Friday, August 31, 2012
Yet more Mode swatches!
YOU GUYS YOU GUYS. Remember how I lost my favourite purple Mode Cosmetics polish during the move, and haven't been able to find a new bottle anywhere?
YAAAY!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Review: Neutrogena Sunscreen Lotion SPF30
The full name of this product is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF30+, and then under that it says with helioplex broad spectrum UVA-UVB.
Friday, August 24, 2012
NotD: Teal Paisley
After the reverse ladybug manicure, I wanted something that wouldn't show tip-wear as much, and I wanted to pull out my very neglected Konad plates.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Review: Scaredy Cat Cosmetics
Scaredy Cat Cosmetics is an Etsy-based store which has some of the most amazing packaging around - especially when you consider their prices! Although the sample vials look simply adorable, I've hear they're not especially practical, and I wanted to see the full sizes in person, so I just settled on one shade. I was still searching for teal shadows at this point, so I purchased Koi-eurism. It was $5 US and the shipping was an additional $5 US.
My order did not come with a sample, but no-where on the website or listing are samples written as being included with the order, and considering the intricacy and uniqueness of the packaging, I didn't mind at all.
Koi-eurism was a lot lighter than I thought it would be, and it's a very blue teal. On bare skin it goes on quite sheer. See it here next to Aromaleigh Giacinta:
As beautiful as the bottle is, it's not hugely practical. I'm going to try and pop the sifter off after I've used it a couple of times - I don't want to risk spilling too much product.
Here's a reference picture to give you an idea of the size:
I definitely recommend Scaredy Cat Cosmetics, not only for beautifully unique jars, but because they have stellar customer service. My order actually went missing and Kelly so kindly sent me a replacement, which arrived safely. I'll definitely be ordering from them again. I have my eye on Orbital for my next purchase - not that I actually need any more taupes!
My order did not come with a sample, but no-where on the website or listing are samples written as being included with the order, and considering the intricacy and uniqueness of the packaging, I didn't mind at all.
 |
| Over Pixie Epoxy on left, dry and on bare skin on right. |
 |
| Giacinta left, Koi-eurism right. |
Here's a reference picture to give you an idea of the size:
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| Aromaleigh full-size, Scaredy Cat, Sugarpill loose shadow |
I definitely recommend Scaredy Cat Cosmetics, not only for beautifully unique jars, but because they have stellar customer service. My order actually went missing and Kelly so kindly sent me a replacement, which arrived safely. I'll definitely be ordering from them again. I have my eye on Orbital for my next purchase - not that I actually need any more taupes!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
NoTD: Reverse Ladybug
I decided to pull out my dotting tools. I purposely didn't try for an even/neat arrangement and I think that worked out a LOT better than trying to emulate my work with my uncoordinated left hand.
Base: Manicare Glam Nails Paint It Black
Dots: Illamasqua Throb
Base: Manicare Glam Nails Paint It Black
Dots: Illamasqua Throb
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
LaurEss: Review & Swatches
It was quite a sad day when one of my staple indie companies Sassy Minerals announced that they would be closing and merging with an unknown-to-me company called LaurEss. The migration was supposed to take place pretty swiftly, but it was about a month until the Sassy products were actually available from the LaurEss website.
Sassy was one of my favourite companies because not only did they sell a variety of great products (eyeshadows, blush, face powder and foundation) but because they sold samples in JARS and orders always came so darn fast, even though they're in the U.S and I'm in Australia.
When the Sassy shades finally came up on the LaurEss website, I was really disappointed to see that they were no longer offering eyeshadow samples, just blush and face product samples. Having ordered a lot of Sassy eyeshadows, I did have a few shades I was interested in purchasing a full size of. After a lot of deliberation I decided to order one of my favourite shades from them, a matte grey called Thunderstruck. The eyeshadows are $5.25 US.
The order arrived in a fairly timely fashion. Sassy pack the shadows in a mesh bag and then an organza one over that. LaurEss just went with the organza - possibly because my order was so small. It did include a sample of a blush/highlighter.
