Momma Had A Squeezebox...

waves

2012-01-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

It has been a long long time my friends...there have been many changes to my life!

They include a photographer boyfriend...so hopefully you won't see such janky pictures in the future!

Hope everyone is well! I miss my internet family!

Doodle Day

2011-07-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hullo everyones! Here is a little doodle for your consideration. It features some awesome colors from MTCoffinz. I have so many new colors from there and Gothcupcake...and so many looks to do for you all...but I think I mentioned before...it's been too hot for makeup. The most I put on nowadays is Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden. It's sparkly. It looks like I tried. I really didn't.

Anyhow...here's some pictures:

And here's what I used:

Lid: MTCoffinz pressed shadow in Charisma
Crease: MTCoffinz pressed shadow in Medusa and Wormwod
Deep Crease: Nars shadow in Night Porter
Brow Highlight: Wet n Wild shadow in Brulee
Liners: Jordana pen liner in black and M.A.C. Grease Paint Stick in black
Lashes: Maybelline's The Falsies in black

Comment with questions and requests!

The end!

Loosely Titled...Shark Skin

2011-07-04T12:37:00.000-04:00

For some reason, this combination of purples and blues made me think of sharks...I have a small obsession with them, as well as other dwellers of the deep. (Jellyfish...duh...). Actually, this isn't what I had planned to do at all when I got my makeup out...this is just...what happened. In the pictures, I can see many spots where it needs to be blended more...so forgive me that. Whenever I use the Wolfe Bro's base...I have to remember that stuff doesn't necessarily blend so well on top...and that I should just stick with my NYX jumbo pencils for looks like this. The Wolfe Bro's definitely lasts much longer, but I generally don't do looks like this for any serious occasion. This was to go to my parent's house, do laundry and play cards with my sisters. I'm sure they don't care if I crease up a bit.

Anyhow, as I had a giant honking pimple on my lip, I did my entire face. I will list everything I used...most of it hasn't changed, but on the off chance it has...here you go!

Revlon Colorstay - 220 Natural Beige

Cody Powder - Translucent

Mehron Setting Powder - Translucent/white

e.l.f. Studio Blush - Tickled Pink

Two Faced Shadow Insurance

Wolfe Bro's Water Activated Color - white

Sugarpill shadow - Tako (inner corner and brow highlight)

Inglot shadow - 379M & 388M (middle of lid and crease "wing")

NYX shadow - Marine Blue (outer third and outer crease)

Jordana pen liner - black

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara - Extreme Black

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara - Black

Nom Nom Balm - Sour Strawberry, the superior flavor.

Here's a full face shot, so you can see the rest:

Let me know what you think! As always, if you want to see something special, leave it in the comments below! I would love to take on your requests!

The End!

Um...yeah...hello?

2011-06-12T12:20:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! And a super special hello to my new followers. I'm sorry I haven't been around much...but the weather has been so nice...and I've recently become addicted to actually doing things instead of sitting on my ass! It's so much easier to do stuff when you aren't so fat. I'm having a ball! I hope you all can forgive me! <3

I have a TON of stuff to show you all. But for right now, I'm just going to give you some teaser pictures of what's to come.

I have to have THE most awesome friends in the world. Today's pictures are brought to you courtesy of them. The first one is a picture of the brand new MTCoffinz makeup line. The colours are bright, nasty and lovely to work with. Check out the link in the name!

Doesn't this make you just want to squee!?!

And the second picture is of some of my new Zombify colours. I know you know how much I love Marycakes and her ability to make super awesome makeup! This is from the new Gothic collection. You can buy it in her Etsy store...the link is in the name.

Like I said, these are just teasers...so I'm not going into what I've used and all that rot. Really, this is just scratching the surface...I will have many many more posts about these two fabulous makeup companies. I have many many more colors to go through.

If you guys own any of it, let me know what you think! If you want to see something specific...or ideas using the colors you own, let me know! I would LOVE some requests.

The end!

Attack of the Craft - A forum for crafters.

2011-04-19T20:19:00.000-04:00

So, you have all heard me talk about my crafting group a million times, I am sure. Well, I'm about to do it again.

If you craft, sew, paint, draw, doodle or even just like to buy handmade and DIY then you really should check out Attack of the Craft. The people you will find on this forum are some of THE most talented people around. On top of that...they are awesome as hell. I have made some very good friends and met more awesome people then one could hope to in a lifetime. We all hail from various parts of the world and our artforms are as varied as we are. Throughout my entire time selling my crochet goodies, the members of this board have always been there with the most unbelieveable support; answering questions...kicking my butt...and even generally offering advice. There are also a ton of things to do in our little corner of the net. The kick-ass mods run contests, organize craft swaps, and we all cross promote eachother like crazy. If you are looking for a new venue to hawk your wares, we even have our own forum-run store!

Click the link up there...come try us on for a bit...squish around...get comfey. If you sell stuff, we'd love to see it...if you buy stuff, there's plenty of window shopping. Don't forget to introduce yourself!

ATTACK!!

2011-04-12T21:58:00.000-04:00

Seriously...I don't think I could love these people any more. Over at Attack of the Craft, they are running a Simon Says contest. You could win an iPad or a $300 Visa gift card. I'm so down with this...you have no idea.

Go check it out!!

http://www.attackofthecraft.com/stage/showthread.php?t=5759

This Is A Hair Blog...

2011-04-07T11:16:00.001-04:00

Here is a view of my new haircut all blown out. I've been wearing it curly most of the time because that's the lazy way out. Occasionally, I will actually DO my hair..and this is the outcome. I use some of the Garnier shine serum and got2Be's Flat Iron spray, my hair dryer with that wierdo flat attachment and a big giant superhuge round brush.

It really is a beautiful cut. My friend Adam does a fabulous job every time. Don't mind my sad face...I was just tired and the camera caught it by mistake.

The end.

Inglot #60

2011-03-31T10:30:00.001-04:00

I am not generally one to pay attention to trends in anything. Well, there was that small exception of the Hammer Pants I owned in junior high...but we don't really talk about that phase.

However, ugly clothing trends aside, I am adoring this bright, one color eyeshadow look that's been going around. I posted earlier some pictures of a lime green look I did. I basically wear this, in varying colors, all the time. In these pictures, it is using Inglot #60...one of the new shadows I got when I made my web order.

I must also note that it was my intention to have pictures of my palette and various swatches for you all. I wish there were more swatch pictures available because when you order from Inglot, there are no product descriptions, just numbers. I had a teeny accident the day I put it all together and some of the shadows are sad and scarred, but if this is something you would all still like to see, leave me a comment below and I will get right on it.

On to the goodies:

The highlight here is Inglot #351, a matte off-white; but that's it. Just those two colors and a bunch of winged out eyeliner...this look is super easy. I'm itching to do this in a nice blue color...but I'm having trouble finding THE perfect one. It needs to be a robin's egg/Vespa/Tiffany blue color. I may just have to mix it.

Here's the rest of the face...nothing special. I used e.l.f.'s Studio Line blush in Tickled Pink and some chapstick. I don't know if I've ever mentioned my favorite chapstick or not, but this one is the Sour Strawberry Edition of the Nom Nom Balm. They are all fabulous, but the sour fruit ones are my favorite.

One quick thing before I end my blathering...I'm considering doing videos on Youtube. Now, I say "considering" because I've been thinking it over for about a month. My setup will be wonky at first (right now I just have a small point and shoot camera but I'm looking into getting a MacBook). Also, I would like to gauge interest in it before I start it up. So...what I need from you lovlies, is comments. Let me know what you think...if there is anything particular you'd like to see or even if you think that it's a bad idea. (It's ok, I can take it hehe.)

The end!

Quick & Easy - Funky Cat Eye

2011-03-20T22:06:00.000-04:00

Since I'm all on the Inglot bandwagon this week (and probably will be for a good long time after I get my pallette) I decided to use my shadow in this super quick, super easy funky cat eye. This type of "winged in the front" liner has been all over the place lately...most noteably in the Viva Glam Gaga 2 promotional pictures.

If you have an angled liner brush...or really, even if you don't...this look is simple. The main technique is based on putting a bright, light color in your inner corner, and then drawing the liner just under where the duct dips. You can do it with anything...I used turquoise, because..I mean, really...have we met?

Here's the full face and what I used:

Eyes

Lid - A mix of oranges and peaches from the e.l.f. 100 palette. I was just going for a peachy wash...though it's not showing up here.

Inner corner - M.A.C.'s Fascinating Eye Kohl and Sugarpill's Tako

Liner - Jordana's black liquid shaped into a little wing.

Underneath - Inglot's 372M all funktified.

Cheeks

Blush - e.l.f.'s Peachy Keen

Lips

Well I WAS wearing my Makeup Forever Lab Shine in 9S, but it's all worn off.

Don't mind my pissed off look...I was tired. Also...please ignore the spot on the bridge of my nose where my glasses rubbed. I just noticed how silly that looks!

The end!

Inglot Matte Swatches and a Note On Ordering Online

2011-03-18T22:08:00.001-04:00

These swatches were requested by my friend Brooke. So, darling, I hope you enjoy.

The shadows here are from left to right as follows:

372M
371M
379M
388M

If you don't know anything about Inglot...defintely go check out their site. These shadows are velvety and soft, which isn't always the case with matte colors. A few posts back, I announced that they now have an online store set up for the US, and tonight I decided to order another Freedom System palette. Basically, you choose what size palette you want and then pick out the shadows you want in it. I decided it was go big or go home and got the new 20 pan. Everything, with tax and shipping, came out to $115. That's not even 6 bucks per shadow...and these things are HUGE. Personally, I like the formulation better than most other brands, including M.A.C.

As for the ordering process...it was a bit of a pain in the butt. The colors aren't always true to their swatches, so I found myself doing a lot of research to decide which ones I wanted to pick. Plus...the palette that I had wasn't labeled...so I had to pry each shadow out so I didn't order any duplicates. (Although, thanks to silver Sharpies...I now have a perfectly labeled palette.) But hey...I'm willing to suffer for the sweet sweet shadow that is Inglot.

When I get the other palette in, I'll swatch everything for you guys.

The end.

FOTD - Xsparkage's Taurus and a Haircut!

2011-03-17T11:59:00.000-04:00

Hello loves,

Here is a recent look I did trying to recreate Xsparkage's Taurus look. I had most of everything that she did, or some reasonable facsimile. Her's still looks better...but I loved the way it made my eyes look crazy. Anyhow, picture to follow, as well as a list of what I used. Go watch her videos! They are awesome.

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Wolfe Bro's Metallic Water Activated Color in green
Lid - Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette - The M.A.C. Club dupe. (She used the real thing...this looks exactly the same.)
Inner Corner - Fyrinnae Cosmetics - Embrace
Crease - M.A.C.'s Burnt Burgundy pigment. If you never buy anything M.A.C....buy this. It's the best thing ever. I really need to get a full sized jar. I don't know of any Pro stores around me though, so I might just bite the bullet and call their number.
Highlight - I think it was the lightest color from the Comfort Zone palette. If you don't have these...get all of them. It's worth the $15.

Face:
Peachy Keen blush by e.l.f.
Lips - M.A.C.'s Viva Glam in Gaga 2 (love it).
e.l.f.'s Minty Lip Gloss in Nashville

As for the new haircut...my hair was down to my butt again. It needed to get chopped. It was so stringey and gross from after the surgery that I couldn't even donate it. I know it looks a bit crazy in that top picture...my curls tend to do that when they aren't weighed down...but it's so much healthier.

As always, if there is anything you guys want to see...let me know! I love a challenge!
The end.

UM HOLY CRAP!!!!

2011-03-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

You can now order Inglot online!!!

I'm going to be honest here. Sometimes I take the 2 hour train ride into the city (That's THE City. NYC.), take a few subways and trek into Times Square JUST to buy Inglot. That's how much I love it.

Perhaps in honor I'll do a few looks from the little that I have. Then I'll order more...because it's SO AWESOME!!!

The end.

PS - I chopped all my hair off. You'll see it eventually.

Random FOTD's

2011-03-04T11:06:00.000-05:00

First off...Hello to the new subscribers!!! There have been a few in the last couple of weeks and I wanted to say welcome...enjoy the makup, crochet, and randomosity that my blog contains...and pardon my French.

Second...I know. I've been a bit lazy. I was doing SO WELL posting fairly regularly, but life is so in my way right now. My one dream is to not to have to work so I can create things all the time and fotz around on the internet. I promise I would be really good and use some of that spare time to go to the gym every day. Maybe twice! I really think Marilyn Monroe had it right when she decided that she was only attracted to rich men. = / If only I looked like her! (Dear Women's Libbers that are probably not reading this, Yes, I firmly believe in setting us as women back 50 years. Hate me. Love, Me.)

Anyhow, onto the FOTD's. These are just a couple I collected. I really do take pictures every day...often times they are sitting on my camera for ages so I have no idea when they are from.

Purple Haze:

This is one of those "forever ago" pictures...so I'm guessing what I used. It's more than likely correct.

Lids: Wet n Wild Brule

Crease: Sugarpill Poisoned Plum

Sugarpill Bulletproof

This was a really simple look...super easy to do. I put the Brule all over the eye; that makes the purple super easy to blend. Then I used a small crease brush (probably the e.l.f. Studio one) to put in the purple, and the black just to darken up the crease. Here's the rest of the face, although I don't think I did anything special there.

This looks like some e.l.f. Peachy Keen blush and probably Carmex. I have been wearing a fair bit more lipstick lately, so I promise my lips will get more interesting.

This next look was inspired by a new Youtube subscription...SharonMakeupArtist. She did a video using neon and acid colors as a trend for spring, and as I was feeling particularly spring-ey yesterday (either that or I'm just so sick of this winter), I went out like this:

On the face I have NYX Pinky blush and on the lips it's a mix of Sephora's nasty tasting lipgloss in something Princess and Mary Kay's shimmery lip thingey in some flower name. I'm only being vague because I was sad I didn't have a nice bright pink...if only I had bought that Lady Gaga Viva Glam...(it's ok, I have the new VG on the way). You can ALMOST see my new rose plugs from the lovely Glamasaurus! Check out her shop...I will try to get better pictures of them in the future.

On the eyes:
TFSI
Acid Green from the 88 matte palette - This color is most decidedly a dupe for MAC's Bitter. If I ever order the larget Hot Pots from Coastal Scents...I'm definitely getting one of this color. It's awesome.
I have Zombify's Wasabi in the center of the lid...it's hard to see because my eye was all hooded but it's a great bright green and I wanted a touch of shimmer. On second reflection, I should have gone with Zombify's Pikachu...it would have looked much better.
Highlight is Wet n Wild's Brulee. As usual.

So there it is. I would love to hear comments and suggestions as always! Let me know what you want to see! If you have a picture or a video you'd like me to recreate...feel free to pass it along!

Shop Attack!

2011-02-21T13:32:00.001-05:00

Hello my lovely readers! This is going to be a new weekly post where I highlight some of the awesome crafters I know through http://www.attackofthecraft.com/. Today we have three awesome selections for you to check out!

A quick note about our board: Affectionatly dubbed "The Island of Misfit Crafters", Attack of the Craft is a message board devoted to sharing, promoting and celebrating the DIY community. We have all kinds of members, from some of THE most talented seamstresses I have ever met, to alternative crafters, jewelry makers, fibre artists (like myself) and more. If you craft, sew, paint...or just love to patronize the handmade arts, come and check us out! And join ussss....join USSSS!! *creepy Evil Dead voice*

The Willow Goose - DIY for your furbaby!

Named for Kylie the owner's two cute puppies, The Willow Goose is the place to go if you have a pet you love more than anything in the world. The shop features dog and cat collars (with the cutest little bells) in all sizes. They also offer handmade pet toys, and awesome leashes to match your collars!

The Clay Pony - Beautiful polymer clay jewelry.

The Clay Pony features some of the most beautifully hand painted and detailed polymer clay jewelry pieces I have seen on Etsy. The piece pictures above is definitely one of my favorites...who doesn't remember messing around with an Ouija board when you were a kid? The other offerings in this shop are just as beautiful. The ponies for which it is named are so colorful and cute! Check it out for some unique and inspired pieces.

Kiss Me Designs - Awesome Accessories

This shop has some really cool accessories to offer; from hair flowers (we all know what a big fan of hair flowers I am) to some sweet aprons...they are definitely not your grandma's aprons either! They can be used to keep you clean whilst cooking, to keeping your hands free when you are vending a show or holding your goodies while painting! They come in all kinds of rockin' prints to choose from too!

So thus ends this week's Shop Attack! Check these awesome Etsy shops out, show them some love and give them some hearts! (Spend money too!!!)

The end!

Review - The Morbid The Merrier

2011-02-18T11:36:00.004-05:00

This week has been the best mail week...which roughly translates into: I spent a lot of money. But hey...it was my birthday...then it was Valentine's Day...and being old and single, I think I'm allowed.

Today's review is of a perfume company I came across whilst trotting around Etsy a week or so ago. I was reminiscing about how I used to love Velvet Moon Bathory's awesome awesome blends and how sad I was that she was nowhere to be found when I decided to see if there were any other shops out there that could satiate my intense need for odd smelling perfume.

Voila: The Morbid The Merrier
My first impressions of the store were quite favorable. I love the whole 1800's carnival aestetic, and Lysa, the owner...grabs you with her tag line. As I was poking through the listings, I was surprised to find some scents that used some of my favorite notes...leather, black pepper and amber to name a few.

I picked up the following scents. I will link the listing in each name. Descriptions are directly quoted from her shop.

Black Jack
Described as: "Citrus top notes and vanilla-wood middle notes are supported by a base of black, smoky leather."
My thoughts: The leather is definitely the first thing you smell when you put it on. It's very pungent, but after a few minutes...it fades slightly and you get the vanilla notes. At first sniff, it's a little disarming, which is good when a female wears a masculine scent...but then it sweetens up and is really pretty.

