MAD ABOUT MATTES: Mehron INtense Pigment Palettes

Do you see that picture up there? The one full of gorgeous colors and twenty four matte eyeshadows? TWENTY FOUR MATTE EYESHADOWS! Not just your standard matte eyeshadow either, these are cream of the crop silky smooth pans of magic. I don't say that lightly either. Matte is my favorite texture to work with, it photographs beautifully, tones done shimmer, looks good on everyone and can add believable dimension to the face. And these palettes provide a nice range of color for all the matte lovers in the world.

Mehron describes them as: "super long-lasting matte finish shadows that are edgy, bright, and sophisticated. Our pigment rich, high-performing shadows offer an essential range of intense hues and a velvety matte texture. Formulated without shimmer, these completely matte shades have an incredible silky finish which allows for amazing color payoff."

The eyeshadows are housed in these glossy plastic cases. They are super durable compared to most palettes and are really similar to the Mehron Paradise Palette packaging.







The Earth Palette consists of eight colors: Red Earth, Desert Sand, Earth Crust, Mountain Moss, Carbon, Graphite, Night Sky, and Morning Sky. Carbon is the blackest eyeshadow I have ever come across. I think this palette is the most versatile because it includes color and neutrals which make it easy to do a variety of looks.






The Wind Palette consists of eight colors: Hurricane Blue, Island Blue, Palm, Turbulent, Tornado, Solar Wind, Ocean Breeze, and Tropical Storm. These colors are so rich, they remind me of jewels.  

 The Fire Palette consists of eight colors: Ignite, Purple Heat, Fire Island, Electric Green, Pure Lightening, Hot Pink, Inferno, and Yellow Spark. This palette is for the vibrant color lovers. Some of these are even fluorescent! 

If you doubt the pigmentation check out my swatching arm... I took this after rubbing a makeup wipe over the swatches pretty vigorously.












Overall opinion: Mehron you've done mattes justice!
Where to find the palettes: http://www.mehron.com/INtense_Pro_Pressed_Powder_Pigments_p/168.htm
Price: $52.95 per palette (Roughly $7 an eyeshadow and these suckers are HUGE)

FTC: Products provided for review by PR. All opinions are my own.

Wet N Wild Holiday 2012 Color Icon Palettes

WET N WILD RELEASED NEW COLOR ICON PALETTES FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!!!
repeat NEW WET N WILD COLOR ICON PALETTES!!! GO! RUN! FIND THEM!
Yes caps lock was needed. I love these palettes and was super excited to see them in my local K-Mart recently. I tried to find them at three different CVS stores prior to my fateful K-Mart trip but alas they weren't to be found.

Retail: $4.99 per palette
Where: Drugstores, K-Mart

I love how the palettes are named, In this post I will be referring to them as Shimmer, Sparkle and Shine, just to keep it easier.

SHIMMER!!! This first palette is probably my favorite of the lot. It's PERFECT for smokey eyes or a fun colorful party look. That blue!!! Is to die for. Most of the eyeshadows are densely pigmented the only one I had an issue with was the dusty pink in the top right corner. It went a little patchy on me. I also didn't like that there was no matte brow bone color which makes it impossible to not have you eye look like a disco ball.  

SPARKLE!!! This is the perfect palette to make blue eyes POP! I really love these colors for fall as well. As with the Shimmer palette this palette has texture issues as well. Three of these eyeshadows didn't match up to the other five and again there is not a matte shadow to be found. This palette does include an incredible teal in the bottom left corner. I ADORE it! 

SHINE!!! Shine is a re-promote for lack of a better word. Wet N Wild released this same palette last year under a different name (I Heart Matte for those of you that remember.) And this is an INCREDIBLE palette. I believe I've mentioned before my penchance for matte shadows so to find this in a drugstore for $4.99 is a MUST HAVE!!! I will say some of the shadows can come off chalky and create a lot of dust when you touch them with a brush but this palette is worth it and I find myself reaching for it quite often. 

