Makeup Tooling Around

By now, I could have pooled and saved my money and bought really good makeup brushes. But instead of that, I've just collected a bunch of them since the age of about 14 onward and continue to keep trying new ones.

Why? Because that keeps me busy and out of trouble, mostly.

My lastest attempt was with 2 brushes from Sally Beauty.

The Face Secrets Duo Shadow Brush $7.50 

and the Face Secrets Eye Contour Brush $7.  (prices with sally's card) 

The Shadow Duo is a double sided brush. Perfect for travel and quick mornings. 

One side is a fluffier, angled brush.

This is super soft and does a great bob blending the crease or above. 

Most days I really only need a brush to blend some eyeliner and this double ended brush and I can be out the door! 

The other side is a smaller pointed side, but it's still pretty fluffy for a pointed brush. This side holds a lot of product also so it's good for depositing color in very specific areas like the inner corner but also can flatten out to cover a bit more area.

Though it's good for blending and smudging the lash line, it's not meant for blending above that.

I really like this brush. The bristles are soft and don't fall out. It holds shadow well and even though it's a painted brush, it's not slippery in the hand at all. A+! 

Shadow Duo on LEFT; Eye Contour on RIGHT

The Eye Contour brush is a tapered eye shadow brush. This shape is good for the crease in your lid as well as buffing and blending eye shadow. 

The size and shape of this brush is exactly what I'm looking for, but unfortunately the one I got was really...itchy. 

The bristles felt scratchy on my skin and very dry. I didn't like how it felt at all. 

Thankfully Sally's took back this purchase because I kept my receipt and knew my Return Rules! 

And because they know I'll be back. 

P.S. Really beauty people? The best name you could come up with was " Face Secrets "? I'd very muchly like to know what the other options on the table were. 

Another E.L.F. On The Shelf

I keep trying those E.L.F. products.  Why?  Because it's all so cheap and so badly want to love something enough to replace something expensive. So I keep on keepin' on.

e.l.f. Essential Triple Tip Waterproof Eyeliner Pen $2

Yup. It's 2 bucks! Which is why I want it to work, right?

Yeah, not so much. 

The tip is indeed a triple tip pen. 3, hard as a rock, felt tip pens conveniently nestled in a BIC pen casing to put near your eyeball!  

I'm sure there is someone out there loving this and using this daily. I am not that someone. 

Pros: The color does come out super black and you have full control over the thickness of line, almost calligraphy style.  It's mess free. No brushes, no waste. And cheeeaaapp!

Cons: The tip is hard and hurts my eyes. (Or maybe I just don't know my own strength) The color and line is very inconsistent. Which is what sealed it's fate with me.

The inconsistent lines. 

If the color and wear was great, I would keep trying to make this work and learning how to use it properly to work for me, but I don't see the point. I have plenty of other options that I'm quick with, so this poor BIC pen/eye pen deal is being shunned from my makeup tray. 

Sorry e.l.f. Essential Triple Tip Waterproof Eyeliner Pen.  You can't sit with us. 

Afro Circus

If you have never wanted an afro at some point, then I don't know what you've been doing with your life.

I've always thought about them and convinced myself that it was manageable for my hair to make one. Under the right circumstances. As it turns out, those circumstances are now.

My hair is curly. It is long. And I bought sponge rollers.

I bought 3 packs of 16 each of the smallest sponge rollers that Sally Beauty had for under 3 bucks a package.  I washed my hair, let it air dry a bit and then got to rolling my hair. I didn't put anything in my hair, but if you decide this is for you and you have straight hair, you might wanna think about a mousse or gel.

I held the roller close to my scalp and wrapped small sections around it so that the lift and curl came right from there and not from the bottom up.  I worked down the mohawk area first...then just sorta worked my way around the sides until everything was wound and secure.

Eventually it looked like this. 

I wrapped it up in a scarf and hit the sack. 

(Yes, I do have a pair of hot pink glasses for my blind eyes.)

The next day I let it sit in as long as I could and even used my hair dryer with the difusser on my hair for about 10 minutes, just to make sure it was dry in there, because my hair takes aaaages to dry if tied up. 

I took out the rollers and my hair looked like this!

Yup, this is leaning over. Noormally, this side of my hair would be over a foot long. 

Sponge rollers are no joke!

Then I began combing out the pig tail curls with my fingers.