Natali
Described as: "Directly out of the tin it smells exactly like a Terry's Chocolate Orange. After a few minutes, however, the scent begins to mellow and change into something extraordinary. A little incense, a little tobacco, a little mystery."
My thoughts: I didn't really get the chocolate orange smell at first...but I am sometimes woefully inept at picking out different scents. It reminds me a lot of Dragon's Blood, and I have a tin of that so this might be something I pass along to a friend. The scent also seemed to fade pretty quickly, but that might also be because I was sniffing four other things at once.

Dessert Absinthe
Described as: "Upon opening, the first notes are lemon, sugar, and anise - very reminiscent of a lemon sugar cookie. After wearing it for just a few minutes, however, the bottom notes emerge... woodsy, earthy, mysterious, and alluring."
My thoughts: This scent is very much like the description. A citrusy sugar cookie. It definitely fades into a less sweet and more woodsy scent as it wears. I like this one a lot. I am also curious to try it's bigger sister.

Maximo
Described as: "A complex and beautiful blend of sweet cocoa, spicy black pepper, earthy patchouli with a heart of vanilla and wood."
My thoughts: Yum. This scent is sweet and delicious without being too much so. The patchouli comes through later, but not in that "dirty hippy" way that so often ruins how pretty it can be...it's definitely well placed. This one is my second favorite.

1891
Described as: "Notes of amber and rum surface first, followed by spicy clove, smoky wood and moss."
My thoughts: This one is definitely my favorite of the bunch. It is almost exactly what Arsenic & Lace from VMB used to smell like...and that is just what I was looking for. It's sweet, also without that cloying sickly smell (that unfortunately the Arsenic & Lace DID have) and it wears extremely well. I want to nom my arm right now...

Sample: Horseman
Described as: "Fiery jack-o-lanterns, black leather boots, temple incense, and the edge of a dark Autumn wood. Opens sweet, almost caramel-foody, but after only a few minutes on the skin, it darkens dramatically, almost changing into a different scent altogether."
My thoughts: This opens similarly to Black Jack...but is sooooo different. Where the Black Jack's leather notes mellow out to something sweet and stays a little tart...Horseman goes in a totally different direction. You do get that caramely note she describes for an instant, but it changes the leather smell into something warm and awesome. This is supposed to be limited edition, and I'm not sure if she's just selling off her stock...but I think I am definitely going to have to get a full bottle of this.

Customer Service:
This part of the experience was awesome. In my classic Dori (just keep swimming, just keep swimming) fashion, I wasn't paying enough attention when I ordered and decided, right after that I wanted the 1891 solid perfume. I was fully willing to pay for it, and the shipping, but she threw it in for free. I did converse with her a few times via Esty convo and she was awesome! The packaging was beautiful and the artwork on the tubes is amazing!

The only problem I had was that I thought I had ordered Natali in the chapstick tube (which is the best thing in the world BTW), and I got it in a tin. Really, I'm not complaining...she gave me a whole tube of perfume for free...plus I am planning on passing that scent anyhow so it turns out it's not a big deal. Overall, I am DEFINITELY ordering from her shop again...ESPECIALLY since I know that a few of these scents are going to be used up fairly quickly *cough 1891*.

If anyone has any questions about what I ordered or my blabbering, leave a comment below. Also, if you order from her, let me know what you think!

The End!

PS - The scents on my arms are all mixing together...but in a good way. I'm gonna go have a long sniff and a nap I think. Also, small side note...I have VERY sensitive skin...and I am in no way adversely affected by these perfumes. *thumbs up*

NOTD - For Audry

2011-02-17T20:27:00.000-05:00

An oldie...but definitely one of my favorites: China Glaze's For Audry. It's very hard to get a good picture of this color...it always comes out too green. It really is the perfect Tiffany Blue, and I think this photo caught it.

The backdrop is my shower curtain...I thought it matched quite well.

The End!

e.l.f. Haul & Swatches

2011-02-17T16:07:00.001-05:00

A few posts back I let you guys know about a sale over at http://www.eyeslipsface.com/ where if you spent $25, you got 10 of their mineral eyeshadows for frees! FREES! Well, I have some haul pictures and swatches for you, so you can see all the pretties! I have had the chance to play with most of these, with the exception of the 100 eyeshadow palette. (I lie, I touched at least half of the colours...oooh that sounds dirty.)

First up, the mineral shadows. Each pot was pretty big, 0.85g per. They come with a sifter...and we all know how much I love my sifters. I will list each colour under the picture, left to right; top to bottom.

Top row:
Innocent
Elegant
Wild
Earthy (it's a lot greener in real life, but still light)
Outdoorsy (also a lot greener, but much darker than I had anticipated)

Bottom Row:
Dreamy
Beachy
Smoldering
Socialite (LOVE THIS COLOUR!)
Seductive

These are the lip gloss and blush swatches:

Gloss:

Top - Minty Lip Gloss in Nashville - This colour is very pale, a tiny bit plumping and the mint is lovely.

Bottom - Lip Stain in Heartbreaker - I wore this a bit today...it's only OK. The colour is pretty much the same as my normal lip colour, and it doesn't really last more than any regular gloss.

Blush:

Left - Peachy Keen - I wore this for like four days in a row...I love it. Almost more than I like my Nars blush...almost.

Right - Berry Merry - I wore this today, it's a gorgeous pink with a tiny bit of gold undertone! I am extremely happy with this as well as I thought it was going to me much too plum coloured for me.

I also took a quick picture of the 100 eyeshadow palette...it's a crappy one...but I figured it's always nice to see more than the picture on the website.

Of the little swatching I did...there are a few colors that are amazing...but most of them are only so-so. I'll have more information when I've actually gotten to dig into it a bit more. I will say this...a lot of the e.l.f. products have a musty...almost mushroomy...smell to them. A while back I bought a bunch of their liquid eyeliners that had the same problem, I thought perhaps that they had gone off or something, but now that I've gotten this palette...I'm guessing it's just their smell. It's kind of gross...but whatever.

I have absolutely no idea what to do with this palette...that always happens to me when I have too much to pick from. Leave a comment below if you have any ideas, or want to see some specific looks involving any of my e.l.f. swag!

The end!

Acronyms-a-Go-Go and a Love Letter

2011-02-15T23:35:00.001-05:00

I'm amused by all the beauty acronyms that are used...so I have prepared three for you today. Today's looks come in the form of one of my Love Letters...this time to the Youtube makeup guru Sokolum79. As always, the link is in her name. Go check her out and subscribe to her Youtube channel. She creates some of the most colorful looks and I always learn something from her videos.

Learn something...steal something...whatever. I prefer to call it homage. Anyhow, my eyeshadow and nails were inspired by here newest tutorial, Pearlized Turquoise.

First up: NOTD

This isn't exactly like what she's wearing in her video...just similar. I used Sinful Colors, as you can plainly see. The base is #322, Let Me Go and the topcoat is #115, Pearl Harbor (a favorite). You can't see the turquoise glitter from the Pearl Harbor but the picture picks up the subtler effect; it looks like I sprinkled sugar on my nails. I love it...I want to lick them. It's frowned on in public FYI.

And the FOTD:

I had a tired. But here's what I used.

Wolfe Bro's metallic water activated color for a base.
Sugarpill's Poisoned Plum in the crease.
Makeup Forever Diamond Shadow #302 on the lid.
Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette: Blue Had Me At Hello...the dark blues mixed a bit also for the crease.
Cheeks: e.l.f. Studio Line blush in Peachy Keen (I looooove this blush! But more about that later.)
Lips: e.l.f. Minty Lip Gloss in Nashville
Plus my normal foundation/powder/eyeliner/mascara concoctions. You can find those listed in older posts.

Here's a close up of the EOTD (like how I worked that in there??):

So thus ends my Love Letter to Sokolum79! Please...go watch her videos and let me know what you think! I would love to hear what some of your favorite looks are.

Valentimes!

2011-02-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

This isn't really a Valentine's manicure...because I don't really go for that thing. I just can't be arsed to come up with looks for every single holiday. Really, I just felt like red glitter. I needed something warm because it's so bloody cold in NY right now!

I got this Wet n Wild polish in that skanky clearance bin in Walgreens. You know...the one everyone stares at you for rummaging around in. It's called Under Your Spell. It's a dark blackish brown with red shimmer. Unfortunately, it wasn't glittery enough for me...so I put a layer of Ruby Pumps on top.

Dear Ruby Pumps,
You suck so badly on your own, but on top of other polish...you make my life complete.
Love, Me.

Here's another shot to show the awesome sparkle:

Too pretty!

The end!

e.l.f. Sale!

2011-02-09T12:19:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

Pardon the lack of posts...I was doing so well. Sunday was my birthday so I was a bit tied up, then directly after that...I got the sickness. Yes, I believe I am down with it. This is the first day that I can actually even sit up for more than five minutes.

Anyhow, I thought I'd share with you one of the sales that's going on at the e.l.f. website. If your order $25 or more (which is kind of hard to do because everything is so cheap) you can either pick free shipping, or 10 free mineral eyeshadows. As the mineral eyeshadows are $3 each normally...I went with the 10 free. Awesome deal right? I've found that for the most part, e.l.f. makeup is really awesome quality for the price, so why not give those a shot too? They had some really beautiful colors that I can definitely get some use out of.

Here's what I got:

Endless Eyes Pro Eyeshadow Palette - I've been wanting this since they released it around Christmas time. $10 for 100 eyeshadows...yes please! Plus, it's getting pretty good reviews all around.

Minty Lip Gloss - in the color Nashville.

Lip Stain - in the color Heartbreaker.

Studio Blush - in the colors Peachy Keen and Berry Merry

Angled Contour Brush - I love these brushes. The studio line is really great quality and the regular line is excellent for having a bunch of extra brushes on hand. (Hmmm, that's weird...I can't find the link for this one.)

Mineral Eyeshadows - Here are the colors I chose for my 10 free:
Elegant
Socialite
Earthy
Wild
Seductive
Innocent
Outdoorsy (This is the one I'm most excited about.)
Dreamy
Beachy
Smoldering

So, go check it out. If you've never ordered from e.l.f. before...definitely give them a try! They are great for makup novices because the prices are sooooo low but the quality is so great. Let me know what you think if you do!

The end!

Doodles Featuring Zombify Cosmetics

2011-02-03T01:16:00.001-05:00

This is a line of makeup that is special. The girl who makes it is one of my bestest interweb buddies (and not just because she named one of her shadows after me). She works her butt off to make the best cosmetics she can and doesn't sacrifice her morals (she's Vegan) in the process. I will be doing longer and more involved posts about the different things I have that she's made...but for now, a doodle.

If you like what you see...and I know you will, you can get these pigments and tons of other awesome ones at http://www.gothcupcake.etsy.com/.

The colors I used are thus:

Lid: Cadaver Cabaret (hands down my favorite)
Crease: Sonic blended out with Jareth
Inner Corner: Pumpkin Guts (more about this awesome color later) and Pikachu

This picture is from this morning. I am wearing Pumpkin Guts on my cheeks. In the jar the color is a flat, bright tangerine color...but when you use it...it has the most beautiful undertones. I can't even describe it...and this picture does it no justice. I've said that Cadaver Cabaret is my favorite...but this is a close, if not tied, second.

Please, please, please check Ms. Zoe Zombie out. She does great work, kids! And keep on the lookout for more posts about this awesome handmade makeup line. (Psssst!!! The name up there is a link to her facebook!)

The End.

Quickie: FOTD

2011-01-31T19:54:00.000-05:00

Hello my lovelies! I did a bit of FOTD picturing this morning so I thought I'd share it with you!

This is a bit more than I usually wear every day...the eyes are around the same, but I felt like wearing lipstick today. As you all know well, I usually just rock the Carmex. I do OWN an inordinate amount of lip colors...I just never wear them.

Here's what I used:

Face:
Revlon Photo Finish Foundation in Shell
Mehron's professional concealer wheel
A mix of COTY powder and Mehron setting powder

Cheeks:
A pink from my Coastal Scents blush palette

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Wet n Wild Color Icon shadow in Brulee
Jordanna pen eyeliner...black of course
Rimmel's Sexy Curves mascara topped with Maybelline's Falsies mascara

Lips:
Carmex...duh.
M.A.C.'s lip pencil in Whirl
Rimmel's Moisture Renew lipstick in Vintage Pink

What do you think??

The End.

Day of the Purple Skull

2011-01-29T23:56:00.001-05:00

Woohoo! A nailpolish post!!

My nails are SOOOO short. I've been playing my guitar a lot lately, and so I haven't been growing them out. I also haven't been wearing a ton of nailpolish...although when my nails are shorter, my polish lasts longer...so I should.

The other day I was skulking (seriously, I always get funny looks when digging for treasures there) around my Walgreen's clearance...endcap...dump piles...scary section...when I found a bunch of pretty polishes. As if I don't own enough purple already, I picked up Wet n Wild's Megalast Nail Color in Bite the Bullet. It's a fairly muted and dusky color...almost near that taupe and gray trend while still remaining purple.
I also decided to break out the stash of Halloween nail stickers I have in my kit and pop a little purple skully on! I try to stock up on nail stickers during that holiday because it's usually the only time I can find skulls. = /

Whatcha think?

The end!

Doodles...

2011-01-27T21:14:00.001-05:00

Doodles are what I do when I'm in the bathroom surrounded by my makeup with only minutes left before I slather myself with Noxema and take it all off. It's random...I pick something and play with it. It's usually over top of whatever makeup I had been wearing for the day. I have a few of these on my camera...I try to take pictures whenever I do it. They don't really warrent a full blog post...but I'll turn them into little quickies.

Here's one from tonight:

This was something I came up with because I wanted to try a trick that one of my favorite Youtuber's, Emily Noel, mentioned: using the e.l.f. bronzer as eyeshadow.

Here's what I used:

Primer: Urban Decay's Eden...I use it every day when I don't want to do my eyeshadow...I just slap some eyeliner on and call it a day. (You can see the remnants of my eyeliner wings in this picture.)
Brown: e.l.f.'s Blush and Bronzer duo...the bronzer. I placed that in the crease area and blended it in with the black. I also swiped it under the eye after I lined my waterline.
Base: Believe it or not...that's Hot Topic's gel liner...I had this on for a while, and it didn't crease at all.
Black: Sugarpill's Bulletproof. There is no other black.
Gold: The bottom color in the Wet n Wild trio, "I'm Getting Sunburned". I put that just in the corners and a little under the eye to brighten it up.
Mascara: Same old cocktail as always.
Eyeliner: As I said, I had the wings on...and then I just put some black liner in the waterline.
Brow Highlight: Face powder. It's great for taming things when you've gone a little too far. As I usually do *giggle*.

Well I hoped you all enjoyed that little doodle! I'll have more...and don't judge me on my eyebrows!!

The End!

Dear Zappos,

2011-01-27T15:29:00.000-05:00

I love you.

Love, Me

I told them as much in a reply to a random shipping email they sent. What? The address didn't say DO NOT REPLY...so I professed my adoration! Hopefully someone got a chuckle.

So I ordered >THESE PUMAS< yesterday. Effing sweet, amirite? I have a real problem with sneakers, I just love them...and the wackier the better. But these shoes are PURPLE AND TURQUOISE!!! Two great tastes that taste great together!!!

There is one tiny problem.
They are just a scoche too narrow.

Now I knew that Pumas were narrow...but I thought that with the weight that I've lost (95lbs so far)...they might not be too bad. To be honest...they aren't. They are extremely comfortable...but I can SEE that they are too narrow. My foot bones at the widest kind of...hang over a bit.

So here is my dilemma:
Do I ship them back and wave goodbye to what is probably the COOLEST pair of sneakers I own, get my money back and do the responsible thing...
OR...do I keep them, deal with a tiny bit of overhang because nobody is going to even see it, and hope that with the around 70lbs I have left to go...my foot will go a bit narrower?

HELP ME!!!

The end.

ToxiKaNdY's Midnight Sunset

2011-01-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

So, in my WELCOME BACK ME post from this morning...I said I was going to use ToxiKaNdY's Midnight Sunset look today. Here's the link to the >video<, in case you didn't get a chance to see it earlier. Subscribe to her! She's super talented...and way cute. She doesn't do videos too much anymore...but there's a ton of them that she's already posted.

Here's my version:

Here's what I used:

Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Wolfe Bro's white water activated color
Black: I think it's a Jesse's Girl...it looks just like the Cinderfella with the silver sparkles but it's no where near as nice. It was basically a "light black" or...you know...grey. Whatever.
Middle: I used the same Trucco palette that she uses...which was a little difficult for me to find. Coastal Scents sells those duochrome colors by the GIANT JAR for like $4 each.
Light Pink: I used the top left color in the Wet n Wild Lust palette. It's pretty much a dupe for the Yogurt that she uses...as near as I can tell.
Dark Pink: Sugarpill's Dollipop. Best. Pink. Ever.
Purple: This is also from the Lust palette. This is a confirmed dupe of Beautymarked.
Eyeliner: The same Jordanna pen eyeliner I always use with the Black grease paint stick in my waterline (though it's mostly worn out in that picture...it usually lasts longer than any other pencil I've used).
Mascara: Rimmell Sexy Curves (of course) with a topping of Maybelline's Falsies for good measure.
Face:
Revlon's PhotoReady foundation in Shell
Powder: A mix of Coty Powder in Translucent and Mehron's Setting Powder.
Cheeks:
e.l.f.'s blush and bronzer duo: the bronzer topped with their liquid face highlighter in some pink color.
Lips: What else...Carmex.

Here's the full face view:

As always, I look so pleased with life. Pardon my giant pimple. They just love to come out when I want to take pictures.