Halloween Makeup: Spider Queen

PRODUCTS:
FACE-
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation in Classic Ivory
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent
Smashbox Contour Palette
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Glisten

EYES-
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer
Maybelline Color Tattoo Creme Eyeshadow in Pomegranate Punk
BH Cosmetics 28 Color Palette Smoky Eye Edition
Snazaroo White Face Paint
NYX Collection Noir Liquid Liner in Black
Voluminous False Fiber Lashes
Milani Liquif'Eye Eyeliner in Black
NYX Eyelashes in EL111
Salon Perfect Demi Eyelashes in 102

LIPS-
Mac Lipliner in Night Moth
BH Cosmetics 28 Color Palette Smoky Eye Edition

80's Retro Tutorial for the NYX FACE Awards

For those of you who don't know I was chosen as a contestant in the NYX Cosmetics Face Awards.  I am so incredible pumped to be a part of this, even if it's just a small part.  I feel like I've worked really hard on Youtube for years now and this could be an amazing opportunity for me to grow as an artist.  The competition takes place in a number of challenges.  Our first challenge is to create an 80's Retro look.  

I racked my brain trying to decide what to do.  I spent hours researching makeup, looking at fifty thousand pictures of Madonna only to come to the conclusion that there were so many different subgenres of makeup that there was not "one look" that defined the decade.  I decided to create my own look from my memories of the 80's (mainly Lisa Frank folders, Thundercats and musicians).

I decided to make a "mood" board for this 80's Retro challenge.  Even though I didn't go the way of the Cyndi Laupercorn I did manage to create a look that I'm happy with.  It's not true authentic 80's, but it's my version.  And I took inspiration from all over.  The hair was totally Sebastian Bach.  Boy George-y lips. Cyndi Lauper's True Colors and Lisa Frank's Rainbow Unicorn.  Totally tubular.

For the video I decided to do a take on a cheesy 80's movie so I did a 80's makeover.  I had more fun filming that than spinning around in a grassy field.  No wait that was fun too... until I fell down.  I plan on editing vlogs of my experience in this contest btw.

Also NYX sent some amazing makeup to work with.  Big thanks to them for believing in the beauty community and hosting this MONDO contest.

 

Avox Girl from the Hunger Games Inspired Makeup

Quick run down of products used:

EYES-

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Inglot Creme Eyeliner in #77

Sugarpill Eyeshadows in Poison Plum, Dollipop and Bulletproof

Mac Eyeshadow in Blanc Type

Sugarpill Chromalust in Tiara

Milani Liquif'eye in Black

FACE-

Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in RF100

Makeup Forever HD Foundation in #115

Ben Nye Neutral Set Powder

Makeup Forever Eyeshadow in #33

LIPS-

Milani Liquif'eye in Black

Polka Dot Nails

I am a huge fan of all things polka dot... so I tend to wear them on my nails a lot. Lately I've enjoyed mixing creme finish polishes with wild metallics. For example my nails this week are Essie's Big Spender (A raspberry creme finish polish) as a base with Sally Hansens Golden-I (A super metallic light gold) for the dots. I LOVE how they turned out. It's so fun to play around with, do you guys have any fun combinations?

Raquel Reed Inspired Makeup Tutorial

Loved this request posted on my Facebook page so I decided to film a tutorial based on it. I didn't have the right eyeshadow for the lid but I made due with a sparklier version. I love the way this turned out and I hope all you purple lovers will enjoy it!

Products:

PRODUCTS:

EYES-

Urban Decay Primer Potion

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

Raving Beauty Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Spring Violet (http://www.ravingbeautycosmetics.ecrater.com/)

Sleek Acid Palette (http://devucosmetics.com/)

Sugarpill Eyeshadow in Poison Plum

Makeup Forever Eyeshadow in #92

Inglot Gel Matte Eyeliner in #77

Black Mascara

False Lashes (unsure of the number)

FACE-

Revlon Colorstay Foundation in 110 Ivory

RImmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent

Black UP Blush in BL01

LIPS-

Hot Pink Lipliner

Milani Lip Flash Pencil in Flashy

Milani 3D Glitzy Gloss in Fashion Diva

ZombieStarling

In my previous post I mentioned that I would be doing two Halloween tutorials for Shape.com. I already shared GoldieSwan and now I present ZombieStarling. I wanted to do an easy Zombie look using products that you could find anywhere. No prosthetics needed. I also learned an amazing Zombie Hair trick from the mega talented Sokolum79. She used conditioner in her hair to make it look like dirty well lived in hair. I highly recommend her channel and you can find it here

Now onto products used:

I paled out my face using grease paints. I bought a stack of four from Party City and supplemented the rest from the Makeup Forever Flash Palette.

