Madd Style Cosmetics: Subtle Color Tutorial

I've been wearing a lot of neutrals on my eyes throughout the month so that I could play up my love for bright eyeliners, hehe. Because of this, I felt like doing something a little different but I still wanted it to remain 'subtle' while incorporating some color. :)
I apologize in advance for the lighting.. it's been quite cloudy lately & we're finally starting to see some rain!

Top left: Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer,

Tarte lights, camera, lashes! Mascara,

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero, 

MicaBeauty Cosmetics Gel Eyeliner in Black,  

&Tick:Tock Infinity Eye Shadow Base in 'Milky Way'

Bottom left: bdellium tools brushes #781, #716 and #777,

& Tarte double-duty eyelining brush

Top &bottom right: Madd Style Cosmetics eyeshadow pigments in: 

Birf'day Suit, Pish Posh, Not about the Money, and Cheermeister

As always - start off by applying your primer and a base :)

Grab 'Pish Posh' and start applying to the inner corner/duct, stopping at about the center of the lid. 

You could keep this color strictly in the inner corner/duct if you prefer!

Take 'Not about the Money' and start applying this to the center of the lid, overlapping 'Pish Posh' - make sure to leave a little room in the outer corner.

Very lighty, apply a little 'Cheermeister' to the outer corner of the lid.

You'll want to go back in and blend your colors a bit more. I also brought 'Cheermeister' up above the crease and brought the color closer to the inner corner of my eye. 

When you're happy with how your colors look, go in with a matte eyeshadow that is close to your skin tone (I'm using Birf'day Suit here) and blend up to the brow and soften your lines :)

Last but not least - mascara and eyeliner! Since these colors have some shimmer to them, you may also want to go in with a q-tip (lightly dipped in makeup remover) to wipe away any fallout you may have.

Thank you all for viewing! xoxo

Birchbox Quick Look: August 'Finishing School' Box

My box contents this month:

• (MALIN + GOETZ) vitamin e face moisturizer - 2 foil packets, .04 fl oz/1.2g ea.
• Stila stay all day liquid lipstick in 'Beso' - 0.03 fl oz/1ml
• Whish Exfoliating Body Wash - 22ml/.75 fl oz
• Whish Deodorant Swipe with hair inhibitor - 2.3g/.08oz
• It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product - 59.1ml/2 fl oz

Feeling a little bit indifferent about my Birchbox.. However, I do feel like the Stila stay all day liquid lipstick in 'Beso' is the star of my box this month! I have actually been eyeing the stay all day liquid lipsticks for a while, so I had my fingers crossed & I'm really happy to have received it. I've also heard a lot of rave reviews on the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product, so that should be fun to try. :) I highly doubt it'll be replacing my all time favorite Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle, though! I originally wasn't very excited about the Whish Exfoliating Body Wash, but after reading the description on the Birchbox website I'm feeling more optimistic that I'll be able to put it to use. Apparently the product formulation is gentle enough for use on the face, who knew!? Customer service over at Whish has confirmed this, so I'm excited to give it a shot!
As for the foil packets? I don't even want to talk about it. I loathe them and I am so over receiving them. :P

Here's a quick swatch of the star product from my box this month:

Stila stay all day liquid lipstick in 'Beso' swatched on the back of my hand (no primer, no base).
This amazing lipstick starts off as a liquid and dries down to a matte finish that doesn't budge <3

If you're interested in signing up for Birchbox I would love it if you use my referral link by clicking here. :)

Birchbox is a beauty and 'discovery' subscription service. For $10 a month (free shipping), you will receive a selection of samples to try. Samples may range anywhere from skincare to makeup and the occasional non-beauty related extras (or 'lifestyle' extras). You may cancel your subscription at any time (unless, of course, you sign up for a yearly subscription). Birchbox awards points for reviewing the products you receive each month - each review is worth 10 points, 100 points are equal to $10 that can be used toward purchasing full-size items in the Birchbox shop!

Thank you for viewing! <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. If you choose to use my referral link, I will receive a bonus of 50 points to use on the Birchbox website. My photos are taken in natural lighting and are unaltered aside from cropping.