And the gratuitous artsy shot.

Let me know what you think! As always, if there's anything you'd like to see me do, leave me a comment!

The End!

All Systems Are GO!

2011-01-26T11:05:00.000-05:00

So...I have a new computer. For now. This one is on extended loan from my best friend's girlfriend. She just got a new one and so they gave me this one until I can get another. (THANK YOU DIANNA!!!!!!!!) Mostly it's because they want me to play WoW again...which I am. Whatever small amount of a life I'd been able to carve out whilst my computer was dead...is gone. I have spent exactly one hour this morning watching Youtube videos and considering whether or not I can get a level in before I have to leave to get my laundry done.

I have a look I want to copy from ToxiKaNdY's Youtube. I'll have those up either later tonight or tomorrow hopefully.

Anywho, until later. <3!

The End.

Grand Re-Opening

2010-11-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

Finally!!!

The Concertina Shop has re-opened!

Check it out!

Howdy!

2010-11-07T23:58:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

Some of you might know that my computer is hella broken right now. I can't even begin to explain how completely jacked up it is...but it's seriously broken on top of broken. I am online now purely by the grace of whatever god or Cthuloid is in charge.

I really hope to get it back together soon. I really want to do more makeup pictures...mostly because I'm vain and I want you all to see what I look like now! I have cheekbones!!!!

Anyhow, until whenever...

The end.

It's TNT Time Again!

2010-07-22T12:09:00.000-04:00

This week's sale is Free or Reduced Shipping! SO check out all of these great shops and go nuts!

It's TNT Sale time again!!

2010-07-15T16:17:00.000-04:00

For those of you who are new to the blog, here's a little link that explains what TNT is. --> TNT

Basically, all the Etsy shops participating have awesome awesome sales every Thursday. If you are in the mood to shop, go check them out!

Today at The Concertina Shop: 25% off everything in my shop, including custom orders!!

Check the comments below for some of my fellow CraftAnon Street Team members sales'!

Randomosity

2010-07-14T12:36:00.001-04:00

Like that title word? I made it up...just now. Yeah...I'm like that.

Anyhow, I popped over here the other day to check on some things and I noticed that I'm up to 86 followers! Hello to all the new people! Thanks for following my blog, I really appreciate it! I'm going to have to cook up another good giveaway soon!

This post is going to be a little bit of what I purchased whilst I was staying with my brother (he loved shopping for makeup...I know he did...'cos he left the store about 20 minutes in lol) and a little bit of a random look I found lurking on my camera's memory card. I apologize in advance that I don't have product pictures. I hate the way they look when I take them so I am just going to give you links to each item so you can see the colors...and you know...this way...I can enable you to purchase your own. Gee, it's a good thing we aren't talking about drugs here...eh kids?

First off...some crazy thing I did one night. I was just playing around so excuse the woefully unkempt eyebrows and lack of concealer on my ever so pink complexion.

To be honest, I'm not even sure what I used...I know the purple and the white are two of the baked eyeshadows from Hot Topic...the yellow looks like Buttercupcake from Sugarpill...the black is likely Bulletproof from Sugarpill, I rarely use another. The lashes are Red Cherry F-001. I love the way fake lashes look...but I'm never satisfied with how I apply them. I've tried all kinds of methods and I always see a gap between my lash line and the band of the fake ones.

I really love that frontal wing. This is not the best execution but the style itself can be just so pretty.

On to the goodies!!! Here are all the things I got from the HUUUUUGE Sephora that was in Westchester.

NARS
Blush in Luster
Eyeshadow in Night Porter

I have been searching and searching for a good blush. My first instinct was to check out the Orgasm line by NARS...it's supposed to be flattering to everyone. Well...not me. I put it on and it has such an odd pink cast on my skin...I skipped it and went for Luster instead. This peachy gold looks great on my skin without being too shimmery or too orange. I wear it almost every day.
Night Porter is amazing. It is a very beautifully soft and easily blendable black with the most perfect green shimmer (they call it "pearls"). Over a black base, this shade is stunning. It also works very well in the crease with a pale green or olive on the lid. I did both of those looks while I was away and of course I didn't have my camera with me.

DuWop
Eyecatcher Shadow in Green Eye Intesnifier

I originally picked this shadow duo up because I liked the burgundy color in it. It was a whim, I admit. What I found when I actually played with them is a super velvety, very richly pigmented couple of shadows. The green of the duo has a gold and a sage running through it that mix with the mint base color and turn the whole shadow into a very bright shimmery olive. The burgundy, to my delight is deep and absolutely beautiful. I was tempted to get the other two duos that they offer, but though I wasn't really impressed by the others...I do recommend this one.

Urban Decay
Eyeshadow in YDK

I love Urban Decay. There isn't anything about their stuff that I don't like, really. Some of the shadows have too much glitter and not enough pigment...but they aren't anything I'd buy full pots of. Most of them come in their awesome palettes...so chock full of the aforementioned awesomeness that it really doesn't matter. This shadow I picked up because it's an all around great gold/brown...perfect for inner corner highlights and a nice shimmery lid. In retrospect, I would have done better with a color like Maui Wowie...which would have done the same duty as YDK and also been suitable for a brow highlight. As it stands, I'm sure I can find room in my life for both...and I won't even have to try too hard.

MAKE UP FOR EVER
Eyeshadow in #167
Diamond Shadow in #302

I have been on a blue kick lately. #167 is the most beautiful blue of them all. Seriously. It's literally my most favorite shade of blue ever...ever. If you know me at all, you also know that I'm a sucker for a pretty turquoise...#302 is just that. It's like a giant pressed version of Glittersniffer's Liar...which I love but don't always have time to use. It's a pigment, and I'm clumsy when I'm not rushing...so when I am...it's messy.
I don't have a ton to say about MAKE UP FOR EVER. It's awesome. The best. I will mention that I skipped the #92 (probably the most notable purple eyeshadow of all time) because I have Sugerpill's Poison Plum...but I might just order it anyhow. It's sitting in my cart on Sephora.com waiting.

As usual, I've been overly verbose but I hope you all enjoyed it anyhow. If there's anything you'd like to know about the stuff I posted here...I've used it all a ton so feel free to ask.

The end!

Hellooooooo! or Random Looks

2010-07-04T15:14:00.002-04:00

Hello kids! I've been collecting pictures for a bit and I thought I'd post some while I had a few minutes. Today is my niece's birthday (yes we call her Yankee Doodle) and I'm waiting for my sister to come and pick me up for the festivities.

This first look is something I wore out a few weeks ago before my surgery, hence the rocker hair. I wish I had gotten a better picture of the style because, while it wasn't my best attempt, I was proud of it nonetheless.

The gold is Goldilux, silver is Tiara and the black is Bulletproof...all Sugarpill. This is sort of a copy of Xsparkage's Fierce Friday look Black & Gold Glamor. If you have never checked her out, please do. She is one of the first gurus I watched on Youtube and she has taught me an amazing amount.

More gratuitous vanity:

This second look is what I am wearing today. While I was at my brother's house recovering, I did a fair bit of hauling. I also took advantage of the Cherry Culture 30% off sale and grabbed me a bunch of new NYX single eyeshadows.

Look at how happy I am. Notice the lovely mottle my skin has...aren't you envious?
Anyhow...this is Azur Sky and Blue Marine along with some Sugarpill Bulletproof and Tako. It is a bit dramatic for a 9 year old's birthday party...but what the hell. My family thinks I'm nuts...might as well perpetuate it.

So I promise to have some more posts dealing with the nifty stuff I got whilst I was away. The mall near my brother's house had a HUGE Sephora...and as I don't have one near me...I splurged. I also got my sister-in-law to get a bunch of stuff and we had a little lesson on how to apply it all. It was quite a bit of fun. But for now...

The End!

2010-06-16T04:50:00.001-04:00

Quick update! Everything went really well! It's about 4:45 am and I'm on one of my many wake ups during the night...which is cool, I still feel rested.

Just so this doesn't stray from the makeup subject, I will leave you with a quote from my brother as we are leaving for the hospital.

"I don't think I've seen you without eye makeup since you were 12!!!"

See? It runs THAT deep.

The end!

Post Fail

2010-06-10T00:09:00.000-04:00

...but I have a good reason.

Tuesday, I go for my surgery.

To bring those of you that don't know up to speed...I will be having Bariatric surgery, more specifically a procedure known as a sleeve gastrectomy (or a partial gastrectomy).

I've been heavy my entire life...and I'm finally doing something about it after trying literally every diet there is. I have been preparing for this for over a year, visiting various doctors and getting a myriad of clearances. I'm 29 now and I don't yet have all of the diseases that comes along with being fat...and I don't want them. The problems that I do have now, will only get worse...and in one instance, will kill me. I'm not ready to condemn myself just yet...and believe me this was a hard decision to make. I will be better and healthier once the weight is gone.

I should be out of the hospital by Thursday or Friday and I will try to update you all on how it was. This is my first surgery and, to be honest, I'm scared shitless. I just keep telling myself that it will all be so worth it.

The end.

So....

2010-05-20T00:58:00.000-04:00

So my friend Adam is going to be competing in the Miss Prime Time, a Drag Pageant in my hometown. Guess who he asked to do his makeup??

This girl...

I'm so freakin' excited. I can't wait to see what outfits he has picked out so I can think up ideas.

Don't worry, I'm going to make him let me take a hojillion pictures. A HOJILLION!

My Everyday

2010-05-14T00:33:00.000-04:00

I was sitting around, feeling like doing SOMETHING but not knowing what. Then I realized that I have a whole ton of pictures I have yet to post into blogs...and since I'm being a bit lazy with my blog posts...that idea won.

Here are some pictures of my everyday. This is what I wear when I don't feel like doing my eye makeup.

It's always the same products:

Wolfe Bro's Essentials water activated color in brown.
Bitch Slap Cosmetics - some brown out of a five pan palette.
Face powder for a highlight.
Black liquid eyeliner - no wing.
Black pencil liner in the waterline.
Mascara - Sexy Curves of course.

I am looking for a more steady supply of that color brown. I don't think Bitch Slap sells it singly, and honestly, I'm not really crazy about ordering from there. There is totally nothing wrong with their service or their product...some of the reps are amazing people...I just don't like navigating the site. If you don't mind it...by all means, buy their stuff. It's great. And I can't find this exact brown anywhere else.

The end.

Virus Insanity Eyeshadow - review and picture tutorial

2010-05-13T02:28:00.001-04:00

Recently I was introduced to Virus Insanity Eyeshadow by my friend Mary. She is well aware of my penchant for bright nasty colors and figured that I needed more in my collection. She was correct.

Jennifer, the proprietor of Virus Insanity sells off of her Facebook, but she also has an Etsy shop. I purchased 12 shadows a few weeks ago, and in the bright department, they certainly deliver. They blend as well as any mineral based pigment and her shades are particularly unique (a word I seldom get to use).

I did this look using four of her shadows.

Yeah, yeah...I know...stray hairs. I swear you can't see them in real life...my camera just likes to make me super embarrassed. Whatever...it is what it is.

So here is my very first picture tutorial. Feel free to comment, tell me what you love, tell me what you hate...I shall try to learn and not be a turbo bitch about it.

First off, product pictures. Here are all the things I've used in creating this look...in the future, I think I shall take one photo with all of the goodies in it.

The Shadows:

Explode - a super bright canary yellow.

Ocean Mystery - as if I needed more turquoise eyeshdaow right? This color is gorgeous...it has a bit of gold shimmer in.

Midnight Kiss - a deep blue with lighter blue shimmer.

Smoke Signals - a nice medium purple, also with a hint of gold shimmer to it.

Bulletproof by Sugarpill. My new favorite matte black.

Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder. I use this as my highlight when I'm doing super crazy bright eye makeup. It's matte so I don't get a case of the frosties and it works wonders at cleaning up when your lines go a bit wonky (as you will soon see).

My Wolfe Metallix palette. I am using the gold color as a base.

And finally, the brushes. I've shown these only so you get a general idea of the shapes that I've used. These are all e.l.f. brushes (so...super cheap). From left to right they are:
1) a big fat fluffy wedge brush
2) a flat shadow brush (bad picture)
3) a small crease brush
4) a pencil brush

Alright, on with the show! (Goddamn, this post is going to be long as hell.)

First, start off with a naked eye. (Go ahead...sing the Luscious Jackson song...I am.) Make sure you look like someone just punched you in the face and all your freckles can be seen.

Step 1: Cover that shit up. There's no use in everyone thinking you didn't have dinner ready on time. Apply some shadow primer. This is Urban Decay Primer Potion. (And not something naughty as you might have previously thought.) To be on the safe side, I just use it all over my eye up to the brow bone...and I give a little wipe underneath the eye too.

Step 2: I took the gold water activated color from my Wolfe palette, mixed it with a little bit of eye drop solution and patted it on my lid. I kept it fairly low down because this is a cut crease of sorts, and I didn't want the shadow on top going green. Don't mind the smudge under my eye, I have fat fingers.

Step 3: Take a small crease brush (3) and a pretty turquoise, I'm using Ocean Mystery, and do a little Nike Swoosh over your eye lid. I went right into the inner corner and made a bit of a wing on the outer corner.

Step 4: Take a darker blue and the little pencil brush (4) and darken up the lighter blue. I ran it all along the crease and under the eye, paying the most attention to the inner and outer corners.

Step 5: Take the purple and darken up the corners a bit more. Run the purple underneath the outer half of the eye. Take the black and further darken the corners following the wing in the outer bit. (Pay attention, because here's where it starts to look a bit janky.) I used the same brush for all of this. I didn't bother to clean it off cos, frankly, it didn't matter.

Step 6: Since apparently, I don't have this chronology thing down, I skipped a few steps so this is a few in one. Take a yellow shadow (Explode) and the flat shader brush (2) and pat it all along the lid, being careful not to mix it with the blue colors. Then take the big fluffy shadow brush (1) and face powder and clean up your lines. See how much less janky it looks now? I also blend it along the top of the light blue shadow as well as under the brow bone for a nice fade. You can thank Petrilude for showing me that tip.
Next up is lining. I am attempting to show how to create that little winged out eyeliner (it's actually very easy). I use a pen type liquid liner with a stiff felt tip (that's what she said). To get the wing, I line the pen up with my lower lash line and draw a line inwards.

Step 7: Then I connect the point of that line right into the normal liner. I also used a bit of Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Zero under the eye. Since that is very soft and smudgy, I kept it to the outer half. Just add mascara and you are done! I used Rimmel Sexy Curves as always.

I used this same technique and the Sleek iDivine Palette in Acid on this look:

So there it is. I hope it was helpful! Please let me know what was and what wasn't. I'd like to streamline these as much as possible as I know I am overly verbose.

The End!

Tutorial Ideas

2010-05-03T17:27:00.001-04:00

I am going to do my first picture tutorial in the next couple of days.

What would you like to see? Was there a look that you would like me to recreate step by step? Do you have a picture you want me to try to copy?

Comment away!!

TNT!!!

2010-04-29T12:54:00.000-04:00

Check out all the awesome deals at the CraftAnon Blog!

Question - comments needed!

2010-04-23T11:16:00.000-04:00

Would you guys like to see picture tutorials for some of my make-up/nail looks? If there is enough interest, I will do them.

Let me know what you think!

TNT Free Gift With Purchase!

2010-04-22T13:53:00.000-04:00

Come on over and check out the CraftAnon Etsy Street Team's weekly TNT Sale!

TNT stands for Thursday Night Temptations...and tempting it shall be! All of the shops participating will be offering a free gift with purchase from 12pm to 12am (est) today! We will be hosting a super-fun Etsy chat starting at 6pm so come join us and check out our great deals!

Do you sell on Etsy too? Would you like to join us? This sale is open to everyone! Convo me (Concertina3) with any questions!

ATTACK!

2010-04-01T12:16:00.000-04:00

Check out this brand new crafting community!

This group contains some of the most talented and awesome people I know and you get to be a part of their shiny new community! So come on in if you craft yourself, or are just a lover of handmade stuff. Root around and chat us up! We like that kind of thing!

And The Winner IS!!!!

2010-04-01T11:52:00.000-04:00

Comment #23....(I haven't even looked yet to see who it is...)

Nikki!!!

I will be emailing you shortly to let you know!!

Thank you so much everyone for entering...this was quite a lot of fun. I love giving presents to people so I might just have to do this again soon. <3 you all!

The End!

LAST DAY!

2010-03-31T20:09:00.002-04:00

Today's the last day to enter my super-sweet giveaway!! I will be picking the winner tomorrow...oh, whenever I get up.

Go check it out!!!

NOTD - Sally Hansen's Gray by Gray

2010-03-27T00:08:00.000-04:00

Oh boy, I really love this color. A customer commented on it while I was ringing her up..."It's so...so..." and as she searched for a word to describe it...I stared at it lovingly and just said. "Odd". And she agreed.

It's not quite a green/blue...like Misa's Dirty Sexy Money and it is definitely not gray as the name would have you believe. It's the perfect, dusky and dusty blue. Like...old corduroy.

These re-released Sally Hansen polishes are ridiculously expensive at around $8 a bottle so I only picked up the colors that I just HAD to have. It's definitely good polish...it lasts a long time and really makes my nails strong, so I shouldn't complain. I'm just cheap I guess. All around though, I would say that this one and Commander in Chic are must-haves. ( I can't believe that I didn't take a picture of Commander in Chic...it's my favorite taupe EVER...ah, next time. )

The end!

Blog Love - ToxiKaNdY's Paridise

2010-03-21T13:07:00.000-04:00

Please go follow this girl...she is amazing!!!

Here's her blog.

And her Youtube.

DO IT!

More Polish Blog Giveaway Love!!