I then set my face using Ben Nye's Neutral Set Powder. Any translucent powder will work.

For the open wounds I used eyelash glue. Liquid latex would also work. And then filled them in with red and black grease paints.

To finish off the look I mixed up a bit of fake blood using corn syrup and food coloring. This got extremely sticky and dripped all over my shirt. I think it really added to the look though.

For my costume I cut up an old t-shirt and sprinkled baby powder all over. I had a total blast filming this one... BRAINS!

GoldieSwan

Hey guys! Goldieswan here. In between filming a bunch of Halloween tutorials for Youtube I have also been busy filming a few videos for Shape.com. They asked me to film two videos for their site, namely a Black Swan tutorial and a Zombie tutorial inspired by AMC's Walking Dead. I am super excited to share these videos and they should be up on their site next week. I'll update this post when they're live and ready to go. I also will be on my local Fox tv station doing a live version of the Black Swan makeup next Monday. They want to do a little piece on my work and cut in and out during the broadcast as I do makeup. I am super excited and nervous at the same time. I've never done anything for tv, hopefully it will be an awesome experience! In the meantime I wanted to do a quick post on the products I used in my Black Swan tutorial. So here we go!

For the pale foundation I mixed a white foundation with my regular foundation.

Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation in RF100

Revlon Colorstay in 110 Ivory

I did use a bit of concealer to cover up any dark circles.

It! Cosmetics Bye Bye Under eye in Light

I set everything with Ben Nye's Neutral Set Powder which left my skin looking like porcelain.

On to contour, I applied Clinique's New Clover blush into the hollows of my cheeks and layered Makeup Forever's #33 Eyeshadow over it.

For the eyes I used a super black gel liner, eye drops and a silver pigment.

Inglot Matter Gel Eyeliner in #77

Sugarpill's Chromadust in Tiara

Clear Eyes Eyedrops

Black Mascara

Under the black wing shape I lightly applied a red grease paint. In the pictures I saw there seems to be a hint of red.

The lips were a bit tricky. I outlined my lips with a black eyeliner then applied Mac's Diva lipstick and patted a purple eyeshadow over the outer corners.

How to Make a Black Lace Hat ala Pam from True Blood

Hey guys! Today I'm gonna post a little how to on my black lace hat from my Halloween tutorial "I've Got the Rots." If you've seen the video and are curious to see how I made the hat keep on reading. It's super simple. Promise!

First step: Grab a witch hat, flip it over and push the pointy tip inside out. This will create a nice little pocket for your noggin.
Step Number Two: Trace the hat's shape onto a piece of foam poster board. This will make it super sturdy.
Step Three: Get to cutting guys! I used an Exacto knife.

Step Four: Trace another circle in the center. Make sure it will fit your head. In this case I found a bowl that fit my head and used it as a stencil.
Step Five: Place your huge foam donut onto the hat and glue that badboy onto the witch hat. Pay special attention to the inner and outer rim.
Step Six: I draped black lace on top and began hot gluing it to the inner rim. Be careful, hot glue burns HURT!
Step I don't know I lost count: Trim the excess lace from the perimeter. Try to make it as even as possible.
Last Step... phew finally: Twist the excess lace and glue it around the inner rim. And ta-da! You have your very own black lace hat ala Pam. See you guys? That was easy. : )

INGLOT SWATCHES!!!!

