Tag Archives: NYX

What’s On My Face – Volume 18: Pride Edition

Makeup, Tutorials, , , , , , ,

This year, Toronto is the host city for World Pride. I have loved Pride ever since I moved to Toronto and into the Village. I know Pride gives everyone a different feeling, but to me it’s a time to celebrate freedom, be happy, and wear a metric ton of bright colours and glitter.

I’ve been saving these looks for a lonnnng time. Even before I had a blog I was all “I need to photgraph these because some day… I’ll use them for… something.” Since these are all taken over a year ago (during last year’s Pride Week) the quality may be a little bit different and I definitely don’t have any closed eye shots so I could map out what colours go where. But I’ll do my best to describe!

20140611_look3.1

If you’re looking to shock people with a neon look, then this one is a darn good place to start. Although the up close picture shots make it look really cool,  just be aware that this is not an especially flattering look.

I wore this during my soccer league’s Pride Parade float last year and it held up through the heat and the inevitable water bomb attacks that happened throughout the parade.

Eyes

  • Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original all over the upper and lower lids.
  • NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk all over the upper lid – smooth out with your finger.
  • Then using the Sleek Acid Palette: Neon orange on the lid, neon pink through the crease, neon yellow in the inner corner and the neon green to line the lower lash line.
  • A touch of Urban Decay’s Buck to blend out the crease and make the pink a touch less harsh.
  • Physicians Formula Eye Booster in Ultra Black to create the wing.
  • L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes

20140611_look2.1

This is a quick vibrant one that can be done using any two really pigmented colours. The week of Pride, I tend to mix colours based on the rainbow’s gradient and go from there. For example, on Monday I’d wear red/orange, Tuesday yellow/green, Wednesday blue/purple, etc. If you stick to the rainbow gradient, it’s very hard to mismatch colours.

For the above look, I used:

  • Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original to prime my lid
  • NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil in Milk as a solid base – be sure to blend it out
  • Then using Sleek’s Ultra Mattes V1 palette: Sugarlite all over the lid, with Bolt in the outer corner and through the crease. A little bit of Pow! to highlight the brow with a touch of Urban Decay‘s Naked eyeshadow in the crease to blend out the shades through the crease.
  • Maybelline Gel Liner in Blackest Black to create the winged liner
  • And finally, CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara on my lashes

20140611_look1.1

And my favourite one! This came out so much better than I ever thought it would.  Every Pride I end up wearing this to work at least one of the days of the week. I think it’s really vibrant and beautiful. And it’ll definitely get you noticed!

  • Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original to prime my lid
  • NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk to create the base
  • Starting from the inner corner, using all MAC shadows, apply small stripes of shadow, then blend them into the next colour. I used (from inner corner to outer): Coppering, Amber Lights, Goldmine, Bio Green, Freshwater and Parfait Amour.
  • MAC Blacktrack Fluidline for my liner
  • L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara on my lashes with Ardell 102 false lashes on top.

I hope this gives you some ideas for Pride. Keep in mind that pretty much anything goes throughout Pride so you can feel free to wear whatever you like.

Thirty Days of Lips

Makeup, Miscellaneous, , , , , , , , , ,

When I came back from vacation in March (and bought that hoard of makeup), I realized I’d picked up something crazy like 26 lip products. So I dropped them all in a bucket and determined that I’d work my way through the whole lot of them. That didn’t end up exactly happening since I ended up using other products I loved as well, but I thought I’d record my progress in pictures as I went along. The result of that process is the following picture: A full month record of what I wore on my lips throughout April.thirtydaysoflips

