Milky Way"
Bottom left: bdellium tools brushes #716, #777, #781
Top &bottom right: Madd Style Cosmetics eyeshadow pigments in: 
Birf'day Suit, Cry Baby, Candy Floss, and Oops

Start off by priming the eye and applying an eye shadow base. I concentrate the eye shadow base on my lid and lightly blend out up to the brow.

Apply 'Candy Floss' to the inner part of the lid to about the center of the lid.

Apply 'Oops' to the remainder of the lid and blend it into 'Candy Floss'

Grab a fluffy crease brush and gently blend out/soften the crease.

Take 'Cry Baby' and lightly start applying this above the crease. I personally try to follow the shape of my eyebrows, but you can apply this however you feel comfortable! 
'Cry Baby' is a bit on the sheer side so it may take a few applications to build up the color.

Following the outer corner of your bottom lash line, bring 'Cry Baby' upward toward the outer corner of your lid/where your eyebrow ends.
I then used 'Birf'day Suit' to blend and soften the edges of 'Cry Baby' a bit.

Last but not least.. apply some eyeliner and mascara and you're all set! :)
&Please excuse my bad eyeliner day! haha


Thank you for stopping by and checking out my tutorial! xoxo

May 28, 2013

Ipsy: May Glam Bag

Hello everyone! I wanted to do a quick post on my Ipsy bag and share a couple of swatches with you. ;)

First of all - Ipsy introduced a little something new this month. I believe they like to call it their 'ipsyMatch' technology, which basically means: personalization!
It involves being active on their website (by 'loving' different products/looks) and by taking their beauty quiz (which asks questions such as... which 'looks' best describe your personal style, which ipsy stylists you relate the most to, beauty brands you love, makeup products you love the most, skin tone, skin concerns, etc.). These are basically the tools they will use to match you up with beauty picks 'just for you' every month.

IpsyMatch was super hyped up this month which honestly left me feeling a little disappointed after receiving my bag.. Well, not disappointed in the products I received - but I honestly thought they could 'match' me better (products/color variations more suited to my profile). haha  Silly.. yes, I know! But Ipsy has proven time and time again (at least to me) that they continue to improve and listen to our feedback - so, I'm hoping in time ipsyMatch will continue to improve!

They also note in the FAQ section that any changes to your beauty quiz must be made by the 1st of that month in order for it to take affect for that month's bag. And admittedly, I did sign up for a second subscription this month (before I knew how everything worked - and well before the 1st of the month!). It was solely due to sneak peeks of multiple 'or' products being sent out this month. I figured I would have a good chance at being able to try out a variety of products - and, since Zoya is my all time favorite (hands down!) nail polish.. I didn't have much to lose! ;)

Anyhow! Enough Rambling! Here's what my 'main' bag consisted of this month:
















Pictured*:
Pacifica Perfume Roll-On in 'Tahitian Gardenia' (full size)
Zoya Nail Polish in 'GeiGei' (full size)
Yaby Concealer Refill in 'Buff' (full size)
Mirabella Colour Sheers Lipstick in 'Posy' (full size)
Anastasia Beverly Hills (Mini) Clear Brow Gel (2.5mL/0.085 fl. oz.)

*I received the cosmetic bag that went out in April (white bag with pink zipper) with my Ipsy bag this month. They experienced a quality issue with some of the cosmetic bags last month.. basically, my cosmetic bag from April was delayed and this is why I am just now receiving it. :)
*I was also chosen to receive a new full size Urban Decay Moondust eyeshadow for being 'an active member of the ipsy community.'


Swatches were a bit tricky this month since I ended up trading some items! Here's what I came up with:

Left: Mirabella Colour Sheers Lipstick in 'Pixie' swiped on the back of my hand,

Middle: Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in 'Space Cowboy' applied over 
NYX JEP in 'Milk' and Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy (to help the glitter adhere),

Right: Yaby Concealer Refill in 'Buff' swiped on the back of my hand.

I could not do any justice to 'Space Cowboy' - these Moondust Eyeshadows are unbelievably glittery and complex. I highly recommend checking these out in person! &If you're worried about fallout with ultra-glittery eyeshadows, check out the Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy I linked to up above! ;)


Rumor has it that June subscribers will receive one of these full size NYX Cosmetics blushes!
If you're new to Ipsy and would like to sign up, I'd love for you to use my referral link. <3 <3


FTC: This subscription is paid for by myself/by my boyfriend. I am not being compensated to write this post, these are my honest opinions on the products and company. All photos of products and swatches were taken by me in natural lighting, and are unaltered aside from cropping!

May 16, 2013

LORAC: GLOgetter Palette + Swatches!

I wanted to do a quick swatch post because... Well, I recently picked up this gorgeous GLOgetter Palette by LORAC. It's exclusive to ULTA and retails for only $20! It contains a total of 10 eyeshadows and has just about everything you need - from brights to neutral, with a little bit of matte, shimmer, and duochrome all rolled into one! I was so impressed by this little palette and I'm pretty sure you will be, too! ;)



















The LORAC GLOgetter palette is pretty compact - just a tiny bit smaller than my hand! It opens up to a full mirror (not shown) and the two highlighting shades are almost double the size of the other 8 eyeshadows. They are all beautifully pigmented and are so ridiculously smooth!

Unfortunately, the colors are not named. My swatch photos show the colors in order from left to right (top to bottom). All of the colors (including the highlighting shades) were swatched over Tick:Tock Cosmetics Infinity Eye Shadow Base in 'Milky Way' and photographed in natural sunlight. The highlighting shades are not as opaque (but they are buildable) and I actually think they would look quite lovely as a highlight for the face as well (top of the cheek bone/temple, length of the nose, cupids bow, etc.)!


(the mauve-ish shade has a gorgeous golden overlay,
the aqua/mint shade has a strong golden duochrome,
and the purple has a gorgeous blue duochrome!)

(these shades are similar at first glance  - 
the color on the left leans a little more pinky/peach, 
and the color to the right has quite a bit more shimmer!)

In my opinion, this palette is worth every penny and I'm actually shocked by the low price tag. I highly suggest checking this out in person! The colors are perfect for summer.. or, if you're anything like me - all 365 days of the year ;)


FTC: This item was paid for by myself/by my boyfriend. I am not being compensated to write this post, these are my honest opinions on the products and company. All photos were taken by me in natural lighting, &are unaltered aside from cropping/collaging!