BeautySage Quick Look: Editor's Pick Box (August)

My box contents:

• Clark's Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask - size not specified
• Christopher Drummond Beauty Sateen Blush in 'Plush Pink' - size not specified
• clariSEA Sea Salt Solutions Beachy Waves Salt Spray - 1 fl oz/30ml
• Shea Terra Organics Rose Hips Black Soap - 1 oz/28g
• One Love Organics Brand New Day Microderma Scrub & Masque - 15ml/0.5oz

BeautySage is a company that is a bit new to me. I've seen the company mentioned a few times here and there due to the sample boxes they offer, but had never purchased any personally (until now!). From my understanding BeautySage is the online shop for YouBeauty.com. They only sell products that are "proven to work" - and in doing so, the products they sell are chosen by the editors, chemists test the claims, and they have a product test panel in place to get honest feedback on the products. You can read more about it here.

The BeautySage sample/brand boxes are not subscription based and they tend to sell out quickly. The best part, at least for me, is that you are able to see which products are included in each box before buying (you can see any current sample boxes that are available by clicking here) - I feel like this makes it a lot easier to decide whether or not the box is right for you (and, of course, whether or not they are even samples you're interested in trying!).

I was really excited to see the August "Editor's Pick" Box (and had to have it immediately) because I had already been debating whether or not I wanted to buy and take a chance on the One Love Organics Brand New Day Microderma Scrub & Masque. The size included in the box retails for $12, and the price of this entire sample box was only $10. I really really couldn't pass it up. ;) Aside from the scrub, I noticed a sample of my beloved Rose Hips Black Soap would be included along with a sample of a beach wave salt spray for hair (I am seriously obsessed with these lately..). It's like this box was meant for me! ha ha

I was pleasantly surprised to see that all of the samples in this box are generously sized and have more than enough product for multiple uses! To top that off, all of the sample packing is incredible - Now, this is going to sound silly, but.. I am a sucker for samples that have the same packaging as their full-size versions. They are so much easier to use, and I absolutely hate messing around with foil packets.. (cough, Birchbox, cough)..

For example, here are the items that didn't have a specified size/weight:

Unfortunately, this particular sample box is sold out.. BUT, I highly recommend checking out BeautySage and keeping an eye out for future sample boxes. ;) They have a lot of fantastic products available in their shop and are currently offering up free shipping on any order for a limited time.

Thanks for viewing! xo

FTC: This sample box 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. The photo was taken in natural lighting and is unaltered aside from cropping.

Ipsy Quick Look: August 'Glamour Academy' Glam Bag

My bag contents this month:

• Michael Todd True Organics Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask - 30ml/1 fl oz
• Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in '69' - 1g/0.03oz
• Pixi Beauty Lash Booster Mascara in 'Blackest Black' - 3.0g/0.105oz
• MicaBeauty Cosmetics Shimmer Powder in 'Bronze' - 0.1oz/2.5g
• Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - .25 fl oz/7.1ml

Pretty impressed with the featured brands/products sent out this month. Ipsy continues to improve and I only hope that ipsyMatch will continue to do so as well (crossing fingers!). I do have to admit, I preferred when all subscribers received relatively the same products across the board and with little variation between the bags.. but I also understand why that may not be possible with the growing number of subscribers. :P

I am so ecstatic to have received the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick, and the MicaBeauty Shimmer Powder is absolutely stunning! I will be passing on the Smashbox Primer (I'm probably in the minority here - but it just does not work for me!) and although I am *madly* in love with all things pumpkin/pumpkin spice.. the label states that it is suitable for all skin types except sensitive. I'm taking this as a clear sign that I should steer clear of it entirely, which really bums me out. :(  The Pixi Beauty Lash Booster Mascara should be fun to try out! I am a sucker for deluxe sample minis, and mascara is one of my favorites. :)

Quick swatch time! I wanted to show the difference between MicaBeauty Shimmer Powder in 'Earth' (which was previously sent out to some subscribers in April) and MicaBeauty Shimmer Powder in 'Bronze' (which went out to some subscribers this month) as well as the two Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick shades that were sent out to some subscribers this month:

MicaBeauty Cosmetics Shimmer Powder in 'Earth' and 'Bronze' - swatched over NYX JEP in 'Milk'
(I apologize for the dimmer lighting, 'Bronze' was impossible to capture true to color in direct sunlight because of its strong golden sheen. Much more beautiful in person, 'Bronze' also has a very slight pink tint to it!)