This is me not containing my laughter at myself having not even gotten 1/2 way through. 

 The Result!

My stomach hurt from laughing.

Notice the basket of curlers I used. I think there was about 40 used. I had some left over, which means I could go even smaller with the sections for even MORE fullness!

I know.  It's nuts!! And I adore it!!!

It actually got even bigger than this. It seemed to keep growing!! But finally began to fall just a bit by the time I went to bed after playing with it so much. 

This might just be the most favorite way to wear my hair from now on.  

I'm really thinking about putting this into the regular rotation.  

Lip Week Day 5: Bright Pinks

I'm a firm believer in bright pink lipstick. It's a very different experience from wearing a red or a nude, which might sound funny because I'm not looking at my own lips all day, but it's true!

Red is a statement.  Nude is a look.  But a hot pink lot is just plain ol' fun!   

It makes me happy and I love wearing pink lips with a red outfit. Because I will never wear red lips with a red outfit. I do not live in a soap opera and I am not a new caster.  Seriously, news MUAs, stop doing the red on red. It looks silly and distracting like two different black fabrics in an outfit.

Pinks are hard to show on a computer. I did my best in getting the colors as close as possible, but swatches are hard, man. 

Lancome Color Design $22

This is the very first bright lipstick I purchased many years ago.  It's extremely creamy and feels great going on and stays on pretty great. It's a cream finish, nothing overly glossy, nothing mate. It looks brighter in person, but it's a rosy based pink which makes it easy to wear for almost anyone. You could get away with this just about anywhere. It's a really great Starter Bright. 

NYX Matte Lipstick $6

This is a straight up, no holds bar, hot pink. It's got a blue undertone and is basically neon, which I am currently loving! It also stays really well. It stains the lips so as it fades it just looks less neon, but you never lose full color. The brighter the lipstick, the more matte I like it. Because neon plus shine is a bit much. Even I know that. But also, the matter finish allows the color to be seen without interference. Not that this color is going to take a back seat to anything. 

LAQA & Co. Lipstick $16 for a pair

This comes in a lip duo through Birchbox. I love the packaging of this and I love the feel. It's extremely creamy and very pigmented. It's also named Pinkman during my very serious love affair with Breaking Bad. This pink is a very true magenta and Birchbox did a much better swatch photo for you guys on a bunch of ladies for you HERE.  (ps. I so wish I got Lambchop, not only for the great name but because I like the brighter neony pinks more)

Stila Long Wear Lip Color $20

I no longer see this color available, which is a bummer. It looks red here because in some lights it does, but in sunlight this is a fuschiay magenta with, yes, a lot of red in it.  It's a full matte, long wear color.

You can see my full blog post about this HERE.

Cover Girl Queen Collection Lip Color $6

This is a really great true pink. It's actually very pigmented so it gives a lot of color but it's not very neon. It is a blue based pink, but also has a lot of rose tone to it, but it still is very bright in person. 

Just like the other Cover Girl Lipstick in my purple collection, this stains like crazy. So if I wear this for a whole day, I look like I have on a lip tint the next day too. So be warned. 

Milani Color Statement Lipstick $5.50

I debated whether to put this in pinks or purples because this color is smack dab in the middle. 

On fair skin, this might look darker and far more purple.  On me, it sits like a muted orchid color. Which I highly dig.  You can read my full post about these lipsticks HERE.

Wet N Wild Mega Last Lip Color $2

That's right, good ol' wet n wild! 

I actually love how this lipstick feels. It's a semi-matte color with a lot of pigment! These are really opaque but not drying at all. I would probably buy a lot more of these if the displays weren't always a wreck.  This color is a strange mix of very rosy plus neon pink. It's got a lot of white in it so I don't wear this color alone. But I've added it here because this would be a great Starter Bright for the fair skinned.  I mean, for 2 bucks, how could you not try it?

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain $7.50

A bright rose pink that delivers! 

I keep 4 colors of these stains close at hand at all times. They are fast, they are easy, they smell wonderful and stain and last forever! FYI: My lips were already stained from other colors so this is not the true swatch you deserve, but it's the end of the week. Slack, por favor?

You can read my full post about these stains HERE.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain $7.50

Deeper thank Sweetheart, this color is a bright magentay fuschia.  Again, this is not the best swatch because of how stained my lips were prior. Just imagine this is brighter. and magentayer. That's a word, trust me. No need to Googlize it. 