2010-03-18T15:11:00.000-04:00

Go check these girls out at Nail Addicts Anonymous...they are having a SUPER awesome giveaway! I've been poking around their posts for a bit...amazing!

As I suspected...

2010-03-13T23:56:00.002-05:00

There was a problem with my comment settings, so if you commented on the giveaway blog...please do so again. These settings give me a headache.

WOOHOO! 50 Followers!

2010-03-13T00:25:00.003-05:00

Just minutes after my last pimping...I got the one follower I needed (pause to stare at weirdo loud trucks freaking me out down the street).

So! The Giveaway is on! You got a sneak peek at the mini-jellyfish in my last post post...and if you didn't...go read it!! He will be Item #1. Aw hell, I'll just put the picture up again.

The next four items will be some of my new (ok, and one old) favorite nail polishes.

From their Collection de France - Parlez-Vous O.P.I by (duh) O.P.I

From their brand spankin' (hehe I said spankin') new Hong Kong Collection - Bling Dynasty by O.P.I

Now for an old favorite. I had backups of this nail polish before backups were cool. I wore it almost religiously in high-school back when Sinful used those cheapo squat round bottles and this one didn't even have a name.

Show Me The Way by Sinful

And my newest favorite. I have TWO backups of this polish because it's just so freakin' awesome.

Mint Apple by Sinful

This is now the fourth bottle of this polish I have purchased. My first, the two backups (I think one is going to my sister though...) and the one for you guys. If I ever run out, I will seriously cry. This is even better than the Claire's Dream Catcher. Here's a swatch picture just for added awesomeness.

<3 !!! I considered photoshopping little hearts around this picture, but you get the idea.

Next up, the winner of this fabulous package will get 3 Glittersniffer pigments! Here is where I get to show a little love to my DIY girls. These are in the process of shipping so I am just going to provide the links to each shadow.

#1 Brooke - This shadow is named for one of the most badass mommas around. Go check out her Etsy Shop - BrookeVanGory Designs and show her some love on her blog - BrookeVanGory. Her pigment is a CRAZY acid green.

#2 Angry - Oh man...there are not enough numbers for me to count the ways I love Miss Angrypants. I want to squish her to pieces...although she'd probably give me the death look for saying that. We got to hang out last summer and the few days we had were totally not enough. Go check out her totally frigging awesome clothes at aNGrYGiRL Gear. Her pigment is blackest black with a splash of evil purple glitter. Totally her.

#3 Lexie - Let's talk about girls I wanna squish...Lexie makes the most awesomely rad jewelry ever. Check her out at Headless Tess DIY. Her pigment is a superbright shocking pink.

There may also be some other goodies in store...I might want to keep some of it a surprise.

And now for the rules.

1) You must be a follower of my blog.
2) Make a comment on this blog entry with your email address for contact purposes. I promise I won't send you late night emails all hopped up on sugar.
3) Tell your friends! If you think they would be interested in hearing me ramble, have them follow too! Then come back and comment with their name and that you sent them! (Remember, I can't see anyone who isn't publicly following my blog, and thus can't verify it...so make sure you guys do it in public *snicker*.)
4) Follow me on Twitter...and make another comment saying so.
5) Become a fan of The Concertina Shop on Facebook! That gets you one more comment and thus one more entry!
6) This may be the most self serving of them all but hey...you don't ask for what you want in life, you don't get it right? Make a purchase from The Concertina Shop on Etsy and you get to make another comment! The best part about this is that everything is still 10% off until I hit 50 sales! (50 must be my magic number...)

Um, since this is my first giveaway...that's it. I'll be picking the winner using Random.org so we'll see how that works. That's a total of five entries possible...feel free to lace your comments with flattery. It won't help you win, but it gives me a warm fuzzy. The contest will run until March 31st. That's a Wednesday...it's the weekly equivalent to a nice even number.

I'm kinda nervous!!
The end!

Giveaway Sneak Peek!

2010-03-12T23:05:00.000-05:00

Alright kids, I'm at 49 followers. 49!!!! I need one more bloody person to follow this blog.

Here is a sneak peek of one of the items I've already gotten together for this shindig!

Don't you just wanna pinch it's tentacles???

I've also gotten some nail polish goodies rounded up. There are some surprise goodies on the way too! So tell anyone you think would be interested in my teeny little blog and I will love you forever. I have thought about the level of narcissism this contest entails...asking for more followers and such. I've come to the conclusion that I just needed a milestone...I love everyone that reads this blog regardless. <3

Some housekeeping notes...

2010-03-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

So, I hate to be elitist like this, especially since this is a fairly small blog, but I had to change the settings to allow only followers to comment. I'm tired of the spam. Nothing is worse than looking at my dashboard and seeing that there are comments there, getting all excited, and then realizing it's an ad for penis enlarger. Nothing. Not even dead puppies. (Ok, maybe dead puppies but you get the idea.) Anyhow, let me know if any of the changes cause any problems with regular commenting. You can send an email to concertina@vaccarino.com.

And now for some good news. Seeing as everyone else is doing Concertina Shop giveaways...I thought I would like to do one myself, however, I need a proper reason. As of today, I have 41 followers on this blog. If I make it to 50, I will do my own giveaway! There will be some goodies from The Concertina Shop, and since this blog is mostly about makeup and nail polish, I am going to cook up something in that vein as well. So get started pimping me out kids!

<3

A Love Letter to Glittersniffer Cosmetics

2010-03-08T15:56:00.000-05:00

I am quite sure I have written one before. I have probably entitled it the same thing...but Lela over at Glittersniffer rocks my world so hard that here is another. And there will probably be more...and more and, well you get the idea.
A couple of entries back I swatched my latest order for you. I did two looks using (almost) only Glittersniffer, one cool, and one warm. I have since adopted Silk Sheets into my everyday brown look...that's how amazing it is.

First, the cool look.

I took Unicorn into the inner half of my lid and just under my lower lash line. I also slapped it around the inner corner. Then, I took Button and did the outer half of my lid and brought it all the way up, almost to my brow bone. Now, the star of the show, Ruthless...I used in the outer corner and crease area as well as a bit under my lower lash line. For a brow highlight and general blending purposes I used Blow (best white ever). My normal black eyeliner and mascara finished it off.

This look had just the right amount of sea-green mermaidyness to it. I can't even begin to tell you how great all of the shadows blend together.

Next up, the warm look.

Yeah, I know I'm kind of a one trick pony when it comes to this type of look. I just love that combination of purple and red because it brings out the green in my eyes. Here I used Silk Sheets on the lid and blended it up a tiny bit into the crease and under the lower lash line. Then I took Jennifer Nazi and swished it above the crease and down around the outer corner. I used a tiny bit of Poisoned Plum by Sugarpill just to darken it up a bit and Blow as a highlight. Same old liner and mascara.

So there is some Glittersniffer love for you all. If you haven't tried any of her pigments out yet, you should. They are, quite simply, some of the most well made loose eye shadow pigments there are. She has the best and the brightest colors and superior customer service. I shall, most likely, have more looks from the last order, but I plan on doing some more makeup shopping soon (I just don't think my Glittersniffer drawer is full enough yet).

The end.

Goldie Swatches Part 1 of 2

2010-03-05T23:48:00.002-05:00

Hello kids. I have two blog posts prepared, which is quite unusual for me. I usually want to post something...and have nothing prepared. But whatever, more for you!

This here is a Goldie swatch picture extravaganza. Occasionally, after our sojourns to the gym, my BFF and I go to Marshall's to kill time and spend money.When I heard they sometimes had nail polish, these trips became more frequent.

Lo and behold, I found Goldie. I believe they were sold by Bath & Body Works, but feel free to correct me on this. The polishes came in this super cute box, 8 each. I bought this pack for myself and the other for my sister's birthday. None of them have proper names so I've been calling them odd things; don't mind when my mind goes all loopy. Here is the first half of my swatches.

Puke Pink. This one was very quick and extremely dirty. I hate these kinds of colors. It's too...normal...for me. I only put this on because I wanted to swatch all of them; see what I go through in the name of blogging?? I did notice, however, that this color has a very fine micro shimmer/glitter to it. It was kinda pretty, but I shall probably relegate this to the charity bin or only use it under excessive Konading.

Like Magma. Another quick and dirty, although I did wear this one for a few days. I love this kind of in-your-face color. Bright and nasty, that's the way to go. This polish was astonishingly close to China Glaze's Japanese Koi, but without the matte-ish finish that comes with that polish's neon-ness.

HOLY CRAP! Yeah. I called this polish Holy Crap. You wanna know why? Because I was very surprised to find a holographic (the awesomeness of which you probably can not even see in this picture) in a $7 pack of no-name nail polish. A GOOD holo too. All crappily taken photos aside, I will definitely use this polish again, and again, and again. It's fabulous. This was three coats.

And now, here is my favorite out of this side of the pack.

Pepto Pink. This color is so not me. I would never pick this off the shelf. Having worn this, and loved it as I did, still will probably never pick out a color such as this one. But man, did it look nice. I was even more surprised by how much I liked it on me than I was about that gold holo up there. I will most definitely wear this again. It's just super pretty.

Hope you enjoyed.
The end.

MAIL PRESENTS!!!

2010-03-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

I love getting mail. Especially when it's full of stuff I've been waiting for, and this week I went a little internet-shopping happy. There is still more coming, but here are the presents I got from my mailman today.

First up is a super rad polymer clay necklace from Miss Destry of Pet Zombie Creations. Destry is one of my favorite music twin, Golden Girls obsession sharing, DIY bitches. Go check out her shop...there is a ton of awesome stuff in there! I have a few of her pieces and I wear them all the time.

My Zoya order!!! Yayyyy. I took advantage of their "spend over $20 and get two polishes free" Twitter deal last week and ordered these four colors. Left to right:

Ali

Paris (currently wearing)

Reece

Adina

I can't tell you how awesome these all are in person. Zoya has some of the most unique and beautiful polish colors I have ever seen. I will have swatches of all of these (plus the ones I already own) coming up in a future post. (I like to compartmentalize).

And last, but most certainly not least, my Glittersniffer haul. I have spoken time and time again to Lela's awesomeness. And this is just a very small sneak preview of the colors. I will have looks coming up soon. Many, many looks.

I ordered the four leftmost colors during her customer appreciation sale and she sent me the two on the right because she is so awesome. You might have to enlarge the picture to truly appreciate how cool the colors are. Left to right they are:

Button
Unicorn
Arjay
Jennifer Nazi (HOLY CRAP AWESOME)
Ruthless
Silk Sheets

PS - all of those freakin' awesome colors up there...NO BASE. Nothing. Not one little stinkin' thing but my arm skin. I seriously can't wait to smear these on my face.

The end.

BRAINSSSSSS!!!

2010-02-28T22:51:00.001-05:00

Meet my jellyfish.

I am aware that I have an almost disturbing love for tentacled things (ok...not THAT kind of love...sickos). I have been making these little guys for a couple of years now. They were the first amigurumi pattern I developed on my own, simple and cute, and yet I am amazed at all the different ways I have been able to make them. Most of my ideas come from my customers...I have a standing listing for a large custom jelly in my Etsy shop and in the CraftAnon Charity Shop. Their trademark little heart was one such idea. Here are some pictures I have collected of my jellyfish army. Some have found homes, others are waiting for theirs!

I've been calling this guy The Dreaded Black Tentacle. I even named one of my other jellies his nemesis. This guy was sold through the CraftAnon Charity Shop.

And here is Red Jelly The Horrible...said nemesis. Look at his horrible little face!!! LOOK AT IT!!!
He has been shipped off to be part of a giveaway over at Life Happens During Naptime.

Next up was another charity jellyfish. He went in a giant giveaway my friend Cass did to help out with the brush fires in Australia.

I've featured this dude before. He's my "random make people smile" jelly. He's just so colorful it's spastic. Look at him long enough and you might just have a seizure...that's for sure to make you forget about anything that's wrong with you. Well, except the seizure.

These next two guys are the newest addition to The Army.

I love this yarn. It's so disgustingly hot pink that I just want to puke happiness. This little guy will be given away for Free Shit Tuesday on my friend Karla's blog. I will have links for you as soon as I can find them, so if you want him...check back!

Last but not least, is Brainnnnsssss. My zombie. I've had him in my head for ages...and I finally got five minutes to put him together (not that it takes five minutes to make these guys...more like a few hours). He's for sale in The Concertina Shop so if you want to hug him, you can! I just won't be held responsible for the loss or digestion of any brains belonging to my customers.

So let me know what you think. Feel free to send me new jellyfish ideas! If I use yours, I might get generous and send you your very own!

The end!

Hot Topic makes good eyeshadow????

2010-02-26T10:23:00.000-05:00

So I was at the Topic that is Hot the other day because I needed new tapers and I didn't want to wait for my online order to stretch my ears...I get impatient like that. I have that little club card that belies my inner emo (even though I hide it behind my Trade Secret card) and apparently they give you monies for your birthday. Not free monies mind you, you have to spend a certain amount. Long story short...since I had to throw on a few items to get my birthday monies, I decided to give these a try. I was pleasantly surprised.

Hot Topic Baked Eyeshadow: I picked up three.

Cobalt

Copper (I never wear these colors but for some reason I can't resist buying them...)

And Teal.

They were only each $2.99...as is all their other single pot eyeshadow I think. I have not been impressed before. They are super hard packed and they just have no real pigment to them. If you do manage to get something to show up, they don't stay on. And I'm the queen of getting my eyeshadow to stay on; I think my record is like 18 hours with no creasing...but I digress.

Here are the swatches:

The bottom bit is the color on it's own. The top bit is over Kryolan's Eye Shadow Base (which sucks if you have oily lids PS) and HOLY HELL!!! Look at how gorgeous they are!! Particularly note how metallic that Copper is! And the gold flecks in the Teal! My lord. (Please don't note my hairy Italian arms.) They are amazing. I haven't given them a proper use yet, but I will.

Flaky Awesomeness Courtesy of Nfu-oh

2010-02-24T10:22:00.002-05:00

Being a member of the MUA Nail Board is like being a junkie...with an awesome supply of temptation.

I submit for your approval...pretty pretty pictures (minus my favorite one because I went a little delete happy). Please don't mind Yorick, my cookie jar, he likes sparkly nail polish too.

After months of seeing these great manicures with awesome flaky glitter, I finally bought myself some of the Nfu-Oh polishes from FabulouStreet. I picked out (left to right) #52, #49 and the fabled #51. I was going to do swatches of them alone but I figured there are enough pictures around that you can look at. Instead, I tried to layer them over different colors than I had previously seen. The effect might be more subtle...but I already know that I will be getting more of these.

First up, #52 over an old Revlon Street Wear - Midnight. Midnight was my favorite rebel polish when I was a kid...it came out right around the time people were still shocked by blue nail polish. I've had the bottle ever since (we won't talk about how long) and it's still one of the best blues I've ever owned.

The #52 adds a slight sparkle to the otherwise frosty Midnight and if you look close you can see some of the green flaky.

Next, #51...as far as I can see the most coveted of all the Nfu-oh polishes.

This is over e.l.f.'s Royal Purple...that polish is a dollar on their site and is probably the best purple I own. I use it all the time because it flatters my skin tone so well. The #51 adds a blue cast to it that just makes it pop.

Alas, the star of my Three Polish Show #49, I somehow managed to delete pictures of. I layered it over Lubu Heels and oh man was it gorgeous. I literally did not stop staring at it for the week that it was on. The flakes shifted from green and turquoise all the way to gold, red and orange without missing a stop in between. The red glitter in the Lubu Heels added a subtle extra layer that was just so gorgeous.

A note on the site...FabulouStreet was well, fabulous. The woman I spoke to was super nice and helpful. I also got my order very quickly. The only problem I had was sifting through the different polishes. I wish there were swatches shown with the bottles (they are there, just in a different part of the site) but really that boils down to my indecisiveness. There were so many choices...and since I was only getting three, I had to do a bit of legwork. All in all, that's not really a complaint so...

The end.

Sugarpill Looks #3 and #4

2010-02-22T20:21:00.002-05:00

OK...so this is the last of my Sugarpill looks, for now. This blog will resume is regularly scheduled randomness directly following this post.

I'm posting these two together because I was sitting on babies from 10am to nearly 2am! It's alright though, I love spending time with my pseudo nieces and nephews.

First off, Sunday's look. I took my Sugarpill to meet the rest of the family. I wanted to use Midori, but couldn't think of what to pair it with so I broke out a little bit of the 88 shimmer palette and a Heavenly Naturals pigment.

Notice my lazy-ass attempt at blush (Pinky by NYX) and lipgloss. (That's the same pink that I've been wearing BTW...sadly I used the last of it yesterday. *sigh*)

The light green is from the 88 Shimmer palette and the dark green in the outer corners is Sea Dragon from Heavenly Naturals.

Here is today's look. Lots of pink and purple. In my first post using the Sugarpill shadows, I paired the Poisoned Plum with the Afterparty. You can see how different it looks depending on what it's next to. It's such a fabulous purple, it really is.

I should note that both of these looks used Tako (the white shadow) as a highlight.

I think this makes my eyes look very blue. You can kinda see how the olive color shrinks towards the pupil.

Janky lookin' eyebrows...

Well kids, this concludes my Sugarpill worship for now. I still haven't used the red...which was the color I was most excited about. Most matte reds I've gotten have a sort of brick-ish cast to them. As you can see in my swatch pictures, this one doesn't suffer the same fate. It almost pulls like a berry color on my skin. If I get up early enough tomorrow I might have another look for you guys. I also want to try out the yellow and blue together like the girl on the package. Ok...so I'm going to have two more...eventually.

Coming up, I have my Nfu-oh polish order to gush about. I also have a brand new package of Glittersniffer Cosmetics coming in the mail...plus some other random nifties to share. But for now...