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 'Anarchy' and '69'

'Anarchy' is a gorgeous bright fuchsia and '69' is a bright red with strong pink undertones. Love!

If you're interested in signing up for Ipsy I would love if you use my referral link by clicking here. :)

Ipsy is a beauty subscription service. For $10 a month (free shipping within the U.S.), you will receive 4-5 deluxe or full-size beauty products in a 'glam' (cosmetic) bag. You may cancel your subscription at any time (unless, of course, you sign up for a yearly subscription). Ipsy is currently working on their referral program (when two people use your specific referral link to sign up for the monthly glam bag, you will receive a bonus item in your next glam bag) and allows you to give feedback on the products you receive each month so that they can better match you to more relevant products in the future.

Thank you for viewing! <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. If you choose to use my referral link, I may potentially receive a bonus item in my next Glam Bag. The photos were taken in natural lighting and are unaltered aside from cropping.

Madd Style Cosmetics: Playing in Brights Tutorial

So, originally I had a completely different tutorial planned.. I could not get the colors to photograph correctly to save my life! In my complete frustration I decided to use some super bright colors that I knew would photograph well. Maybe I should become frustrated with my tutorials more often, huh? ha ha
I really love how this turned out and I hope that you will, too! :)

Top left: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero, 

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer, 

Benefit Cosmetics 'They're Real!' Mascara,

MicaBeauty Cosmetics Gel Eyeliner in Black,  

&Tick:Tock Infinity Eye Shadow Base in 'Milky Way'

Bottom left: Real Techniques 'accent brush'

& bdellium tools brushes #777 and #781

Top &bottom right: Madd Style Cosmetics eyeshadow pigments in: 

Birf'day Suit, Sneetch, Pew Pew Pow!, and Who R U?

As always, start out by applying your preferred eye shadow primer and base

Pat 'Pew Pew Pow!' on the center of the lid and into the hollow/crease. Make sure not to bring your color too close to the inner corner/duct area.

Apply 'Who R U?' to the outer corner area of the lid and then gently sweep this color to overlap 'Pew Pew Pow!' where the two meet on the lid and in the crease.

Continue to lightly blend 'Who R U?' and 'Pew Pew Pow!'

Using a fluffy crease brush, you may want to grab a color close in skin tone to soften up the edges a bit.

Using a small brush (such as the Real Techniques 'accent brush') you want to very lightly apply 'Sneetch' to the inner corner/duct area. I also went back in with 'Who R U?' on my accent brush and brought it further over toward the inner corner above 'Sneetch'

And last but not least - you'll want to apply your eyeliner and mascara to complete the look!

A small accent brush is also prefect for applying gel eyeliner to the waterline ;)

Thank you all for viewing! xoxo

Ipsy Quick Look: July 'Beach Beauty' Glam Bag

My bag contents this month:

• COOLA Mineral Face SPF 20 Unscented Moisturizer - .23 fl oz / 7ml
• Nailtini Nail Lacquer in 'Mai Tai' - 15ml / .5 fl oz
• POP Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in 'Coral Crush' - 3g / 0.1 oz
• BH Cosmetics California Collection - 3 sample eyeshadows
• Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray - 1.7 fl oz / 50ml

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the majority of the samples I received this month. To sum things up... I've fallen in love with the beach spray (it smells divine and gives my hair the added texture/volume it so desperately needs). I'm thrilled to have received the coral lip crayon this month - I had my fingers crossed for it! Sunscreen is always welcome here, and I'm really quite pleased that it's mineral, organic and cruelty-free! The nail polish isn't really my thing - I'm already a Zoya addict and hardly stray from what I already know and love. ;) The California Collection sample eyeshadows were a bit of a let down - absolutely gorgeous, but they are sheer and it takes a lot of effort to build up the color.

BH Cosmetics California Collection sample palette:

Swatches:

(BH Cosmetics Hollywood, San Francisco, and Malibu are swatched over Tick:Tock Cosmetics Infinity Eye Shadow Base in 'Milky Way' and POP Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Coral Crush is swatched over bare skin.)