The sample packaging was the same jar as the Sassy samples used, with the same type of sticker and font. However, I find LaurEss's product categories and listings to be a bit confusing. I didn't know what exactly they'd sent me until I looked it up on the website, and even then, I only realised it was a blush-type product because of the pricing and the fact you could purchase a sample.
The full-size shadow packaging is very different as well. The jar is a lot nicer-looking, but unlike the old Sassy jars, does not have the ingredients list anywhere.
I have several Sassy blushes, so I was definitely interested to try out Effervescent. But what I was most interested in was comparing my Sassy sample of Thunderstruck to the LaurEss full-sized jar... once I could get it open. Unfortunately, the full-sized jars come with those paper sifter stickers that have no pull-tab. That was the case on all of the old full-sized Sassy products as well. I opted to remove the sifter altogether.
LaurEss on the left, Sassy on the right. Swatched dry on bare skin.
The Sassy version looks a little bit lighter to my eye, though they show up almost identically in the pictures. They seem to have the same texture as well.
Verdict? I will probably be ordering a few full-sizes from LaurEss, but I think that the lack of samples will work against them being able to pull in a lot of new fans/customers.
Did your order from Sassy before they closed? Have/will you order from LaurEss in the future?
Sassy was one of my favourite companies because not only did they sell a variety of great products (eyeshadows, blush, face powder and foundation) but because they sold samples in JARS and orders always came so darn fast, even though they're in the U.S and I'm in Australia.
When the Sassy shades finally came up on the LaurEss website, I was really disappointed to see that they were no longer offering eyeshadow samples, just blush and face product samples. Having ordered a lot of Sassy eyeshadows, I did have a few shades I was interested in purchasing a full size of. After a lot of deliberation I decided to order one of my favourite shades from them, a matte grey called Thunderstruck. The eyeshadows are $5.25 US.
The order arrived in a fairly timely fashion. Sassy pack the shadows in a mesh bag and then an organza one over that. LaurEss just went with the organza - possibly because my order was so small. It did include a sample of a blush/highlighter.
The full-size shadow packaging is very different as well. The jar is a lot nicer-looking, but unlike the old Sassy jars, does not have the ingredients list anywhere.
I have several Sassy blushes, so I was definitely interested to try out Effervescent. But what I was most interested in was comparing my Sassy sample of Thunderstruck to the LaurEss full-sized jar... once I could get it open. Unfortunately, the full-sized jars come with those paper sifter stickers that have no pull-tab. That was the case on all of the old full-sized Sassy products as well. I opted to remove the sifter altogether.
LaurEss on the left, Sassy on the right. Swatched dry on bare skin.
The Sassy version looks a little bit lighter to my eye, though they show up almost identically in the pictures. They seem to have the same texture as well.
Verdict? I will probably be ordering a few full-sizes from LaurEss, but I think that the lack of samples will work against them being able to pull in a lot of new fans/customers.
Did your order from Sassy before they closed? Have/will you order from LaurEss in the future?
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Eotd: Ra, Poison Snow
Lid: Femme Fatale Poison
Outer corner: Meow Ra
And my matching earrings :)
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Aromaleigh v.2 swatches and review
I caved, I did! I was ordering some samples of the clearance v1 shades, and some v2 samples slipped into my cart as well. I was curious to see if the new shades were as good and had that sparkle factor of the original products.
All have been swatched over Pixie Epoxy.
"rich, deep teal frost with green highlight shimmer"
Amazing, amazing teal shade. It has just enough sparkle not to be too satiny, and it's so versatile. If you want it to be more blue, use a patting motion. Want it to be greener? Buff it a little. I used it in a look with the colour sort of curving around the outer corner of my eye - it ended up looking like two different shades because I patted more colour on the upper lid and blended it out on the lower lid. I have ordered a full-size of this because it's exactly the teal I was looking for.