The end.

Sugarpill Look #2 - Completely ripped off of VitangeorTacky - but with all adoration and love.

2010-02-20T21:19:00.000-05:00

Ok...so I can't take credit for this look. I saw this on Cora's Twitter and I knew that when I got my Sugarpill in I was going to try it. I hope that if she sees this, she knows that I only copy out of complete love for everything she does. We may have been makeup twins separated at birth.

Here's where you can find the video for her Starburst tutorial.
Here is her Blog.

Now...on with the pictures. Oh man...I didn't realize what a sorry state my eyebrows were in. I really need to get a better mirror or something...my little compact one just isn't cutting it. I also realize how dark my under-eye circles are...nothing like Sicilian blood.

These are all done just over Two Faced Shadow Insurance. I haven't wanted to break out the bases (Wolfe, Mehron or Kryolan) yet because, as you can plainly see, they are NOT needed. I dunno what I was thinking with that bit of pink under the eye...I just liked it.

Here is a more full on view.

And a lovely bit of hair stuck to my eye...

The rest of the face was pretty much the same as yesterday with the exception of a TINY bit of NYX's Pinky blush on the apples of my cheeks and a different shade of the Jane Mineral Lip Balm...some pink color.

I look pissed. I assure I am not; it was early. I have such oddly placed freckles.

Ok...now I'm off to play some Dante's Inferno before I have to bring it back to the store.

The end!

Sugarpill Look #1

2010-02-20T00:23:00.003-05:00

I said there would be pictures wouldn't I?

I don't have anything to say about this stuff other than...WOW.

It was great to work with...blended so smoothly together. Tako...the white color...was just amazing as a highlight.

I'm only sorry I didn't get the black. I am going to order it along with some pigments when my taxes roll in. Most people spend their tax money on televisions and expensive electronics...not me. Makeup and nail polish. (I have a $100 Head2Toe order all set up and ready to go.)

Last picture. Everything I used for the eyes was from Sugarpill...the black was from Kryolan. I just noticed I have the weirdest down-turned nose. It's OK...I got off light compared to the rest of my family.

In case you are interested in what else I used:

Foundation - Revlon Color Stay

Cheeks - NYC Sun 2 Sun bronzer

Lips - Jane Mineral Lip Balm in Deep Amber

The end.

Sugarpill.

2010-02-18T22:52:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am that excited.

I've been waiting for this for a VERY long time. Amy of Shrinkle fame has finally launched her very own cosmetic company. I have purchased some of my Kryolan cosmetics from her eBay shop and she's just so nice. I really don't have words for how freakin' rad the makeup is, so I will just bombard you with pictures.

I purchased two of the three palettes, which contain all of the pressed shadows except for the black.

The palette on the left is called Burning Heart and the shadow names are:

Orange - Flamepoint

Yellow - Buttercupcake (nom!)

Red - Love+

Purple - Poison Plum

Here are the swatches...no primer, just a Q-tip.

The palette on the left is called Sweetheart and the color names are:

Pink - Dollipop
Blue - Afterparty (drool)
Green - Midori
White - Tako

Le Swatch:

Yeah, I just dipped my fingers right in to this one, I couldn't wait. That blue...first of all matches my Rave...but is just...to die for.

Another note...these shadows are HUGE. I was just watching Petrilude's review and he says they are the same size as Makeup Forever shadows. I wouldn't know because I'm too poor for those, but here is a little photo so you can see. It's "this big".

I simply love the packaging. That alone would have made me buy it...I'm such a sucker for a pretty box. I know I'm just a tiny blog right now but I wanted to share with you guys how awesome this stuff is. I will definitely be ordering more, some of the loose pigments are just too awesome to pass up. There will be copious amounts of looks with these. I don't think I will be able to use anything else for a bit. And there will be pictures, oh will there be pictures. As I said before, words just don't do this stuff justice.

So go check it out. There's a link at the top of the blog, but in case you missed it you can click >here<.

The end.

Go check me out on Skull-A-Day!

2010-02-17T21:04:00.001-05:00

I sent one of my paintings in to Skull-A-Day just for S&G's a few weeks back...and I got featured today!! Go check me out!

Skull-A-Day

Backseat Quickie

2010-02-16T23:17:00.000-05:00

Ok, this one is going to be quick because I'm really watching a movie (Sunshine Cleaning). I have absolutely no attention span though...so I have to take a break every now and again to space out. I figured, what better way than to post about some nail polish.

This is Sally Hansen's Opulent Cloud with China Glaze's 2030 and Konad Plate M63.

There had been much hype over this fabled polish called Opulent Cloud. It's been out for a long time supposedly although I had seen nary a sign of it in stores. One lazy day, whilst making my Walgreen's rounds...I saw a fresh display of it. I wasn't sure if I would like it; it seems that it is just one of those colors you either really love or really hate. Turns out I really love it. The 2030 just compliments it so well too.

That's all. Hope it was good for you. I'm going back to my movie now but rest assured that there will be tons of new pictures and reviews soon. I've been brewing as usual...there will be some Hard Candy, some Nfu-Oh and OMG MY SUGARPILL ORDER SHIPPED. So yeah, there will be that.

The end.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Review and Random Ramblings

2010-02-13T01:49:00.001-05:00

Because really...would it be a blog post by yours truly if it did not contain copious amounts of prattle?? I submit that it would not.

I have a TON of things to post. I've been collecting. Mostly nail polish pictures, but I also have some super awesome makeup to review with more on the way.

I want to talk about my new e-tailer crush: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Please click around and take in all the awesomeness contained within that link. They do perfumed oils...based on Lovecraft...LOVECRAFT! I don't give a crap if it smelled like the underside of Dagon's soggy booty, I'd buy it. Let me also mention that they do scents based on Hellboy. If you knew me for real real, and not just for play play on this interweb thing...you would know that my very small apartment has a very large framed Hellboy print dominating one wall. There are scent collections based on Alice in Wonderland and Neil Gaiman and The Seven Deadly Sins...their creativity is incredible. But I didn't go in for the scents...

Oh no. I went in for the nail polish. I looooooooooooove their nail polish. If you click on the link in their sidebar entitled Trading Post it brings you to the section of the site where they sell the awesomeness that is Claw Polish. Oh yes, beauty for your talons. There are 16 shades with great names such as Bordello and Embalming Fluid. As I was just trying them out, I picked out two and being that I am in this brown phase lately my choices were Robotic Scarab (a deep caramel bronze) and Destroying Angel (a very dark chocolate brown).

On to the pictures.

Destroying Angel:

Excuse the frazzle and apparent blurriness of the picture...

And Robotic Scarab:

You can see the shiny goodness in the bottle there.

They apply beautifully. Destroying Angel in just two coats...Robotic Scarab three, but only because I wanted to deepen the color. I could have gone with just the requisite two. The brush was a bit tiny, but seriously forgivable.

A couple of notes on the order...

I wish I had gotten some sort of shipping acknowledgement, because it took quite a while before I heard anything after I placed the order. Perhaps I am just anal that way...but when I order online, I like to know that the other party received my monies, and will be exchanging it for goodies.

That being said, when I did get my box it was LOADED...I mean loaded with perfume samples. Like 7. That's a lot. They must know what a hooker I am for free shit.

Most notable of the ones I was sent were Hollywood Babylon and Hymn. Hollywood Babylon is super sweet smelling. I am terrible at picking out the things I smell in perfume...but it reminds me of sugary treats. I will definitely be trying some of these in the future.

Since it's almost 2am...and I will be wrecked as it is for work in the morning (curse you Starcraft...curse you)...I should probably wrap this shin-dig up. So goodbye folks. And hello to my new subscribers. Yes, I like to do things a bit ass-backwards.

The end.

Well now.

2010-01-21T23:03:00.000-05:00

I realize that it may be stupid to be writing about this but I'm pretty proud of myself tonight. I have been busting my ass at the gym and tonight I pretty much blew all of my records out of the water. 3.29 miles on the elliptical machine in the same 40 minutes that I was doing 2.3 miles two weeks ago.

That's all. I just wanted to write it down...not only to share with you guys...but to remind myself when I'm not feeling so motivated that at one point, I was.

I also want to take a second to say that I literally have THE best BFF in the whole wide world. We have it worked out so that we go to the gym at least 4 times a week...and she has been so amazing at keeping me going when I don't want to. I'm really grateful to have a friend that brings out the best in me...believe me, when you have someone in your life that does the opposite it kills you.

I'm going to stop rambling now. My incoherence is bugging me.

The end.

The Konad and the LIGHTNING!

2010-01-20T22:24:00.000-05:00

Yeah...I didn't come up with the correlation between my favorite nail polish doohickey and Weeeeeeeeeeeeee! There is a blog out there called "Konad and Strife" which I thought was frigging hilarious and had to follow immediately. Sadly, the last post was in August of last year but there are still great entries to go through!

Anyhow, I just wanted to share my latest Konad creation. I got the two plates I was looking forward to and immediately needed to use them. The color combination was an idea from one of the Nail Boarders...although I don't remember which. When I posted this up there, I showed much love and adoration for their awesome idea.

I used:

Misa - I Will Survive

Color Club - Wild and Willing

Konad - Black Special Polish

Konad - Image Plate M64

As usual...excuse the mess. Even though I don't usually bother cleaning it up before I take my pictures, I doubly didn't want to with this...because I am a klutz. And I would have messed it up. And then I would have been pissed.

Not a lot of things in life make me angry. Fucked up nail polish is one of them.

The End.

I've got the biggest Konads around...true story.

2010-01-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

Forth day straight at the gym. My body should be comatose right now but I figured that since I had about a half hour before work claims my soul for the day...I'd post some of the Konadding I've been doing. Pardon if my brain seems a bit addled (like you aren't used to it). We've already gone over how much I love the name. Deep down, while I'm just about licking 30...I still act like I'm 12.

I only have two plates right now. M51 and M57. I have two more on the way from WowSoCool. I've ordered from them before and the shipping is always very quick and very cheap...plus they are always running a 30% off sale if you put either xsparkage or sayanythingbrooke in the cupon code box.

Picture time!

First off, we have Claire's Dream Catcher with a little bit of China Glaze's Wagon Trail (a polish I lovelovelove to wear all on it's own). I've heard that the Dream Catcher is a poor girl's Chanel Jade...but I wouldn't know. I'm too poor for that shit. (Last I heard, bottles were going for $150 on eBay.) I'm not usually one for flowers, but this was simple enough that I decided to give it a try.

Next up is Pure Ice's Silver Mercedes, a half moon manicure with Misa's I Will Survive and a bit of Konad with the black special polish. This manicure lasted me almost a week before it started to look a bit haggard. I'm not sure if it was the cocktail of top and base coats I used or not, but...I was tired of it by the time I took it off. As you can see from the polish spots all over my fingers (I swear it gets in the strangest places), I'm not a very neat Konader. I got the idea for the half moon manicure from Plasma Speedo's YouTube. I recently found her channel because somebody posted it on the Nail Board (which I frequent, Concertina3) of Make Up Alley. I love that site so much. I pretty much just stick to the NB, with the occasional foray into the FOTD and Makeup boards. Everyone is so nice and helpful on there, even when I have stupid questions. It has definitely become my favorite porn site as of late.

Enough of my verbosity. Last picture.

This is Essie's Mesmerize (a new favorite methinks) and Pure Ice's Silver Mercedes. I hate this one. I posted it on the NB and a lot of people said it looked good, but I can see all the tiny mess-ups and how uneven it is...and this is my GOOD hand! The other one looks like a real shit-show.

Pause for more coffee. Good lord I love my Keurig and my giant Guinness coffee mug.

I used the same cocktail on this last manicure as I did on the previous one - China Glaze's Strong Adhesion Base Coat, China Glaze's No-Chip Top Coat and Seche Vite, so we shall see how it lasts. Although, as soon as my new plates come in...I'm taking it off. It's kinda gonna be like that owl eating the Tootsie Pop...

The end.

It's just too heavy for Superman to lift.

2010-01-07T18:01:00.000-05:00

I really love that song...it makes me so sad for some reason. (click the blue for some Flaming Lips goodness)

I've mentioned before that my days off are usually the times when I wear the craziest makeup I can think of. Just because. I don't usually have anywhere to be except occasionally playing cards with my mother...and she is as much amused by my cosmetic meanderings as I am. This week I decided I wanted to try to copy an old Xsparkage look from her Superhero Series. I try to pick looks that seem hard to me...that are just above my skill level...so that if I am able to nail them, I feel like I've learned something.

The original tutorial can be found >here<. The only thing I was able to keep the same between her look and mine was the blue from the Mehron Tropical Palette. Well, that and her and I share the same devotion to Too Faced Shadow Insurance. The rest was done with the Coastal Scents 88 Matte palette.

I feel like my look is "chalker"...if that makes sense. Her's looks so much more velvety. I'm certain a lot of that has to do with the difference in the quality of product. The 88 palette is great...but it's not M.A.C.

Anyhow, on to the pictures.

That bit in the corner where the red and the yellow meet up could have been more blended...but I didn't want it to turn to orange. There was already enough going on without throwing another color into it. If I did this again, I would also not use the yellow from the 88 palette. It sucked. The brightest blue also had some glitter in it, which was not ideal...but I knew it wouldn't show up really.

Since there would be no Superman without Clark Kent...I thought I'd take a glasses shot for posterity.

Thoughts?

The end.

Organizing and such...

2009-12-02T14:17:00.001-05:00

I, as usual, have been a bit lazy with just about everything. Projects that normally take me one or two days to complete are taking me weeks and weeks. This time of year is just not my favorite. I am so drained from work (I know whine whine whine) and I just don't have any creative juices to squeeze out. I don't really do much of my own make-up or other artistic experimentation, rather I just copy things I see on Youtube or in magazines for my daily looks and call it a day. Right around my birthday (early February) I start getting back into the groove of life so I'm sure there will be more things to share. For now, please excuse the rambling.

For your consideration, I have compiled a few pictures of my new makeup organization. I got the idea from MakeupByTiffanyD on Youtube. You can click her name to see the video I am talking about. She had a whole bunch of office supply organizers from Walmart to house her collection in. They were super cheap (I think I spent about $50 total on all the pieces) and they are made of metal so they are easy to clean up if you are a slob like me. I find it amusing how excited I am about my new setup, being that I really am a slob deep down.

Here is the whole shelf. I purchased 9 different pieces, which of course, was not enough. I fully plan on getting more although I'm not sure where I'm going to put them.

Shelf #1:

Here I have two pencil cups with my brushes. One for the eyes, one for the face. Previously I had them standing up in those two ceramic skull containers which I filled with sand. That was a disaster. The left little drawer set holds pigments and stuff I use often. The right has all of my small palettes and quads. The skully cups have random things I didn't have room for and that I don't use too regularly.

Here is a closeup of the first draw container. The top drawer has my Glittersniffer goodies. The second has my Fyrinnae and NYX pigments with the couple of Heavenly Naturals that I own. The third has some drugstore stuff and other random mineral shadows that I barely use now.

Shelf #2:

These were two of the same little organizers. The left one has all of my lip products...palettes and glosses in the back, lipsticks in the middle and chapsticks and pot glosses in the front. The little square compartment on the side has the three lip liners I own in it.

The right side contains all of my various face powders (including my Kryolan Anti-Shine which is one of my main reasons for living). There are also various foundations and liquid and powder bronzers.

Shelf #3:

This thing is really a pain in the butt because of how it's shaped. It is oval so it makes it not fit with the rest of the items on the shelf but I've always been a sucker for little drawers (TREASURE!!!) so I picked it up anyhow. It's pretty handy despite it's exasperating design. The back left compartment has my Trucco palette and some backup eyeliners. The front left has some liquids. The top has some primers and cake eyeliners as well as my sharpeners and the pencils that would have to be fished out of the deeper cups. The right side has all the other pencils in the back and my vast array of mascara in the front and the little drawer keeps all of my funky colored liquid eyeliners.

Last up are envelope holders. These make fabulous storage spots for palettes. I keep all of my water activated colors (such as Kryolan, Mehron and Wolfe Bro's.) on the left side. On the right I keep all of my shadow palettes. I know I will need a bunch more of these soon, the ones I have are already double filled.

So that's it. Now everything is neat and easily accessible. I don't have to go digging through large drawers knocking down stuff and getting my hand all covered in loose pigment to find one little thing. It definitely makes my bathroom look neater. Now if only I could convince my landlord to let me drill a nail polish rack into the wall, I'd be the happiest person alive.

The end.

A few costume looks. A bit late...I know.

2009-11-09T12:37:00.001-05:00

For a long time I've been interested in getting into stage or costume makeup. There is this fabulous costume shop down the street from me, Columbia, that I frequent and I plan on asking them if there are any classes I can take...or if they can hook me up with one of the vendors so that I can learn. However, I'm being a bit of a chicken. Anyhow...here are a few things I photographed while I was playing around. I also have a few pictures of the makeup I did for my Halloween costume...I was a Jellyfish.

First off...nothing makes a regular look turn odd like lipstick. We are so conditioned to think that lip colors can only come in the regular old reds and pinks and corals. Some of the bigger cosmetics companies have put out beautiful shades of black...such as Illamasqua and M.A.C but you still don't see it worn every day. And how about some more odd colors? I remember being young and wearing blue nailpolish in front of my grandmother and having to explain to her how it really was no different than wearing red or pink. She seemed to get it...but she was my early inspiriation for being a nailpolish addict (her nails were always fastidiously painted and manicured and we used to do them together) so I'm sure there wasn't much convincing needed. But why hasn't lipstick made that jump yet? If it's done nicely, I don't see how it's any different than sporting your favorite blue or green nail.

Pardon my bit of a snarl. I was feeling frisky. Here I used Wet & Wild's Fantasy Maker in black with a green duochrome from my Trucco Angelface lip palette on top.