P.S. ...Woops! I almost forgot to mention - I received a sneak peek e-mail today! It looks as though some lucky subscribers will be receiving an Urban Decay lipstick sample next month (click to enlarge the photo):

*This is likely not a guaranteed sample for all subscribers & there is a current waitlist for new subscribers. Signing up now may be your best shot at being taken off the wait list in time for the August Glam Bag, just a heads up! <3

If you're interested in signing up for Ipsy I would love if you use my referral link by clicking here. :)

Ipsy is a beauty subscription service. For $10 a month (free shipping within the U.S.), you will receive 4-5 deluxe or full-size beauty products in a 'glam' (cosmetic) bag. You may cancel your subscription at any time (unless, of course, you sign up for a yearly subscription). Ipsy is currently working on their referral program (when two people use your specific referral link to sign up for the monthly glam bag, you will receive a bonus item in your next glam bag) and allows you to give feedback on the products you receive each month so that they can better match you to more relevant products in the future.

Thank you for viewing! <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. If you choose to use my referral link, I may potentially receive a bonus item in my next Glam Bag. The photos were taken in natural lighting and are unaltered aside from cropping and adding text.

Birchbox Quick Look: July 'Power Play' Box

My box contents this month:

• Birchbox Bobby Pins with green pattern - two matching bobby pins
• purminerals CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 40 in 'light' - .3oz / 10g
• Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in 'Purple' - 2g / 0.07oz
• Vivant Skin Care Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash - 4.5ml
• Kerastase Chroma Thermique (Protect) - two foil packets, 10ml ea.

A decent box and variety of items this month, for sure. This definitely was not my dream box by any means - but I can't deny how insanely excited I am to have received a full sized Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner (and in purple, at that!). I did, however, make the mistake of trying out the Vivant Skin Care sample.. why am I so tempted by these things? I should know by now that my skin absolutely hates anything marketed for 'treating' acne. The description states that it is a 'gentle' cleanser, but my skin felt otherwise.. it was left irritated and dry, go figure! I am looking forward to trying the CC cream - but mostly because of the sunscreen benefits. ha ha The Birchbox bobby pins are actually pretty cute and will likely come in handy. I find them difficult to use, though, as they are hard to pry open! And as for the sample packets of Kerastase.. they'll be left unused (by me, at least).

Before I go - here's a quick swatch of the Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Purple:

If you're interested in signing up for Birchbox I would love it if you use my referral link by clicking here. :)
Birchbox is a beauty and 'discovery' subscription service. For $10 a month (free shipping), you will receive a selection of samples to try. Samples may range anywhere from skincare to makeup and the occasional non-beauty related extras (or 'lifestyle' extras). You may cancel your subscription at any time (unless, of course, you sign up for a yearly subscription). Birchbox awards points for reviewing the products you receive each month - each review is worth 10 points, 100 points are equal to $10 that can be used toward purchasing full-size items in the Birchbox shop!

Thank you for viewing! <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. If you choose to use my referral link, I will receive a bonus of 50 points to use on the Birchbox website. The photo was taken in natural lighting and is unaltered aside from cropping.

Madd Style Cosmetics: Not Quite Neutral Tutorial

I wanted to do something simple but still 'fun'.. so, I decided on one of my favorites - neutral with a pop of color! I had a lot of fun coming up with this & now I am going to highly encourage you all to try out a bright/bold eyeliner color (especially with a neutral look). :)
I am currently obsessing over gel eyeliners and figured this was a perfect opportunity to try out a new one I recently purchased to see how well it would do.

Products used for this look:

Top left: Stila kajal eye liner in 'Pearl', 
Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer, 
Sedona Lace Eyeliner Gel in 'Wicked' (#16),  
Tick:Tock Infinity Eye Shadow Base in 'Milky Way',
& Benefit Cosmetics 'They're Real!' Mascara
Bottom left: bdellium tools brushes #781 and #777 
& Real Techniques 'fine liner brush'
Top &bottom right: Madd Style Cosmetics eyeshadow pigments in: 
Unicorns & Glitter, Birf'day Suit, Princess Peach, and Iced Mocha

Start off by priming the eyes and applying your eye shadow base.