Week 1 (top row)
  • Too Faced – Jelly Bean
  • Rimmel – Luna
  • Milani – Nude Creme
  • Revlon – Sunset Peach (gloss)
  • Too Faced – Bon Bon
  • NYX – Merengue (gloss)
  • Nothing
Week 2 (second row)
  • Revlon – Twilight
  • Bite Beauty – Fig
  • Revlon – Snow Peach
  • Inglot – 544 (gloss)
  • bareMinerals – Get Ready
  • Nivea – Berry Swirl
  • Nothing
Week 3 (third row)
  • NYX – Vanilla Cream Pie (gloss)
  • Nivea – Berry Swirl
  • Too Faced – Coral Fire
  • NYX – Fizzies
  • Wet n Wild – 903C with NYX – Tiramisu on top
  • Nothing
  • Milani – Flamingo Pose with Maybelline – Sahara on top
Week 4 (fourth row)
  • Milani – Hot Pink Rage
  • NYX – Fizzies
  • Inglot – 541 (gloss)
  • NYX – Strawberry Parfait (gloss)
  • Revlon – Papaya (gloss)
  • Nothing
  • Nothing
Week 5 (bottom row)
  • Milani – Naturally Chic
  • Rimmel – Big Bang

What’s On My Face – Volume 17

Makeup, Tutorials, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When I first created this blog, I was really, really worried that I wouldn’t be able to generate enough makeup looks to sustain any kind of regular “makeup looks” posting schedule. Little did I realize just how many eye looks I attempt and even months later I’ve still got a huge backlog of eye looks for upcoming posts!

20140604_look1.1

Glitter and lashes. You really can’t go wrong. I think this came out really beautifully.

20140604_look1.2

Eyes

I first applied Makeup Geek‘s White Lies all over the lid as a base, then:

  1. Inglot Matte 334 in the outer corner and throughout the crease.
  2. Inglot Matte 325 in the outer corner to darken it up. Also used on the lower lash line in the outer corner.
  3. MAC‘s Transparent Teal glitter all over the lid. To make the glitter stick, I used Too Faced Glitter Glue as a base layer. I also applied the glitter on the lower lash line as well.

MAC Shroom to highlight the brow. Tarte‘s black gel liner to create the wing and Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner on the inner lower lash line rim. Benefit They’re Real mascara on my lashes and Ardell single lashes to add some volume to my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Revlon Colorstay (Combination/Oily) in 200 Nude
  • Concealer: MAC Select Cover-up in NW20
  • Bronzer: Joe Fresh Sand Bronzer
  • Blush: Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush in Natural
  • Highlighter: MAC Silver Dusk
  • Lips: NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie

20140604_look4.1

This one came to me out of nowhere. I often use Sleek‘s Sunrise palette as my mirror of choice, so I often find myself staring at those colours. The blue in that palette is beautiful, but I never really knew how to incorporate it into a look with that palette. This came to me as a spur of the moment type thing and I think it turned out really well. It’s funny because people say not to wear blue eyeshadow if you have blue eyes because it’ll drown out the colour of your eyes… but I have to say I received so many compliments at work that this brought out my eye colour that I really have to disagree with the “norm” to not wear blue on blue eyes!

20140604_look4.2

Eyes

Using the Sleek Sunset palette:

  1.  From the bottom row, the second shade on the right, apply that all over the lid.
  2. Again from the bottom row, sweep the first colour from the left into the crease and blend out.
  3. MAC Blanc Type to highlight the brow.

On the lower lash line, use the bright blue from the Sleek Sunset palette, then smudge it out slightly with Makeup Geek‘s Creme Brulee. Benefit They’re Real mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Cheeks: MAC Petal Power
  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Lips: Too Faced Coral Fire

20140604_look2.1

This look’s genius comes from Sharon Farrell. Her Tequila Sunrise tutorial was not only unique, but utterly eye-catching. I definitely do not possess her skill, but I thought I’d give this look a shot because I loved her end result so much.

20140604_look2.2

Eyes

  1. Makeup Geek Creme Brulee very heavily through the crease.
  2. MAC Steamy on the inner two thirds of the lid.
  3. MAC Club on the outer third of the lid. Also applied all over the lower lash line.
  4. MAC Gorgeous Gold on the inner tearduct.