And thus concludes Lip Week!!

Minus ones that I returned of the Lip Butters and Lip Creams, these are all part of my permanent collection. That doesn't mean this is my entire collection. Oh no. There are more. And there will be more, as I already have a list of colors I'm itching to try, ie. Candy Yum Yum by MAC which is a wonderfully ridiculous neon pink! Must. Have.

And yes, I know I didn't cover reds.  In due time, kids. In due time. 

Lip Week Day 4: The Purples

Back story:  See...I've been on the search for a true purple for my lips for decades now. I'm not one of those girls who is obsessed with purple. It's never been a color I gravitate towards in clothing and accessories, but I love purple makeup.  I've been trying out purple lipsticks since I can remember. Trying out my mom's, my sister's, and then buying them on my own when I got old enough. But none has ever really excited me the way I wanted. They were too flat, or too pink or too dark or just maroon.

This year, MAC put out a limited edition purple called Heroine. I have no idea how I missed this because it's THE color that I want AND it's a matte, which is what I'm craving! But it sold out fast and now it's on ebay and such for 3x the price. Then, MAC kicked me while I was down and came out with Strong Woman, also the purple I want, also limited addition.

I've since added myself to every MAC newsletter I can. Fool me....twice?

So my search continued, as it does. Until I went to Ulta to pick up some Lip Butters and happened upon a Stila lip color that made the clouds sing and the sky shine!! I am in LOVE!   But again...I'm going to show you The Stash so you know what I'm working with here. I've included 3 colors that are in the DIY Lip Compact I made last year.

Stila After Glow Lipcolor $18

This fat tube of awesome is just what I've been looking for! (minus the matte finish) It feels and works like a stain, so I can put on a little, or a lot!  It has a lot of color, so even a little will give you a good amount of color, but packing it on makes it's bolder and truly vivid!

I love the way this feels on my skin and I love that it stains so it stays on. I'm not sure how happy I will be once the point wears down, but I love the color sooo much I will always make it work!  The Stila site only shows 2 colors right now,but there are actually 6. I went back to ULTA to check them out, but they were gone because my local Ulta doesn't carry the entire Stila line, which is a major bummer. 

But wait...there's more!...

Did you see that?? It's Black light sensitive!!! shut. up. 

I have yet to test this out because, well, I don't' hang out in college dorms but I might just have to go Disco Bowling to test this out while I drink beer openly as a pseudo adult. 

Stila has a video on these that you can see HERE.

Cover Girl LipPerfection Lipcolor  $6

I really like the color of this lipstick. It's very bright in a neon way, but in most lights this reads like a magenta or fuschia, which I have enough colors of. This is one of the colors in my Lip Palette because it's almost right, so I only wear it when I mix it with something else. I suppose I could try a lip liner under this, but that would be way too easy. 

My gripe about this lipstick in particular is that is stains like whoa! Even for less than a minute, taking this off leaves me lips totally red stained. Which isn't horrible, but it never stains evenly, so I just look crazy. If it stained a purple I could layer on top of, I wouldn't be so annoyed by this. 

But all in all, these Cover Girl LipPerfections feels good on the lips and have a pretty good staying power if you don't mind the stained lips. 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick $6

This swatch is more of a cautionary tale. I don't want anyone getting inspired to go get a purple, get to the store, read the name violet and think YES! Because, this is not the violet you are thinking. 

Yes, this have violet in it. But it also has straight up black in it. In person, this looks like I am wearing full 90's goth black on my lips. It's a very intense experience. I've actually had this a long time, why? Because I love Halloween and I never know when I might need a black lip. 

However, this does reside in my Lip Palette. Why? Because it has clear violet undertones to it, so it mixes perfectly with the CoverGirl Divine and others to get the color I want. But I only use veeeeery little. I will never run out of this color. Ever. 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick $6

Berry Haute is very close to the color of CG's Divine, but not as bright. This is much more lavender based than violet and is a really wearable purple for a lot of skin tones. If you're a purple novice, I would start here. 

I very muchly wanted to love this right out of the tube, but it lacks the pop that I'm looking for. This is in the Lip Palette because I mix it with Divine and Va Va Violet to get the right shade.