Here is the black all by itself. It almost looks like a plum...so not such a big jump from a regular dark lip color.

Again with the snarling...I must have been in some mood...

On to a full face look. This was something I concocted late one night before I washed my face for the day. I sometimes use that time to play around. My makeup racks look so inviting, and I do so love to doodle.

I love the doll aesthetic. Looks like Amanda Palmer's in the Coin Operated Boy video make me happy. A friend of mine, who actually took theater in college gave me some helpful pointers on how to make my schnozz not look so freakin' huge. I promised to practice and hopefully putting stuff up here on my blog will give me a visual timeline of my progress.

On to my Halloween look! I got this idea from one of my favorite Youtubers - Risa. You can see the video >here<. Subscribe to her...she's amazing.

Here is the front view. Lots of green...

And a slightly more side-view...hopefully that shows the eyes off a bit more.

And a complete side-view. I took this to show off the contouring and shading. This look was done entirely using the 88 shimmer palette from Coastal Scents. You can also get it on Ebay from the seller Joilieeeee. I have ordered from both and had great experiences. The Coastal Scents site is a bit more expensive, but it ships quite a bit faster as the other site is located in Hong Kong (I think...feel free to correct me.)

Well that's all I have for you today. As always, please comment and pass me along!

The end.

Plunder and Pillage!!! Or...holy crap I'm actually updating!!! (And some hats.)

2009-11-01T13:36:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a long time...but I have good excuses. Ok, not really.

I have been working my little booty off though. I had quite a few custom crochet pieces to get through...(still not nearly finished) and a craft fair to do...and it's coming up on Christmas time...and we all know what that means. My poor little butt is going to be more concerned with how to manage my regular job without punching people in the face while secretly enjoying ruining as many small children's holidays that I can. Evil, who me?

Anyhow...just because we all know what a little picture whore I am...and because I want to be a bit of a show off...this blog post is going to be all about the hat patterns I've been working on. One is a recreations of something somebody showed me on this great interweb of ours. Another is a modified free pattern I found somewhere. The third is a completely random creation by me myself. I had some yarn...a hook...and time to kill. I'm a doodler by nature. If there is paper around, and a writing implement...I'm on it like white on rice. The margins of all my notes at work are filled with tentacles...and fish...and eyes...and whatever else. The same goes for yarn. Sometimes I don't have any ideas...and I just start messing around to see what I can come up with. Most of the time it ends up getting pulled out because it resembles a freshly hacked up hairball. Other times...unfortunately the rarer of these two scenarios, it comes out useable. This was one of those times.

Onward!

This was a custom request by a friend of mine. The hat is for her husband which is why it's just a bit big on me. Please pardon my complete lack of makeup...and my "I just woke up...only the killing will make me feel better" look.

There are little medallions up the middle and on the sides of the hat. I tried to stuff them to make them stand out but the hat itself is sort of loosely crochet (so as not to make the wearer swelter) and the stuffing kept coming out the back.

Ps...I'm really digging this new way Blogger is dealing with photo posting. It makes me happy in my heart.

Hat number 2 is basically the same pattern as the viking hat. It's just teal...for me. Last year, I made myself a scarf for every snowflake that came down from the sky...this year it's hats. I'm also planning to make some thrummed mittens to go along with it. (That's where you put little balls of roving on the inside of the mitten so when you put your hand inside...it feels like awesome!) I got some beautiful teal and gold roving when I went to the Sheep and Wool festival in Rhinebeck (NY) this year.

As you can see, it's a bit slouchy. I don't think I look very good in hats. Previously I only wore a crazy black wool beret I snapped up somewhere in my childhood. I think that's why all the hats I make for myself sort of follow that general shape...

The pattern uses a front post triple crochet to make the ribbing. It's nice and stretchy and such a warm hat. I was looking about and I can't find the original pattern but I did modify it quite a bit at the bottom there. I also had to do a tiny bit of correcting at the top...unless it's just that I can't read crochet patterns, which is entirely possible. That's why I make up my own most of the time.

Hat number 3 came out of boredom and the aforementioned yarn doodling. Whilst I was manning my craft fair booth last weekend...I had a lot of time to kill. It was rainy...and slow. Although I did manage to make a few bucks, there were large bunches of time where we were just sitting there. This pattern is what came out of my complete inability to sit still for more than five minutes.

That's the top view. I haven't worn it out yet...so I am unsure as to how warm it will keep your head with all those holes in it. But I thought it looked pretty...and sometimes you just need to sacrifice function for some form.

The next three pictures are different ways it can be worn. It's kind of like a convertible for your head!

Set back like a slouchy hat:

To the side a bit, more like a traditional beret:

And pushed forward, like a newsboy:

Enjoy that little snarl. It's free.

I made this one smaller also for my niece's birthday...and in typical me fashion, I forgot to take pictures. Her's was a white wool with tiny bits of pastel blue, pink and yellow variegation throughout. I also took a pale blue baby yarn and made a long chain with a little rosebud on the end and wove it into the band for a little added accent.

There you go. My first blog post in months and it's long winded as usual. As always, feel free to contact me if you like any of the things I post. This time of year I am a little backed up but I am always open to custom orders...questions...random pimpings...and whatnot. Feel free to pass me along too! I'll send you an air high-five for it!

The end.

Quickie Manicure - Glitter at Tiffanys

2009-09-13T00:15:00.004-04:00

Here's a nice quickie manicure for you. I've been rolling this idea around my head for about a week now. The base is China Glaze's For Audrey and the glitter is Sinful's All About You.

For Audrey is such a pretty Tiffany blue color...and while it looks fabulous on it's own...I've always wanted to pair it with something cool but couldn't decide what. While I was in Vegas, I picked up All About You at their VASTLY superior Walgreens (along with a ton of other polishes...). Right from the get I knew that this was THE thing for my plain For Audrey manicure. I attempted to do a nice fade...but as this was my first try at anything such...I'm sure there is much room for improvement. Please excuse the polish on the sides of my nails...I don't usually bother to clean up because 1) it comes off in the shower with minimal effort on my part and 2) invariably, I fuck up the polish on my nails whenever I try get remover anywhere NEAR enough to clean it up.

Enjoy! As always, I love to hear comments and suggestions! Give me some good ideas to write about!!

The End!

40th Post!!!

2009-09-07T03:16:00.004-04:00

Ok...I'm in Vegas...so this isn't going to be a real post. Just a fake one to say HIIII to all my followers!

I've been doing some major photo collecting lately so I will have plenty of new things to write about very soon.

Hope you all are enjoying the rest of your summer!!

The End!

Quick FOTD Double Feature

2009-08-13T01:34:00.001-04:00

OK...here are some quick FOTD's for you. It's late...I'm lazy...and I got a DVD all loaded up and ready to go...the only thing missing is me in my bed.

Whilst I was helping my friend grocery shop the other day (she has two little boys...so it's tough to shop alone), I forced her to go down the makeup isle. I rarely ever buy turquoise eye shadow because it's my favorite. I know that sounds counterintuitive but because I love it so, I have ended up with a hojillion of them. I couldn't pass this up though...I really tried! I put it back like four times!

Maybelline's Sea Glass duo:

I look pissed in this picture for some reason. I think I was really tired...
Lipstick is Crush by Rimmel.
And here in the close up you can see that this was also my attempt at cutting my crease...

This next one here is today's machination. I'm labeling it "Black Sunset" because I like to come up with pretentious names for my looks...no, I'm not being sarcastic...it's the truth!

The black is called Toothache by Glittersniffer over a Wolfe Brothers base. The reds, oranges and yellows are from the Crazy 88 palette.

I'm really liking this profile picture...but I still looked pissed.

Edit: I forget which YouTuber I picked this trick up from...but the easiest way I found to make that cat eye line on the edge there is using a baby wipe. Put your shadow on normal...then just put a baby wipe over your pointer finger and wipe it up to your eyebrow. Super simple... since I can't put tape on my face (I break out REALLY easily...notice my little spots right now...). Now I can have that nice crisp line without going through all the mess.

The end!

How do I love the...let me count the Glaze...

2009-08-07T20:14:00.000-04:00

Those of you that know me, know what undying love I hold in my little black heart for China Glaze nail polish.

I change my polish every few days.
I buy new colors almost weekly.
I follow them on Twitter (@ChinaGlaze)...and yes I do respond.
It is, so far, my favorite in color selection and formula.

I have tried a few different brands, the ones most commonly compared with China Glaze being O.P.I and Orly...and I like them enough, but I crave bright...weird...and anything but normal colors. China Glaze delivers. I am partial to their glitters because I am by no means a good manicurist. I paint outside the lines and hope that my topcoat will help peel the excess bits off by my next shower. Glitter polish is so forgiving...I want to hug it.

As far as the formulation goes, most of the time it sits right in the middle of the two aforementioned brands. O.P.I tends to be very thick...more than one coat often leads to bubbling, although this may just be my impatience. Orly is the opposite...it tends to be very thin, and if more than two coats are involved, I usually mess it up. China Glaze is just right. Two coats max (unless we are talking about Yell-O-Neil) that dry quickly, so there's less time for me to forget that my nails are wet and smear them all over the place.

Since there are quite a few beauty bloggers that talk about nail polish exclusively, I won't go into too much more detail. I just feel that if you have strong opinions, in this case my undying love, you should back them up. And so I have. At the end of the post, I will link some of my very favorite nail blogs...please check them out! These ladies are amazing and whenever something new comes out...I scour their pages for hours drooling, listing, and deciding.

On to the collection: (colors are listed left to right with collection info if I know it)

For Audrey - lovely light turquoise cream
Shower Together - deep turquoise cream - ecollection
Rodeo Fanatic - dark blue green shimmer (notice a trend?) - Rodeo Diva collection
Blk-Bila-Bong - black with teal glitter (no, no trend or anything) - Surf collection

Ruby Pumps - red with TONS of red glitter
Yell-O-Neil - bright yellow with glassy flecks (very sheer) - Surf collection
Treehugger - light green with light turquoise shimmer - ecollection
Watermelon Rind - a king of teal/forest green with green glitter - Summer Days collection

Wagon Trail - black with dark gold glitter - Rodeo Diva collection
VIII - very dark eggplant purple cream (looks almost black on) - X collection
Strong Adhesion Base Coat
No-Chip Top Coat - these two together makes your polish last at least a week

And the two newest members of my polish family:

Cords - grayish taupe shimmer - Retro Diva collection
Stroll - burgundy with red glitter and glass flecks - Retro Diva collection

I was going to save the next two photos for NOTD posts...but I figured, since they are both China Glaze, I would include them here.

This first one is Yell-O-Neil. I really want to love this polish. The color is fantastic...it's the most gorgeous yellow I've ever seen. The glass flecks in it catch the light and are just so pretty. The only problem I have with it is that it's so very sheer. This is three coats...and as you can see, it doesn't cover completely. I was considering trying a very opaque white or cream color underneath to see if that would help.

This here is Stroll. I don't usually go for the more normal colors, reds, plums, pinks...but I picked this one up on three previous trips (to the ONLY place in my area that sells China Glaze), so I decided to get it. I love it! This one also has little glassy flecks in it. I see many days of distraction in my future.

See? Didn't I tell you that I suck at doing my nails? Maybe next time I should clean them up before photographing them! (Nah, too lazy.)

I took a small break in the middle of writing this...so what do I do? I order more nailpolish. Yes, I am aware that I am sad. (But you want to know what I got don't you??? *wickedsmile*)

Lubu Heels
Shocking Pink
Secret Peri-Wink-Le
In The Lime Light

In the same order I also got some Color Club and some Misa polishes, so I will review these as well. Sometime soon I should also be getting the Zoya polishes I "won" in the Zoya 5000 Twitter giveaway. I will post about all of them when I get them!

The end.

Ok, I lied. It's not the end. Here are some of my favorite nail bloggers. Show them love!

Scrangie
Vampy Varnish
All Lacquered Up (wins the awesome name award!)

Outside the Makeup Box - Pearl Ex Craft Pigments

2009-08-04T21:04:00.001-04:00

Finally! I have the time to put together some of the blog posts I've been promising. First off...I would like to talk about the new awesomeness I found. Ok...well "I" didn't find it...but I'm so glad I was watching when someone else did...hehe.

Here are my two sources:

Sokolum79's YouTube channel - she's such a hot hottie...and I LOVE her style.
Check her out if: You loooooove bright colors (like me) and never differentiate between "daytime" and "nighttime" looks.

Kayleigh's deviantART - another hot hottie!! She does awesome awesome work. The picture that made me HAVE to own these pigments is >here<.

Please check both of these awesome ladies out and show them the appropriate amount of love.

So...about these pigments. They are not makeup. You can get them at the craft store...I paid about $20 for this set of 12. They come in 3g jars...which is enough pigment to choke many horses...and make them look pretty while you're at it. They are mainly used for glazing pottery and glass objects using a mixing medium...or in scrapbooking as glitter. They are non-toxic and made of mica...which is what most mineral makeup is made of. Of course, they don't reccomend you getting certain colors near your face...but almost all red and yellow colored pigments come with the same stipulation. There are a few people who can't handle those particular shades...so if you are one of those people...I'd advise against using these. On the other hand...if you are like me...and either aren't allergic...or don't mind downing a little antihistimine in the great name of beauty...then by all means...slather it on.

Here are the swatches - over a base of TFSI:

1 - Spring Green - mossy almost olive green
2 - Bright Yellow - Yep.
3 - Duo Green Yellow - This looks so cool over a black base...very antique gold.
4 - Sparkling Copper - This is a glitter...someone said "like crushed pennies"...very apt.
5 - Aztec Gold - gorgeous gorgeous deep gold
6 - Blue Russet - If I could marry a color...
7 - Misty Lavender - pretty lilac/lavender color, pastel
8 - Flamingo Pink - bright hot pink
9 - Antique Copper - more of a frosty brown color
10 - True Blue - pastel blue
11 - Antique Silver - gorgeous warm silver
12 - Turquoise - LOVE

The colors are incredibly pigmented...as you can see. They are so gorgeous...there are just no words for how much I love that Blue Russet. I have a couple of looks here for you all. The first one using that color, I just couldn't wait to rip into it.

Kryolan Strauss Wine aquacolor as a base.
Pearl Ex Craft Pigment in Blue Russet.
I honestly can't remember what else I used...oh yeah Sebastian Trucco's red duo as a highlight and in the inner corner...not that you can see it all that much. I might have taken the picture before I put it on...way to go me!

And the second look...I also could not wait to rip into that Aztec Gold. For as silly as yellows look on me, I just can't seem to stay away from them...

Wolfe Brother's metallic gold as a base.
Pearl Ex Aztec Gold and Antique copper
Some brown liquid liner...I think it was Wet & Wild...I decided to wing it out in the front to be random. What do you think??

The end!

More Coming Soon...

2009-07-26T19:25:00.001-04:00

Ok...so work is kicking my BOOTAY lately, but I have a ton of things I want to write about. Unfortunately...I don't have the time...added to the fact that some of the blog posts take preparation!

Anyhow...more sneak peeks:

Jaquard Pearl Ex craft pigments
Cover Girl Eye Enhancer quads
Revlon Color Stay quad
More of my China Glaze obsession

Stay tuned!

The end.

Coming Soon!

2009-07-15T18:16:00.000-04:00

Herro to all 9 of you that read this. I know I've been quite remiss in my frivolous blog posts as of late, but I've got some interesting reviews coming up as well as some comparison blogs that have been stewing around in my brain a bit.

Here's a sneak peak...note that names may change if I come up with something more clever before I sit down to actually write these.

Reviews:

Wolfe Brother's Face Art & FX Metallix palette
NailTek Intensive Therapy treatment
Sebastian Trucco Angelface eye and lip palettes

General Adoration:

The Perfect Purple: Or how I justify buying a crapton of purple eyeshadow.
A Red I Can Live With

Plus...if anyone has ideas...or wants to know about any of the products I've used previously...by all means let me know! I'm very opinionated...so reviews come naturally to me! (I'm not sure if that's entirely a good thing...but at least I'll be honest!)

The end!

Who doesn't love Twinkie Chan??

2009-07-07T23:58:00.000-04:00

I was popping about the interwebs tonight and I came across this: Twinkie Chan is having a little giveaway. I love her stuff...as a fellow crochet nerd, I am in awe of her awesome ability. Her ideas are so super creative, and everything is just SO CUTE. (So is she...I just want to pinch her cheeks.) I love that she is part of the awesome new trend that crochet and knitting aren't just for gossipy old ladies. Fabulous!

Check out her interview...and enter to win one of those super sweet cookie pins over at Lovely Little Deer!

I've been hoarding.

2009-07-02T20:01:00.001-04:00

Not intentionally, to be sure. More out of laziness than anything else. I've been super busy at work lately (story of my life) and when I get home I just want to pass the frig out. Which I do...often.

So, enough of my whining...here's some stuff! I have a few eye looks and a couple of reviews. I've been on a bit of a retail-therapy binge lately...so there will be more reviews in the future.

As always...if you enjoy any of my nonsensities...please pass them along!

For these looks...I'm going to try to list the products I used...but I've had these on my camera for a while so...I'm sure I won't remember all of them.

First up, some blue. If you look on the Crazy 88 palettes (as I am lately wont to call them), you will find in the 5,8 spot...the most gorgeous blue. There is one in both the matte palette and the Ultra Shimmer...I think I used the shimmer one for this but it is entirely possible I didn't. You can get the 88's anywhere really...I bought them from Coastal Scents...because I thought they were original to them, but I'm finding that they aren't...and there are plenty of places that sell them cheaper.

Underneath the blue I put Fyrinnae's Illicit Passion (one of the pro colors). I adore this purple...it's dark, grayish and goes well with pretty much everything. In the corner I used a pigment from Coastal Scents...Interfine Blue.