MAC Blanc Type to highlight the brow. Tarte‘s black gel liner to create the wing and Urban Decay‘s Black Velvet liner on the inner lower rim. Benefit They’re Real mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Joe Fresh Sand Bronzer
  • Blush: Tarte Charisma
  • Lips: NYX Butter Lipstick in Fizzies

20140604_look5.1

I was rooting through my collection determined to use something I had touched in long time. So this look ended up utilizing a few of my older, limited edition products.

20140604_look5.2

Eyes

Using the MAC mineralize eyeshadow trio in Blue My Mind:

  1. The lightest shade on the inner third of the lid.
  2. The blue shimmery shade on the middle of the lid.
  3. The black on the outer corner.

MAC Shroom to highlight my brow, MAC fluidline in Midnight Blues to create the wing and Benefit They’re Real mascara.

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance foundation in Cool Vanilla
  • Blush: Tarte Charisma
  • Lips: Wet n Wild 903C with NYX‘s Butter Gloss in Tiramisu on top

20140604_look3.1

Ehhhhhhhhhhh. This one’s okayyyyyy…..

20140604_look3.2

Eyes

  1. Makeup Geek Simply Marlena and Mango Tango mixed together and blended into the crease. I’d say it’s a lot heavier on the pinker shade.
  2. Makeup Geek Vanilla Bean all over the lid.
  3. Makeup Geek Frappe and Goddess mixed together and applied to the outer third.

Vanilla Bean to highlight the brow and Benefit They’re Real mascara on my lashes.

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Joe Fresh Sand Bronzer
  • Blush: Hourglass Diffused Heat
  • Lips: Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar

May 2014 Favourites

Favourites, Miscellaneous, , , ,

201405_favourites

The month of May was pretty forgettable in terms of makeup for me. I had a few repeat offenders (which you’ll see in this post), but for the most part I tried a lot of new looks and didn’t stick to a lot of the same products. The only consistent pieces were the ones in this post, and they really kind of took me by surprise!

NYC Sun ‘n’ Bronze in Fire Island Tan
NYC Sun ‘n’ Bronze in Fire Island Tan

I knew at the start of the month that I wanted to use a different bronzer, and I wanted one with shimmer in it. So I busted out NYC‘s Fire Island Tan and was reminded of how much I like this product. It does have an orange tinge to it, so make sure you blend this sucker in very, very well. There is also some gold shimmer throughout it, so if you’re not keen on shimmery bronzers, leave this one at the drugstore!

Tarte – Charisma
Tarte – Charisma

This blush by Tarte is just stunning. Charisma is a peach/coral with golden shimmer. It’s perfect for the warmer months when you want to just feel like you’ve got a sun-kissed glow. I really like this in coordination with the bronzer I mentioned above since the gold shimmer running throughout them really ties them together. It might be a lot on the gold shimmer, but hell if I care! As with all Tarte blushes, use a stiffer brush to apply this since it does have a harder consistency. (And btw, does anyone else seriously dislike the new packaging? I wish they had remained in the old packaging like the one above!)

Bite Beauty – Fig
Bite Beauty – Fig

I picked up this Bite Beauty lipstick to figure out what the hype was with this brand. At $28 CAD, this is by far my most expensive lipstick in my collection – so I was really scared I wouldn’t like this product and would have wasted the money on it. However… Fig is a lovely, easy pink shade and it’s a colour I can pair with a lot of eye looks without worrying if it’ll clash or not. It’s also worth mentioning that I really didn’t like the scent of this lipstick when I tried it on the first time. But I’ve found that over time the scent really grew on me. I don’t even know how to describe it – it’s not specifically anything, but it’s something I’ve grown to really like over time. Also, random note, the Bite Beauty lipsticks contain the same amount of product as a MAC lipstick, but because the bullet is fatter, it makes them look a lot shorter. I actually really like the look of the wider bullet, although at first I thought I’d been shortchanged on product!

NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu & Wet n Wild lipstick in 903C/Just Peachy
NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu & Wet n Wild lipstick in 903C/Just Peachy

I randomly stumbled on this combination in the last month or two and I came to really like it when I noticed just how well it photographed on me. With Wet n Wild‘s 903C as a base layer, and NYX‘s Tiramisu gloss on top, this has really become my failsafe lip look. It’s currently replaced my “dead nude” look when I’m wearing a really dark eye look. I still like the really nude, paled out lips look, but I feel like that look is slightly easier to wear in the winter. With this combination, it adds just the right amount of colour punch without overdoing it. Regarding the swatches above, from left to right it’s the lipstick, the gloss and then the two of them layered.

And there you have my monthly roundup! I wonder what the month of June will bring?

Travel Makeup Bag – Ottawa Race Weekend

Miscellaneous, Vacation, , , , , , , , , ,

201405_travelmakeup1

This coming Friday I’ll be heading up to Ottawa for the capital city’s Race Weekend. Last year, after hearing about my first race experience during Toronto’s Pride Week (the Pride and Remembrance Run, which I’ll be doing again this year), my dad decided he wanted us to run a race together and he picked the 5K during this event. Despite having grown up in Ottawa, I had never, ever heard of this event!

Anyway, the point of this is… I’m only in Ottawa for less than 48 hours, so I don’t really need a whole lot of makeup. Regardless, I’m bringing some, so here’s what I decided to pack.

Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer Potion and Benefit They’re Real mascara
Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer Potion and Benefit They’re Real mascara

The necessary basics – mascara and primer. I’m a little bit nervous to only be bringing one eye primer, but since I’m stuffing everything into a smaller bag than normal, I’m only bringing this trial size of Urban Decay‘s Anti-Aging Primer Potion (which is something I’ve also never tried). Also along for the ride is a trial size of Benefit‘s They’re Real mascara.

Murad Oil-Control Mattifier and yaby foundation in Buff
Murad Oil-Control Mattifier and yaby foundation in Buff

I have no idea if I’ll even want to wear foundation on the weekend at any point, but I’m bringing a small tube of yaby‘s foundation in Buff and a Murad Oil-Control Mattifierprimarily just to use it up.

Bobbi Brown blush in Apricot and NYX Love In Rio trio in Segredos de Giselle
Bobbi Brown blush in Apricot and NYX Love In Rio trio in Segredos de Giselle

My only blush for the weekend is Bobbi Brown‘s Apricot – it’s beyond gorgeous. And since I’m bringing a fairly neutral eye palette, NYX‘s trio in Segredos de Giselle, I’ll need that brightness from the blush to liven up my face.

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Sunset Strip and Hard Candy bronzer in Hula Hula
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Sunset Strip and Hard Candy bronzer in Hula Hula

Looking at these side-by-side and I’m wondering why the heck I’m bringing both of them… Regardless, they’re both in the bag! Physicians Formula‘s Shimmer Strip in Sunset Strip needs some love, so in it goes. Hard Candy‘s Hula Hula bronzer is a fantastic shimmery bronzer that I’m going to use to fake like I’ve got some semblance of a tan. 😉

Nivea – A Kiss of Berry Swirl, Revlon Snow Peach and Urban Decay gloss in Naked
Nivea – A Kiss of Berry Swirl, Revlon Snow Peach and Urban Decay gloss in Naked

And once again I’m bringing far more lip products than I’ll ever actually use. The Nivea lip balm is a necessity, but the others are completely superfluous. Revlon Snow Peach is there in case I feel the need to wear a bright colour and the Urban Decay mini gloss inNaked is there if I’m feeling lazy as hell.

All jammed in
All jammed in

And since this month’s Ipsy bag was so darn cute and tiny, I put all my products in there. Now… fingers crossed that we have wonderful weather for the race on Saturday!