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids $5.50

I was so excited when I saw Maybelline's line of Vivids. The color range is indeed vivid and bold! 

This is an on the fence product for me. It's somehow very pigmented and very sheer all at the same time. I feel like I have to put on a lot of coats to get the color to be actually vivid on me. Which is a shame because I hate doing that. The more I put on the more I can feel it just sliding it around my lips and I don't care for that feeling because I know it's just a matter of time before it slides right over to my cheek, and chin...and clothing. But I do love the color. If this was in a thicker, matte formula, I would have ended my search right here.  

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick $6

If Berry Haute seems way too wild for you, then Mauvy Night is your best bet. It's a true mauve with lavender tones. This is almost a rosy color, but somehow still reads as a purple, A very wearable, I have a daytime real job, kind of wearable. So naturally, it's not my favorite, but I keep it around. 

Even though I say my mission is complete, I don't think it ever will be. I'm still going to keep a look out for MAC's limited editions next spring to see if a new purple comes in a matte finish that I can get my hands of for a reasonable price. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go put my lips in the sun and then find a Spencer's Gifts to see how this black light stuff works.  Yup...Spencer's is still around. 

Lip Week Day 3: NUDES!

Oh nude lipstick.... I threw in the towel on nude lipsticks so very long ago. I assumed that it wasn't meant to be and I was happy living my technicolor life. But then, I picked up 2 NYX lipsticks that have changed my life and my whole belief system.  For I have found 2 shades of nudes for my skin tone that I can wear right out of the tube!!

You don't understand. This is huge. This is that moment in those makeover shows where I'm crying next to a trainer and makeup artist because I didn't know it was possible until now.  This is that moment. And it's glorious.

But because it's LIPS WEEK!! I'm going to show you a collection of nudes and not just these two new awesome ones. (Minus the lip butters from Monday)
Before I get to the photos, let me explain a couple key matters. Firstly, my lips are dark. This makes it hard to find nudes because a true nude on me is very dark and brown. Great for chocolate, not great for lips. This whole dark lip thing also makes it hard for me to wear anything with too much sparkle or shiny frost, because it looks white against my lips. Great for Designing Women. Not great for me.

Secondly, my idea of a great nude lipstick is something that neutralizes the color in my lips and make them even looking. I also looks for shades in different undertones, pink, tan, yellow, because those subtle variations make all the difference.

Last, what may be a nude on me, may be a bright on you. If you're fair skinned, this is very true of the pinky shades I go for. So please don't be alarmed or mad at me when something that looks soft and rosy on me looks raver chick pink on you.

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick $4 

This is my perfect out of the tube, neutral color! It also evens out my lips so I can layer glosses and other colors. And this lipstick does feel very creamy and comfortable on the lips! It's very moisturizing and very pigmented. It's not matte but also not very shiny. This is what I have been searching for!

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick $4

Same as Milan but this shade is slightly more pink and white. It's a much pinkier tone and more obvious on my lips than Milan. I can wear this right out the tube or layer this with my lip butters for tons of options!

Milani Color Statement Lipstick $6

At the time, I really loved this. But now the color is far too brown and dark for me to wear alone. It's very pudding pop on my lips. So I mix this color with brighter pinks.  I do love the smell of these lipsticks, which many won't like, but it's slightly old lipstick scented mixed with candy necklaces. I dig it greatly! 

Mirenesse Glossy Kiss Lip Cheek Color $26

I received this full sized stick in my April Birchbox. It's quite possibly the best thing I've received in any of my boxes.  The color is so lovely in person. It's a soft dusty rose that matches anything I wear. The color is smack dab in the middle between both the NYX lipsticks above. 

Mostly, I love how this feels on my lips! It feels like an extremely luxurious lip balm. Bonus! 

The Mirenesse line is quiet expensive, but they do have a lot of straight up pretty colors. I would love to get my hands on their regular lipsticks and other products!

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick $6

Revlon no longer has this displayed on their website but it's still there, kinda.  These lipsticks are really great because they are very pigmented and aren't as shiny as the regular Revlon lipsticks. I kept seeing colors swatches for these all over the internet but could never find them in stores. This is one of the few stragglers I found before they changed over the Revlon display. 

I'm not crazy about this color alone because it's just too warm and yellow for what I like. But I keep this around because I like the texture of this lipstick, the opacity and because it stays on longer than the Milani when I layer it with other things.