Here it is on both eyes:

Next up is a similar look, just using purples. I am certain I used the same Illicit Passion...because, like I said...I love that color.

The deeper purple is from Heavenly Naturals and it's called Laurel Fairy. The inner corner and as a highlight I used Coastal Scent's Interfine Red.

Again on both eyes:

Please ignore the goopy mess my eyeliner is making in the corner of my left eye...it is practically an occupational hazard when you are as much of a makeup geek as myself.

Ok...last one and then on to some reviews. My all time favorite color - turquoise.

I know that underneath this look I used the Mehron Pastel AQ palette. However, I don't remember what I used on top. More than likely it was the Crazy 88 Matte palette...and I think in the corners was the same shade from the Ultra Shimmer palette. There was a little more defining done in the crease with some black and some forest green...but I didn't like the picture I took of it. Also...ignore the dark circles. I'm Sicilian...no matter how much I sleep, I am never without them. I must have taken this picture later in the day...and it's been pretty humid so my normal cocktail of Mehron bases and concealers must have worn off.

Ok...review time. Ok I lie...I'm making tea first. *short break*

Well, after quite an exhausting reformatting of my pictures here (Oh Blogger, why must you suck in that area??)...I can finally finish! Up there ^^^ you will see a beautiful dark blue nail polish. It's called Dark Navy and it's by e.l.f. The picture is great! It's a sparkly dark dark blue and it has a bit of shimmer to it. Unfortunately, for as excited as I was about this polish, I have to say I am pretty dissapointed. The formula was ok...if a bit thick. I originally put on two coats...and it looked terrible...so I took it off and found that one coat was really all I needed. It is so dark though, that it looks black on. It only really flashes that pretty pretty blue in the camera light or sunshine (which made for much distracted driving btw). Despite my general meh-ness about this though...it was only a dollar. So really, I can't complain too much. I'll probably try some of their other colors in the future for that reason alone...although they really only have "normal" colors...and they look terrible on me.

Next up are the Cover Girl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers. These glosses are FABULOUS! I love them so much. I first bought the Watermelon one and when I felt how absolutely lovely they are on the lips, I went out and bought three more.
Left to right they are:
Fig Splash
Tangerine Splash
Lemon Splash
Watermelon Splash

Here are the swatches:

The only one that's a bit different is the Fig. It's pretty frosty...but still very pretty. They aren't terribly expensive...around $5 or $6 depending on where you get them. If you like very shiny, kinda glittery and DEFINITELY not sticky lip gloss...I 100% reccomend them.

And I leave you...with a messed up attempt at some zebra striped nails. They looked HORRIBLE...and because I didn't want to waste my China Glaze No Chip...I used my Orly Won't Chip...and it was too thick...so thankfully it peeled right off and I got to change it. The colors I used were China Glaze's Tree Hugger (base) and Revlon's Street Wear (a really old collection) in Toad.
For as bad as they were up close though...I think I would like to have nice Zebra nails in the future. I'm looking into the Konad Nail Stamper...but it will be a while before I can spend money...unless I can drum up some sales in my Etsy shop. So until then...

The end!

Makeup Pressing

2009-06-16T20:58:00.000-04:00

Soooo...I just ordered a 28 pan palette from Stars Makeup Haven to put all of my "that sized" eyeshadow in. My bins are just getting way too overfilled. Since it's coming with a butt-ton of empty pans...I thought perhaps I might try to press some of my own pigments and mineral eye-shadows to fill up the palette with.

I've been watching videos on this for like...two hours...cos I'm an ass like that. But, if anyone knows anything about this...and wants to give me tips, I'll love you forever!!

<3 (See? That's the love right there...)

The end.

Makeups. (I'm not very creative, I know...but I'm tired...and my tummy is rumbling.)

2009-06-11T20:13:00.000-04:00

I took a ride over to the drugstore to see if I could find some Coty powder (I'm a shiny mess.) and I ended up coming out with almost $30 worth of makeup...and of course...no powder. I did, however get some new pretty eyeliners from Wet-N-Wild. They were buy one get one half off or some silly junk like that...so I picked up light blue, turquoise, brown and purple. I used to purple today...and they are actually rather nice...especially for the price (around $2.99).

I've had this copper eye-shadow floating around since I got all that stuff from NYX in their 50% off sale...and I've been dying to use it with SOMETHING...but didn't know what. Then...whilst poking around in my 88 Shimmer palette one day...I discovered this GORGEOUS purple. (Perfect for my new eyeliner, right??)

As always, there are a ton of links below...so follow them if you'd like to know where I get all my nifty stuffs!!!

Look:
Two Faced Shadow Insurance
Base: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Pots and Pans
Lid: NYX Ultra Pearl Shimmer in Rust (I think...I took the little sticker off...)
Crease: Shadow 8,5 in the Coastal Scents 88 Ultra Shimmer Palette
Eyeliner: Wet & Wild Mega Liner in Plum
Lashes: Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara (<3)
Highlight: Jane EyeZing in Hip Bone

I've been so busy...I regret I haven't been able to blog more. I moved my store recently...and it's just been one disaster after another. I did get a chance to stock up on some of the Victoria's Secret makeup. They are changing their packaging so everything is 75% off right now. I'll have some reviews on that later. I also have a quick review on The Sims 3. Basically, I hated it. I'm pretty sure I'm going to return it...I hated it that much.

But for now, I'm going to make myself a biiiiiig bowl of yogurt and granola and play some Sims 2.

The End.

Update-a-Go-Go!

2009-06-09T19:00:00.000-04:00

So I saw the nutritionist this morning. This was the second of six visits that are prerequisite for the surgery. I am proud to say that I lost 8 and a half pounds! I seriously though I lost NOTHING...and when I weighed myself at my sister's house (I don't own a scale...) I had only lost one pound. I have been having nightmares that they were going to turn me down for the surgery all month...and now I feel much much better about things. (Especially since I wasn't ENTIRELY faithful to the meal plan...a pretzel here...a cookie there...)

So I celebrated by buying The Sims 3. It is installing on my computer as we speak...and since the reason I haven't updated my blog at all lately is because of The Sims 2...don't expect too many updates any time soon.

The End.

I am titleless tonight.

2009-05-26T23:22:00.000-04:00

It seems that I have been needing more sleep as of late...and I'm not sure why. My recent blood tests haven't had anything indicative in them...so I'm not really sure what to do about it, other than sleep. Tonight, I had just about the BEST nap ever. I got home around 5:30...and decided to nap at 6. I set my alarm for 8...and then CONKED out. (That's a technical term btw.) That two hours was seriously better than most of the full nights of sleep I get. What's better is the two snoozes (why do alarms always snooze for 9 minutes...that's so random) were just as restful as the two hours.

But anyhow, here I am, tea in hand, writing a blog I meant to write about four hours ago.

First of all, I know I said I was going to have a nice neutral look to show off with some of my new e.l.f. products. But I lied. The pictures came out crappy...because I don't think I was paying attention when I took them. So instead, here is a bright orangey-red look for ya.

I used the Mehron Tropical AQ palette (the light orange color) as a base.
Some light orange shadow from the original 88 palette in the corner.
NYX's Golden Orange in the middle.
NYX's Sunrise in the outer corner and crease area.
My tried and true Rimmel London black kohl liner in the waterline.
Rimmel London's Sexy Curves mascara (THE BEST).
And a new trick I learned from Eily on Youtube: take an angled liner brush, and dip it into your regular liquid liner (because seriously, those brushes in those things suck). Then line your eye. This prevents major tard-liner, which is my usual look.

Once again, please excuse the funky shape of my eyebrows. I can't do them any better than that. At least I've moved on from having to call my sister and make her do it...also, I had just gotten up from a nap when I took that picture...so it's all messed up.

Ok...on to my sheep! (Did that sound naughty?) It's quite a bit more done since I've taken this picture, but here is my sheep WIP. Those are all popcorn stitches...and this is the first time I've done them. They are hard...and make my hand hurt, so I really don't get much done each time I sit down to work on it. I'll have pictures of his cuteness when he's all finished.

Some other things of note:

I started reading The Count of Monte Cristo. I haven't read it since I was a kid, and had those Illustrated Classics books that my mom used to buy 5 for a dollar and I'd read in about 30 minutes. Every time I see that movie (the one with Jim Caviezel as Dantes and James Frain - Bassianus from Titus...I loooooove Titus ), I forget how much I love the story...and I thought it was about time I actually read it. A few months back I had purchased the Barnes & Noble Classics version, because they are generally less expensive and very good quality, but when I cracked it open it said "abriged" under the title. (Ten points for looking before you buy.) After a bit of creative return policy negotiation, I was able to exchange it for a better version. I was a bit dissapointed though, kind of like when you get your mouth all ready for milk and you've forgotten you've poured yourself a glass of lemonade. I have gotten many other of the B&N classics and none of them have ever been abriged before. *shrugs*

Sunday is my store move. The new store is all shiny and pretty...with new cabinets and carpets and a HUUUUGE back room. We really needed the space...I swear if I had a dollar for every time someone told me that we needed a bigger store, I wouldn't have to work retail ever again.

Also...I am quite addicted to Tweetdeck. If you Twitter and don't have this program, you should get it right now. Between that and Twitterific for my iPhone (oh yeah, I got an iPhone)...I'm a very happy nerd. They both just make things super easy...whereas the website seems to be TRYING to make you crazy. Ten points for third party software.

The end.

PS - I just found out that Jim Caviezel was Jesus in The Passion of the Christ. I must watch this now. No, of course not for Jesus...for Jim!

OK...it's a day late...

2009-05-23T00:04:00.000-04:00

...but whatever. I was busy blowing up Twitter yesterday for TNT. (No sales, 1 heart and only 48 pageviews...I R Sad.)

So as promised...here are my pictures from the last week and a half...minus my full body one...my brother still needs to send it to me.

The e.l.f. Custom Eyes compacts...they only come in this size (that I could find) but hey, what the hell do you want for a dollar? They are magnetic so you can switch up different colors for travel and whatnot. I *think*, though I am not sure...that they are the standard eyeshadow size...so perhaps the M.A.C ones would fit in there too?? (Feel free to confirm or deny this in the comments section.)

These are the shadows I got to go into the palettes. From left to right, top to bottom they are:
Sage
Periwinkle - More gray than blue...but absolutely gorgeous.
Dusk - A VERY nice black with a tiny bit of sparkle.
Ivory
Mocha - A brown that is peachy/golden.
Moondust
Pink Ice - Love this color too.
Golden Glow - Totally <3.

These next two pictures are of a look I did with some of my new NYX eyeshadow. I used my Mehron Tropical palette as a base, then put NYX's Lime Juice on top and used some Kryolan black in the crease.

Next up is one of the two necklaces I ordered from Heart Sized Crush on Etsy. Not only were they fabulously made...but they are so cool looking. She's got tons of styles, but if you especially enjoy old school tattoo designs, I totally recommend checking her out. I'll have pictures of the second necklace later (it's a super rad glow in the dark skull).

And last but not least...the pair of earrings I got from Nicole Linder, also on Etsy. Most of you are aware of my fascination with all things from the sea...so you can appreciate how I couldn't say no to these! Just look at their beady little eyes!!! So cute!

So that's all I have for today. I have another bunch of pictures to post...'cos I'm too lazy to pull them off my camera tonight. They include *shock and amazement* a very toned down neutral look, to prove that I don't ONLY wear crazy nasty eye color...and a WIP amigurumi sheep.

The end.

TNT with DIYScene!

2009-05-21T12:18:00.000-04:00

That's right! It's Thursday! So check us out!
Sales are going on all day, and Etsy Chat starts at 6pm EST...Join us!

TNT Info

So little time...

2009-05-21T00:51:00.000-04:00

I have tons of stuff to post about, and no time to post it with. Ok, strictly speaking, that's a lie. I have time...I've just been spending it feeling poopy. I dunno, I'm sick or something...or I'm just being a baby. One or the other...

I promise...sometime tomorrow, there will be pictures, reviews...and if my brother emails me the photos he took last weekend...the beginning of my weight loss documentation. That will be a part of my blog that will be very hard to do. I'm sure it will get easier when I start looking better...but until then, I'm going to have to force myself to post pictures. As hot as I am, I pretty much hate the way I look. I want to do it though...I want to have a steady chronicle from one extreme to the other.

Until tomorrow:
The end.

One Little Monkey...

2009-05-13T01:18:00.000-04:00

Some of you may remember my post about my monkey WIP...well here he is! The newest member of The Ami Army! I finally got off my butt and finished his!

Here's a side picture to show how the tail is attached.

If you want to hug your very own little monkey...you can buy him at The Concertina Shop! I love comments so...let me know what you think!

My To Do Lists:

2009-05-12T18:07:00.000-04:00

Perhaps if I write down all of the things I need to get done here...I will be motivated to do them. I have been VERY remiss in my duties lately, and I am hoping that the Almighty Internets will be the kick in the ass that I need.

(Hold please whilst I put the chicken on the grill...)

Today:

Finish monkey for delivery on Wednesday.

Tomorrow:

Foot doctor.
Clean house.
Finish seal headband.
Do associate performance reviews so my kids can get their raises.

*sigh*

Fun stuff ...

I'd been looking at this gray polish every time I went to Walmart. It was weird, and something I'd never seen before, but for some reason...I didn't buy it. I don't know why...it was $2...
Well, since I needed some flowers for Mother's Day (no, I'm not THAT cheap...she gets other stuff too...) I decided to grab it...just for S & G's (that's shits and giggles kids). And since the polish that I frankened the other day peeled like a mofo...I got my nails did.

I was very surprised at how PRETTY this was. It's not silver...it looks kind of shimmery in the photo...it's very flat. It actually stayed on pretty nicely too...I mean...I leave my dishes for a week so when it comes time to wash them, nothing keeps my polish on.

Next fun thing...(my eyelids were cooperating today...)
I recently ordered some stuff from Fyrinnae Cosmetics. Of course, I bought eyeshadow...but I picked a few from their professional color line...because I like that they stay a bit longer, and they had some great choices. I don't know (yet, because I will definitely be ordering from them again) if it's this way with all of their shadows, but the jars that they come in are PACKED! It's a regular sized 3 gram jar...for about $6 (pretty average)...but instead of them being just about half full...it is seriously coming out of the top. Messy, yes...but FABULOUS!

The following look was done with two of their colors...and some other stuff.

Two Faced Shadow Insurance (of course)
Kryolan's Mozart Pink Aquacolor (out of >this< palette)
Fyrinnae's Bite Me in the area above crease...and dragged towards inner corner
Rimmel eyeliner in Purple Shock under eye (for a base)
Fyrinnae's Illicit Passion in outer "v" area, into crease, and under eye
Rimmel soft kohl black eyeliner
Rimmel's Sexy Curves mascara

I'm lovin' this look so much...I'm going to wear it this weekend if I hang out with...ahhh, nevermind. *wink*
It kind of makes my eyes look a tad bluer than they usually are...which is cool. All of the kids in my family got such dramatically different eye colors, but I am kind of happy that I got the chameleon ones.

Ok, work time.

The end.

Flowerpots.

2009-05-11T19:40:00.000-04:00

"Still I can't get it out of my mind what a discrepancy there is between ideas and living. A permanent dislocation, though we try to cover the two with a bright awning. And it won't go. Ideas have to be wedded to action; if there is no sex, no vitality in them, there is no action. Ideas cannot exist alone in the vacuum of the mind. Ideas are related to living: liver ideas, kidney ideas, interstitial ideas, etc. If it were only for the sake of an idea Copernicus would have smashed the existent macrocosm and Columbus would have foundered in the Sargasso Sea. The aesthetics of the idea breeds flowerpots and flowerpots you put on the window sill. But if there be no rain or sun of what use putting flowerpots outside the window?"

-Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer

2009-05-10T23:45:00.000-04:00

First off, let me say Happy Mother's Day to all the females that have passed aliens from their vaginas! I hope you all had a lovely day with your respective spawn.

Second, I had something meaningful and insightful to say in the beginning of this blog...but alas, my brains are of Swiss Cheese. Today has been...a pain in my butt to be honest. It was nice hanging out with my mom...and I got some really rad new gray nail polish (I know...sounds gross, but actually it's very pretty). But last night, or the night before last...something happened to my eyelids. I'm not quite sure what...but they itch and are kind of puffy. It's almost like having poison ivy all over them (I've had that happen to me...so I know whereof I speak). Now I am quite certain I didn't go around rubbing the "leaves of three" on my face (this time)...so I know it's not really poison ivy...but I did start using a couple of new products. One: Neutrogena's Oil Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser (Jesus, that was a mouthful). I had a little surge of acne and I'm fairly certain that this is the offending item. It has Salicylic Acid in it. I have RETARDEDLY sensitive skin. Now when I was younger...I just thought the tingle meant it was working...well, now that I'm older, I HAVE BIG PUFFY EYELIDS!!! (fuck me.) There are other parts of my face that are pretty itchy and not so pleasant to look at right now...so that's why my suspicions are with the wash. It's either that or...
Two: Baby Butt Wipes. I bought some (unscented of course) to clean off my makeup before I washed my face. I thought it was a good idea because they are hypoalergenic and made for the most sensitive of sensitive areas...a baby's arse. (Not that I'm saying my face looks like a butt or anything...well...if my effing eyelids get any puffier, it might...) My friend thought that because it took a bit of a rub to get the makeup to actually come completely off, it might have irritated my skin. I've decided to stop using these altogether for that very reason.