Grab an eye shadow brush and apply 'Princess Peach' all over the lid. Use a lighter hand when applying toward the outer corner.

Lightly pat 'Iced Mocha' on the outer portion of the lid and work a tiny bit into the outer crease.

Using a fluffy crease brush - start blending out 'Iced Mocha' on the outer portion of the lid and crease area.

Using 'Birf'day Suit' I further blended 'Iced Mocha' out up to the brow area to soften. I also added a bit of 'Unicorns & Glitter' to the inner corner. :)

Last (but not least) - apply your choice of eyeliner and mascara and you're set! <3

I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial & hopefully I've inspired you to try out some brightly colored eyeliner! ;)

Ipsy Quick Look: June 'On the Wild Side' Glam Bag

My bag contents this month:

• NYX Rouge Cream Blush in 'Tea Rose' - 0.12 oz/3.5g
• J. Cat Beauty Sparkling Cream Palette in 'Volta' - 0.1oz/3g
• Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter - 1.4g
• Starlooks Lip Pencil in 'Tipsy' - 2.4g
• J. Cat Beauty Eyelashes + Glue in style 'EL600'

Really happy with my glam bag this month (including the bag itself.. leopard print and neon? yes, please!). I received a really nice range of products and, if I'm not mistaken, all of them are full sizes! My only disappointments? My blush color is a bit dark for my skin tone and.. well, I don't have a clue what I'm going to use the sparkling cream palette for.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend using the sparkling cream palette on or around the eyes. I'm not sure about the other color variations.. but in my 'Volta' palette the gold glitter is quite chunky. While the others look like they might be okay - I find them to be quite messy and unpredictable. Better not to risk it! ;)

I did some quick swatches of my blush, lip pencil, and highlighter:

If you're interested in signing up for Ipsy I would love if you use my referral link by clicking here. :)

Ipsy is a beauty subscription service. For $10 a month (free shipping within the U.S.), you will receive 4-5 deluxe or full-size beauty products in a 'glam' (cosmetic) bag. You may cancel your subscription at any time (unless, of course, you sign up for a yearly subscription). Ipsy is currently working on their referral program (when two people use your specific referral link to sign up for the monthly glam bag, you will receive a bonus item in your next glam bag) and allows you to give feedback on the products you receive each month so that they can better match you to more relevant products in the future.

Thank you for viewing! <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. If you choose to use my referral link, I may potentially receive a bonus item in my next Glam Bag. The photos were taken in natural lighting and are unaltered aside from cropping.

Birchbox Quick Look: June 'Wanderlust' Box

My box contents this month:

• Color Club (Wanderlust Collect.) Mini Polish in 'Reign in Spain' - 0.25 fl. oz.
• 100% Pure Body Cream samples in 'Vanilla Bean' & 'Coconut' - 2ml each
• Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser - 7.5 mL
• Mirenesse Glossy Kiss Lipstick in ' Perfect Kiss' - 4g / 0.15oz
• Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk - 50 ml

Overall I'm pretty happy with this box! Birchbox has recently implemented a new beauty profile and I feel like it is a bit more specific this time around. This should help with matching subscribers to more relevant box contents. :)
In my case, I certainly feel as though Birchbox matched me pretty well this month (much better than some previous months).. but we'll see how it pans out. My only disappointment is the size of the 100% Pure body cream packets - they are quite literally the size of ketchup packets! This is not a major issue, it is just that 100% Pure is a company I would love to try more products from! ;)

If you're interested in signing up for Birchbox I would love it if you use my referral link by clicking here. :)
Birchbox is a beauty and 'discovery' subscription service. For $10 a month (free shipping), you will receive a selection of samples to try. Samples may range anywhere from skincare to makeup and the occasional non-beauty related extras (or 'lifestyle' extras). You may cancel your subscription at any time (unless, of course, you sign up for a yearly subscription). Birchbox awards points for reviewing the products you receive each month - each review is worth 10 points, 100 points are equal to $10 that can be used toward purchasing full-size items in the Birchbox shop!

Thank you for viewing! <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. If you choose to use my referral link, I will receive a bonus of 50 points to use on the Birchbox website. The photo was taken in natural lighting and is unaltered aside from cropping.