"lush cool green frost with pink sparks"
When they said 'cool green' I wasn't expecting something so... faded? Pastel? The pink sparkles are visible and add an interesting dimension to the colour. It's pretty, it's just not something I can see myself reaching for a lot.
fraxinelle
"soft pinked buff with a green iridescence and blue sparks"
I was expecting this to have one of those plush bases with a bit of contrasting shimmer, but the base of this colour is SO blingy, I can only just make out the green/blue sparkles! A seriously shiny neutral. I think this would be great with a dark, equally glittery crease for a night out. Or, y'know, running errands.
elisabetta
"midtone buff with hints of rose and a smokey undertone"
Shimmery, rosy brass colour. Almost has a mauve sheen in some lights. Very steampunk, I like it!
"coral, in a plush luster fine sheen finish with softly shimmering rose highlight sparkles"
I have no idea why it's SO orange in my photos. Soft, yet bright pinky coral with mostly golden glitter. Really pretty, really bright shade!
knickers
"pinked champagne luster sheen frost with delicate highlights of golden green"
I keep giggling when I look at this shade. And I'll probably giggle every day I wear it. YES, I AM TWELVE, OKAY. Because this is over PE the gold/greenish highlights are very prominent. I'm sure it would look more pink over primer or bare skin.
ma cherie
"sheer plush luster in a midtoned cocoa rosy buff, highlighted with fine shimmers of green and blue"
Brown-taupe with green and blue shimmer. Very pretty indeed. Neutral but with a dash of sparkle and colour.
vittoria
"lush jade green with bright sparks of blue"
I don't know if I'd call this 'jade' green, but it's certainly a lush, rich, velvety colour. Would make a great crease or liner colour.
My final verdict? These are every bit as good as the old Aromaleigh shades, though they are still a long way from having the range v1 had. I would love to see some more brights and unusual shades, like the Rocks! and like some of the amazing Christmas shades with their super contrasting glitter. I can only hope they'll keep building their catalogue with more Moulin Rouge and less Bloom type shades. There are enough soft, neutral mattes on the market in my opinion. I'm so glad the Bete Noire shades are back - though, oddly, the difference in my collection since Aromaleigh v1 closed means the shades I originally wanted (Chantal, Amarante and Darcelle) I have too many similar shades to justify buying, and I now find other shades (Lisette and Bette) appealing.
Have you ordered from Aromaleigh v2 yet?
All have been swatched over Pixie Epoxy.
giacinta
Amazing, amazing teal shade. It has just enough sparkle not to be too satiny, and it's so versatile. If you want it to be more blue, use a patting motion. Want it to be greener? Buff it a little. I used it in a look with the colour sort of curving around the outer corner of my eye - it ended up looking like two different shades because I patted more colour on the upper lid and blended it out on the lower lid. I have ordered a full-size of this because it's exactly the teal I was looking for.
hellebore
When they said 'cool green' I wasn't expecting something so... faded? Pastel? The pink sparkles are visible and add an interesting dimension to the colour. It's pretty, it's just not something I can see myself reaching for a lot.
fraxinelle
"soft pinked buff with a green iridescence and blue sparks"
I was expecting this to have one of those plush bases with a bit of contrasting shimmer, but the base of this colour is SO blingy, I can only just make out the green/blue sparkles! A seriously shiny neutral. I think this would be great with a dark, equally glittery crease for a night out. Or, y'know, running errands.
elisabetta
"midtone buff with hints of rose and a smokey undertone"
Shimmery, rosy brass colour. Almost has a mauve sheen in some lights. Very steampunk, I like it!
can-can
I have no idea why it's SO orange in my photos. Soft, yet bright pinky coral with mostly golden glitter. Really pretty, really bright shade!
knickers
"pinked champagne luster sheen frost with delicate highlights of golden green"
I keep giggling when I look at this shade. And I'll probably giggle every day I wear it. YES, I AM TWELVE, OKAY. Because this is over PE the gold/greenish highlights are very prominent. I'm sure it would look more pink over primer or bare skin.
ma cherie
"sheer plush luster in a midtoned cocoa rosy buff, highlighted with fine shimmers of green and blue"
Brown-taupe with green and blue shimmer. Very pretty indeed. Neutral but with a dash of sparkle and colour.
vittoria
"lush jade green with bright sparks of blue"
I don't know if I'd call this 'jade' green, but it's certainly a lush, rich, velvety colour. Would make a great crease or liner colour.