But enough about my fucked up face. On to the completely vain and vapid part of our program.
I follow this blog called Dr. Frankenpolish because it's fun. This chick makes very cool nail polish colors out of two or more OTHER colors. I used to do that a bunch when I was in grade school, and I stopped, probably because I got yelled at for messing up the carpets. I digress...
Since I had all those jars of pigment from Coastal Scents, I decided to mix them up in a bottle of clear polish to see what I could get.

I mixed a little bit of the Antique Gold Mica Powder with some Interfine Red (a duochrome) and came up with this:

It's kind of hard to see in this crappy-ass picture...but the color is like a goldy/brown with a pink shimmer to it. I liked it a lot...because it's much more subdued than what I'm used to wearing...and I don't really have a lot of the more "normal" colors. The only problem I had with it, and I'm certain it's because I added too much actual pigment, is that it bubbled even though it was dry and it chipped like crazy even with my regularly scheduled China Glaze Amazing Duo.

And last, but not least...Crazy Makeup Corner! Since my eyelids were all janky today (but I couldn't DARE go out without makeup on) I decided to mess around a bit with just some liner. This doesn't go any higher than the lash line...but it looks like it does because of my balloon-lids. The turquoise is from my new Kryolan Aquacolor palette...with a bit of eyeshadow to set it. The black line Raven Gel Eyeliner from Heavenly Naturals...set with some of Glittersniffer's Toothache.

I'm not crazy about the look...and I'll probably never do anything as...loony...again. I mean, it looks KINDA pretty...but it's definitely not something I'd wear every day...and for me, that's saying a whole heck of a lot because...I mean...I based my eyeshadow off of a freakin' Pokemon for fuck's sake. Anyhow, that's all I've got. It's definitely time for bed. Perhaps after I shut down my computer and am comfortably snuggled in bed, I will remember what it was I was going to say that was so interesting.

The end.

Makeup, eggs and my new DS Lite!

2009-05-04T23:27:00.000-04:00

Hello everyones. I've been soooooo busy lately...but I have been snapping pictures of pretty much everything. I'm going to make this short and sweet with just little captions under each picture or else this blog with spiral on into infinity.

I am not happy with this look, so I thought I'd post it first and get it out of the way. Orange on the top...teal on the bottom. I even LOOK bored...

A rare shot of me with my glasses on. Just a bunch of purples...and M.A.C's Electra in the corners. That shadow is my new favorite eye booger creator.

This actually looked a lot better in real life. Black base...blues out of the Coastal Scents 88 palette, and Interfine Blue Duocrome (also by Coastal Scents) in the corners and outsides of the crease.

My new Mehron palette!!! (Mehron Paradise AQ in Tropical) YAY! I am going to play with this as soon as I finish up here.

Um. This stuff is the SHIT. Hands down the BEST mascara I've ever used. Saw a review on Pixiewoo's Youtube and decided to try it. Fabulous.

The new lipglosses from Coastal Scents. Very nice...not sticky AT ALL. I only got two...cos I'm kind of broke at the moment...but both needed some sort of base. The O'Scarlet because it was VERY drying, and the Oasis because it just didn't last long. But they are cheap...and pretty.

My delicious noms from a few days ago. Eggs over easy with Frank's Hot Sauce.

And this here. This is my new baby! Yay! I absolutely love the crap out of this thing. I've had a DS since it launched...the old one...and the Lite. So my Lite was the original white one. I would have kept it just BECAUSE it was a launch model...but LOOK AT THIS!!!! I can't resist things that are this ugly. I just can't. Plus...it clashes so well with my turquoise case! (Not pictured is the GIANT Gyarados sticker I have on the front of the case...) Boy am I a nerd.

The end!

NYX 50% off sale!

2009-05-01T21:04:00.000-04:00

Well if you read my last blog...I gave a little love to a company called NYX. Their makeup is great...and it's not expensive by any means. While I was watching an eyeshadow swatch video from Pursebuzz.com...I went over to check out some of the actual pots I wanted to get and saw that they were having a 10th Anniversary Sale. 50% off of everything if you are shipping to the US. I couldn't resist. I bought a bunch of stuff...and I think I paid like $26 bucks total with USPS shipping. I was so excited so I figured I'd share with you all! NYX is a great place to get some really good quality makeup if you don't have a ton of money to spend. This is the first time I am trying out their actual eyeshadow pots, but I love the Ultra Pearls (and at only $2 a pop...can you blame me?) and I snagged a few more of their jumbo eye pencils.

Here's a little list of what I got with links...and I will of course have tons of pictures when I get everything.

Single Eyeshadows:

Sunrise
Deep Charcoal
Golden Orange
Lime Juice

Loose Pearl Eyeshadows:

White
Black
Yellow Gold
Rust

I actually did a really great purple look today with one of these...even took pictures and everything...but my camera noms batteries so I will have to post them later.

Jumbo Eye Pencils:

Pots & Pans
Lime
(They were out of Horseradish *frown*.)

I did order some Nom Nom Balm from The Dame today! I actually can't wait for that...I am a chapstick ADDICT...and as I've heard nothing but good things about it, I decided to grab some. I'll have a review on that as well.

That's all I got for today. I am super Le Tired so I think I'm going to bed early...

The end!

How I Really Learned To Make Up My Face...or...I aint gots no tricks cos I aint no ho.

2009-04-30T22:23:00.000-04:00

This entry is for Miss Mary over at Gothcupcake. For serious...go check her out...she's rad as hell...and looks fabulous in a tutu or three. While your at it...also check out her Etsy shop. You can find her stuff on me in some of the pictures scattered around my blog...most often the little kawaii skull ring...I wear it almost every day.

This is also an homage to all the people that have contributed to my make-up obsession. In a good way...
I have learned a lot from just playing around with what I have...and consequently looking quite foolish from time to time...but recently I started watching some of the gurus on Youtube. The tips, tricks and techniques I have gotten from them are seriously invaluable. I have always been a make-up junky...since I was allowed to start wearing it at age 12 (many MANY years ago...), but if I have any skill, it's from these last few months and the things I've learned during my recent obsession.

Can I tell you first that I love the SHIT out of Blogger.com? My Firefox just sharted and I thought I lost EVERYTHING I just typed. I would have been SO PISSED! But I didn't, and again the murderous rage ebbs.

All of the people I am going to mention here have links to their Youtube channels in their names. Go check them out! Comment, subscribe and rate...they very much deserve it. In with the makeup tutorials...a lot of them do product reviews that I have also gotten a lot out of. Many of them do basics (for those of you that are R-tarded like I am...) so it doesn't matter what skill level you start out at.

Frantastic Makeup

This gal is the first I found. I was clicking about Youtube one day...looking for something make-up related...and stumbled upon some eyeshadow tutorials that she had posted. I was amazed because I didn't even know that people DID this kind of thing...you know...other than like I did...mouthing words into their bathroom mirror while I made myself late for work in the morning. Her stuff is so gorgeous...SHE is so gorgeous...totally worth watching every video.

Petrilude

I can't BEGIN to tell you how much I love this guy. He's so beautiful...and does the most amazing regular and drag makeup I have ever seen. He also has a fantastic personality, is funny and so much fun to watch.

Xsparkage

Another one of my favorites. If you have seen my blog...you can tell how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE bright nasty out there colors...and thus why I appreciate this this girl SO MUCH. She also has a great personality and is really really good at what she does.

MissChievous

This channel has a ton of great looks...from basic and pretty to absolute nasty rocker-inspired hairdos and makeup tutorials. She also does quite a bit of nailpolish reviews...and we all know how addicted I am to nailpolish...

Pixiewoo/Fashon Face TV

Two sisters and makeup right down the line. From high end M.A.C and Illamasqua products to drugstore brands, these two give a bit of everything. They are both amazing at what they do, gorgeous...and have fabulously soothing accents to listen to.

These are seriously just a very few. Click around...look at these guy's favorites and friends. I also found a ton of people by just following the network around.

The second part of this entry...I promised to showcase some of my tricks to getting some REALLY good makeup for not a ton of money. I work a shitty retail job...most of the things I get...I get in stages. A little here, a little there...and I rely, as I said above, quite heavily on reviews of makup artists that I respect.

I will also say, that I have tried a TON of brands. From the industry standards (M.A.C and the like) to drugstore stuff like Rimmell and Maybelline...I can tell you with the utmost conviction, that you do NOT need to spend a ton of money to get quality makeup. It takes a bit of searching and weeding out...but I have found some brands that are as good, and in many cases much better, as something you would pay $14.50 an eyeshadow pot for *cough M.A.C cough*. (What can I say? I was unimpressed.)

Glittersniffer

I pimp this lady so much...I should probably have a contract. I first met her on DIYScene.com...my favorite crafting forum. From the second I clicked on her shop, I fell in love with the absolutely CRAZY colors she sold. Every one is beautiful, and every one I have purchased is fabulous. There is not one I am unhappy with...and my undying and voiciferous love has found it's way onto many an internet forum.

Coastal Scents

Second only to my Glittersniffer love is Coastal Scents. I put up a blog a while ago with a giant haul I got from their website. Their palettes are amazing. The colors are just fabulous...there is so much pigment in them...that you hardly need to use much. At an average of $25 for a CRAPTON of eyeshadows...you can make a look for every day of the year. If you want a truely incomparable value, check out their loose micas section. Normal people (note: normality is not necessarily a virtue in my world) buy them to mix their own cosmetics. Not me, I buy them for eyeshadow. You get a full ounce jar for around $4 (depending on the color). That's enough to use, share with your friends, paint the town, and then make a bottle of nailpolish to match.
This is also a great place to start buying brushes (which I will talk about in a minute). I have a couple and I love them. They are great quality and very inexpensive.

Heavenly Naturals

Another Etsy brand...I just recently tried out some of their stuff. I use the black gel liner EVERY DAY. There is a more "normal" selection of colors...and I really did like the shadows I picked up. I will definitly get more in the future.

NYX

This is another great brand. While a tad more expensive than the other stuff I've listed, if you look around, there are some fabulous deals. I love their blush...and the jumbo eye pencils are just amazing. They work as eyeshadow, eyeliner...base for OTHER eyeshadow...just fabulous.

Now, it's not to say that all I use are cheaper brands. (I just won't buy any more M.A.C...) If you are willing to spend a tiny bit more...and in some cases...for what you get it's not much more...there are some amazing brands out there. Most notably: Kryolan and Mehron. These two, along with Ben Nye cosmetics, are professional stage makeup (Ben Nye did the makeup for Cats).

One last thing and I will end this "more information than I'm sure anyone wanted" blog.

Brushes: What you need, and how to find them cheap.

I said before that Coastal Scents is a great place to find brushes cheap, believe it or not, so is your local craft store. Look in the Leow Cornell section (fairly well known...I get mine at Michael's) for their Maxine's Mop brushes. I have a 3/4 inch which is great for putting on general eyeshadow and a 1/4 inch which is good for lining under your eyes and getting in the corners. The only other brush that I use often enough to reccomend is a blending brush. Something like >this< is great for crease work, highlighting and, of course, blending the shit out of all the nasty colors you just put on your face. (It's important folks.) I have a few others...and I use them...but when they are that cheap, it's good to have a few of the same so you don't have to clean them every night (like when you want to use green the day after you used neon pink).

Alright...I think I have talked enough. This blog took me like two hours or something dumb like that. Damn I am one verbose bitch. I hope it was informative! Comment and pass me along!

The end!

Day 4

2009-04-29T16:55:00.000-04:00

...of the China Glaze experiment. Still going strong...although the small invisible crack on my middle finger has gotten bigger (probably because I'm forever using that digit to flip random people off...). It's kind of visible now...but you really have to look for it. The only other bits are a teeny chip on my thumb and a small fade on my pointer. Overall...you really can't see any wear...they look fabulous. I think I'm going to take it off tonight though...and try the base/top coats with another brand of polish.

Conclusion: Experiment successful! Polish lasted longer than my attention span...which is really all I wanted.

I definitely recommend trying the China Glaze Strong Adhesion base coat and No Chip top coat. They are inexpensive and I am sure that the polish would have lasted a lot longer if I didn't have ADD. =D

Hey Little Guy...

2009-04-28T19:25:00.000-04:00

So one of the girls over at DIYScene asked me to make her a little amigurumi kodama from Princess Mononoke for her friend's birthday. As I have been wanting to do this for a while...I happily agreed. Well it took me almost a month...not because it was hard, but because I was so freakin' busy with all the doctors appointments and helping my parents get ready to sell the house and junk...but here he is!

Tell me what you think! This is my first one...so...comments are totally appreciated!

2009-04-28T17:55:00.001-04:00

Quick update:

Day three of the China Glaze nail polish experiment included a sink full of dishes and a ton of crochet. The only thing suffered was a barely visible crack...which won't really DO.anything if I don't fuck with it.

I'm really trying hard not to pick at it in the interest of science...but I'm starting to get bored. Hopefully that says something about it's staying power.

Michelle Chang Jewelry and RockerByeBaby Giveaway!

2009-04-28T10:36:00.001-04:00

Who loves skulls? We all know I do...excessively. Well...while I was hanging out over at DIYScene this morning, I came across a post by RockerByeBaby about a review/giveaway she is hosting on her blog! Her entry features some GORGEOUS baby skull jewelry by the awesome Michelle Chang. I admit. I had never seen her stuff before today...but after spending an inordinate amount of time drooling over her teeny tiny little baby skull jewelry...and subsequently favoriting half the stuff in her shop...I have decided that I need it. It's so simple and pretty...you wouldn't hesitate to wear this out to a nice event. I mean, I am all for being ostentatious...but there are certain moments in your life where understated is undeniably the right way to go...and this jewelry is a perfect way to show your style!

I am definitely going shopping in the near future! I will post my own review when I get some...but for now, check out RockerByeBaby's and enter to win her giveaway!

PS - I am now one of the air-conditioned masses. Thank whatever gods there are.

Yay the Quickness

2009-04-27T18:02:00.000-04:00

I don't have much to talk about...it's hot...and as such I am quite unmotivated to live at the moment. Thank god my brother in law and father are coming tomorrow with my air conditioner. Why the hell is it 90 degrees in NY in April...just why??

On a more frivolous note...it's day two of my China Glaze Basecoat/Topcoat experiment. Not one chip...unless it's from being stupid...i.e. - scraping my nails on my bathroom window to try to get it open...the plus side of that mishap? I fixed it like I normally would...with just a drop of polish and a little topcoat...and it blended right into the nail. You can't even tell there was ever a chip.

I also went on the hunt for some Rimmell today. It's cheap...but generally ok quality. I used to wear it a lot when I was poor. I was dissapointed in the variety of stuff they had...the only thing that was remotely interesting was their Eyeful Eye Glistner. I picked it up in Straight Laced even though it was rather on the expensive (for me) side. If I like it I will get the other colors though. I also grabbed a nude lipstick...because...most of the time I just wear chapstick...so I don't think I need to spend a shit-load of money on good lipstick. It's just not necessary.

That's all really, I think I'm going to veg...play Pokemon or something...the kids at work are all kicking my ass at this point. John's (my third key) Pokemon are like level 40 already...I JUST beat the second gym...which was a bitch and a half...and I can't even get past the next part. All my guys are like level 20 and below. So sad...at least I have a Gyrados. That's right. I raised that shit from a level five Magikarp! #nerdpower

The end.

Momma Had A Squeezebox...

*waves*

Doodle Day

Loosely Titled...Shark Skin

Um...yeah...hello?

Attack of the Craft - A forum for crafters.

ATTACK!!

This Is A Hair Blog...

Inglot #60

Quick & Easy - Funky Cat Eye

Inglot Matte Swatches and a Note On Ordering Online

FOTD - Xsparkage's Taurus and a Haircut!

UM HOLY CRAP!!!!

Random FOTD's

Shop Attack!

Review - The Morbid The Merrier

NOTD - For Audry

e.l.f. Haul & Swatches

Acronyms-a-Go-Go and a Love Letter

Valentimes!

e.l.f. Sale!

Doodles Featuring Zombify Cosmetics

Quickie: FOTD

Day of the Purple Skull

Doodles...

Dear Zappos,

ToxiKaNdY's Midnight Sunset

All Systems Are GO!

Grand Re-Opening

Howdy!

It's TNT Time Again!

It's TNT Sale time again!!

Randomosity

Hellooooooo! or Random Looks

Post Fail

So....

My Everyday

Virus Insanity Eyeshadow - review and picture tutorial

Tutorial Ideas

TNT!!!

Question - comments needed!

TNT Free Gift With Purchase!

ATTACK!

And The Winner IS!!!!

LAST DAY!

NOTD - Sally Hansen's Gray by Gray

Blog Love - ToxiKaNdY's Paridise

More Polish Blog Giveaway Love!!

As I suspected...

WOOHOO! 50 Followers!

Giveaway Sneak Peek!

Some housekeeping notes...

A Love Letter to Glittersniffer Cosmetics

Goldie Swatches Part 1 of 2

MAIL PRESENTS!!!

BRAINSSSSSS!!!

Hot Topic makes good eyeshadow????

Flaky Awesomeness Courtesy of Nfu-oh

Sugarpill Looks #3 and #4

Sugarpill Look #2 - Completely ripped off of VitangeorTacky - but with all adoration and love.

Sugarpill Look #1

Sugarpill.

Go check me out on Skull-A-Day!

Backseat Quickie

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Review and Random Ramblings

Well now.

The Konad and the LIGHTNING!

I've got the biggest Konads around...true story.

It's just too heavy for Superman to lift.

Organizing and such...

A few costume looks. A bit late...I know.

Plunder and Pillage!!! Or...holy crap I'm actually updating!!! (And some hats.)

Quickie Manicure - Glitter at Tiffanys

40th Post!!!

Quick FOTD Double Feature

How do I love the...let me count the Glaze...

Outside the Makeup Box - Pearl Ex Craft Pigments

More Coming Soon...

Coming Soon!

Who doesn't love Twinkie Chan??

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