Pixi Beauty Tinted Brilliance Balm $16

I managed to snag this tube on clearance at Target. You know I love my tinted balms and this is no exception. It goes on easy like a lip balm and feels like one too! It gives some shine without being overly glossy and this toffee colored nude is my actual lip color, only better! 

Now that I see that this too won an O Award, it all makes sense!

I have to find out when these go on sale because I'm pretty sure I need more shades in this. 

Sonia Kashuk Velvetty Matte Lip Crayon $7.50

The color on this is most like the Revlon Rosy Nude, except extremely matte. It goes on really creamy, almost like the NYX lipstick. It's easy to move around and get right but once it sets, it's super matte. It was actually this lip crayon that made me realize that I need to stop looking for matte nudes. I love my matte bright colors, but when I'm wearing a nude color, I need some shine to make the look complete. Otherwise it just looks like I've forgotten about my lips or that I'm trying to hide them. 

But this crayon does last pretty well and it's great to put glosses over. The only reason I don't wear this much is because I hate the smell.  It's rare that that happens with me, but for this one it's true. I don't know what it is, but my nose doesn't like it.  I'm hoping I got a bum stick. 

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss $18

I got a half size of this in the kits I bought a little while ago. 

All you need to know is that this smells like Thin Mint cookies and I'm not even lying.

I love the texture of this gloss. It doesn't feel heavy or super slick. It's really moisturizing and very pigmented for a gloss! The color on Maverick is a slight shimmer with a golden rosy color. It's an extremely warm color and right now looks too dark on me to wear in summer, but once fall comes, I might break this out for some cozy fall time fun! 

After decades of deciding I was fundamentally against nude lipstick, I've come around. As I do with most things. I mean, there used to be a time where I never even wore any makeup! Egads! Can you even imagine??

Lip Week Day 2: NYX Xtreme Lip Cream

Day 2:  The lip colors still have their hold on me. Resistance is futile. But at least I'll go down looking fabulous.

Wearing....

 NYX Xtreme Lip Creams!  $6 each

The tube itself, this is not a lipstick, this is not a gloss. It states right there that this is a liquid lipstick with full extreme color, and they're right! 

The tubes looks similar to the Lip Butters, but don't be fooled, these are a whole different animal. 

These lip creams go on smooth and easy like a gloss, but carry the color power of a full cream lipstick.

The color range is really nice, filled with color staples, lots of great neutrals and some pops of color for the bold color wearers.  I will admit, these have a slight learning curve. Only because the application is so unlike lipstick.  Just like the lip butters, these go on with a sponge tip applicator. Which is easy peasy, but not always the best when you're trying to get a precise line. And because these behave like a gloss, sometimes the applicator takes off more than it's putting on. Which isn't always a bad thing.

I like to put these creams on my lip and rub them in with a finger to get a nice clean, soft look. Layering for for optimal color is great on these, but too glossy for my own preference. I stick to matte lipsticks more because they feel like they stay in place more. And despite the dainty flower reputation i have, don't laugh, I am not the best at being careful with my lipstick once it's on my face. 

These are only half the collection. There are some great bright colors that I haven't gotten to yet, but I have no doubt I will. 

I like to wear these best as like a lip color primer of sorts. A base coat. I love wearing this under the NYX Lip Butters. These base colors change the butter gloss colors soooo much and I love that I can make new colors! I'm a mixer. 

Below are swatches of the way I wear these if worn alone.  1 coat, patted in with a finger. That's all. 

You can certainly amp the color with a thicker coat of this or another coat of this! 

Natural, on me, is just plain scary. But on fair skin, I think it could be really nice! Skin Tone also scares me because it's my actual skin tone and it makes my lips disappear. Tre creepy.  

The two I keep in my immediate reach are Pinky Nude and Buttery Nude. Buttery Nude has a lot of caramel and  is slightly orange, coral. So it really changes up my lighter lipsticks to something warm, and Pinky Nude totally cools down any color and gives a hint of rose glow to everything. Perfect! 

As always, I consider how things will travel. And these are great. They are small and lightweight and perfect filler for your makeup bag on the go because they can change colors you already have into something new!

As far as I know, Oprah doesn't care about this NYX product, but that's ok. Sometimes we just gotta fly free!  Sorry, O!