My final verdict? These are every bit as good as the old Aromaleigh shades, though they are still a long way from having the range v1 had. I would love to see some more brights and unusual shades, like the Rocks! and like some of the amazing Christmas shades with their super contrasting glitter. I can only hope they'll keep building their catalogue with more Moulin Rouge and less Bloom type shades. There are enough soft, neutral mattes on the market in my opinion. I'm so glad the Bete Noire shades are back - though, oddly, the difference in my collection since Aromaleigh v1 closed means the shades I originally wanted (Chantal, Amarante and Darcelle) I have too many similar shades to justify buying, and I now find other shades (Lisette and Bette) appealing.
Have you ordered from Aromaleigh v2 yet?
Monday, August 6, 2012
Shiro swatches!
Intertubes! Eyeshadows! ALL OF THE THINGS.
This is a combination of several orders over the last few months.
Dance of Death is the first (?) colour of the month and by the time you are reading this, it will no longer be available. Sorry about that! If you like Shiro on Facebook you can suggest and vote for colours of the month and then maybe next time you won't miss out.
Beyond the Fence
I'm not a huge Hunger Games fan but I am a fan of green eyeshadow. This was a bit more olive than I was expecting - it's like a non-glittery version of Fyrinnae's Dressed To Kill eyeshadow. Which is one of my favourites, so I am glad I got this.
Majora's Mask
If you're like me and you own a ton of purple eyeshadows, GET THIS ANYWAY. It is loaded with gold sparkle and it's seriously gorgeous.
Enrichment Center
A free sample and it's a Portal colour. How did you know, Caitlin?! Soft, shiny sage green.
Forty Cakes is a creamy hot pink. Kind of barbie-ish. It is probably my version of MAC St Germain, since everyone raves about it, but every time I see it all I can think is "WAAAY too pale for me".
Team Buffy is a deep brown-plum red. I would say the photo is a bit less brown than it appears in person. I like building up the colour opacity a fair bit, but I imagine it can be worn sheer if you want something less vampy. Huuuur. It tends to settle into my lip lines if I'm not careful.
Nyan Cat is hot pink with gold shimmer that makes it almost coral. The shimmer is very present if you apply a good amount - it's borderline frosty, in fact. Here is Nyan Cat swatched next to Forty Cakes if you're worried about having too many pinks in your lip product wardrobe:
Swatches of older intertubes can be seen here.
Don't forget kids, be careful when using Intertubes because THEY STAIN!
This is a combination of several orders over the last few months.
Dance of Death is the first (?) colour of the month and by the time you are reading this, it will no longer be available. Sorry about that! If you like Shiro on Facebook you can suggest and vote for colours of the month and then maybe next time you won't miss out.
Beyond the Fence
I'm not a huge Hunger Games fan but I am a fan of green eyeshadow. This was a bit more olive than I was expecting - it's like a non-glittery version of Fyrinnae's Dressed To Kill eyeshadow. Which is one of my favourites, so I am glad I got this.
Majora's Mask
If you're like me and you own a ton of purple eyeshadows, GET THIS ANYWAY. It is loaded with gold sparkle and it's seriously gorgeous.
Enrichment Center
A free sample and it's a Portal colour. How did you know, Caitlin?! Soft, shiny sage green.
Forty Cakes is a creamy hot pink. Kind of barbie-ish. It is probably my version of MAC St Germain, since everyone raves about it, but every time I see it all I can think is "WAAAY too pale for me".
Team Buffy is a deep brown-plum red. I would say the photo is a bit less brown than it appears in person. I like building up the colour opacity a fair bit, but I imagine it can be worn sheer if you want something less vampy. Huuuur. It tends to settle into my lip lines if I'm not careful.
Nyan Cat is hot pink with gold shimmer that makes it almost coral. The shimmer is very present if you apply a good amount - it's borderline frosty, in fact. Here is Nyan Cat swatched next to Forty Cakes if you're worried about having too many pinks in your lip product wardrobe:
Swatches of older intertubes can be seen here.
Don't forget kids, be careful when using Intertubes because THEY STAIN!
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