Katy Perry E.T. Alien Make-up Tutorial

Products:

FACE-

Gluestick

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

Prestige Eyeshadow in White

EYES/FACE-

Make-up Forever Eyeshadow in #72

Sugarpill Eyeshadow in Dollipop

Glamour Doll Eyes Shadow in Skin of a Killer

Wet N' Wild Megaliner in Black

Mehron Tropical Paradise Palette

Mutant Eyelashes (a pair I cut up and painted the tips pink)

LIPS-

NYX Eye Pencil in Electric Blue

OCC Lip Tar in Rx

Mac Eyeshadow in Meet the Fleet

NARS Copacabana Illuminator Review

I was browsing Sephora as I often do out of boredom and came across this product from NARS. A liquid illuminator. Hmm ok I'll bite.

What it is:

A multifunctional face product that gives skin a refreshed luminosity.

What it does:

This light reflecting liquid glides on to refresh and enhance the complexion, creating a shimmering incandescence. Wear it alone, or pair it with makeup to transform your skin from ordinary to extraordinary.

Price: $29

Where: Sephora.com

Size: 1.2 oz

Do I like it: Yes

Would I buy it again: Yes but I doubt I will need to for a long time considering the size

Pros:

-Easy to work with and blend into the skin

-Leaves a pearly finish

-Only takes a little

Cons:

-Price, like most NARS products it's a bit expensive and I'm not convinced that I couldn't find an equal illuminator for less

-In outdoor/natural lighting it can look a bit glittery

My Favorite Brushes

FaceFront Cosmetics Ouro Fino Collection

I recently received a package of goodies to review from Facefront Cosmetics. I have heard a lot about the company and was excited to see what they are all about. They sent some items from the Spring/Summer Ouro Fino collection and a few of their Artistic Pigments.

Let's start with the "Fine Gold" collection shall we?

Facefront's description of the collection:"Ouro Fino is Portugese for "Fine Gold." This delicate collection is finely milled and infused with small 24 K gold nano-particles, imported from Peru. The set consists of 5 Artistic Pigments, 1 Blush, 4 Bronzers and 2 Lipglosses. These products are never tested on animals and are cruelty free."

Blush and Bronzer

From left to right: Rewrite Pink, Third Kiss and Loco Cocoa

Re-write Pink ($15.00) is a mineralized blush. It looks beautiful on the skin and gives the cheek a natural healthy glow. It's pigmented so a light hand will go a long way with this product.

Third Kiss and Loco Cocoa are rocket bronzers($17.50.) Facefront describes Third Kiss as a steel finish (to me it's finish is similar to a satin eyeshadow.) Loco Cocoa is a warm matte bronzer. For my skin tone I prefer the Loco Cocoa, once blended out it gives a healthy glow. Third kiss doesn't look so good on my skin but I can imagine it working for skin tones that aren't so melanin challenged.

Artistic Pigments

From left to right: Amarela, Retro-Robotic Violeta, Octopus Ink, Shadow Keeper and Nylon Garden (All of these were swatched over a primer)

Amarela ($15.50) is a steel finish pigment. The color is a little sheer for me but the yellow really showcases the gold particles beautifully. It will need a base/primer to achieve the color in the jar.

Retro-Robotic Violeta ($15.50) is also a steel finish. This one was hard to photograph correctly but it's a nice mauvy purple that sparkles on the lid.

Octopus Ink ($10.50) is a semi-matte. This black is super black with a multi-colored glitter living happily among the darkness. Again my camera couldn't do justice to this one. I found it a little hard to work with as is the case with most mattes. With the proper base I think it would look amazing.

Shadow Keeper ($15.50) is another steel finish and is one of my favorites from this collection. I would describe it as a dirty purple that reflects a light pink. BEAUTIFUL!

Nylon Garden ($15.50) is, yes you guessed it, also a steel finish pigment. It's similar to MAC's Sumptuous Olive but a tad bit more green. I love this one too.

Artistic Pigments

From Left to Right: Rabid Volcano, Tigresa Morpheta and Early Spring

Rabid Volcano ($10.50) is a pewter finish pigment. It's lovely in the jar and lovely on the eye. It's not incredibly unique color.

Tigresa Morpheta ($10.50) is AMAZING! This color is a steel finish and would KILL on blue eyes. This is my number one favorite out of the whole bunch.

Early Spring ($10.50) is a pretty unique color. It's a steel finish and looks like a muted turquoise. You will definitely need a base with it because it can come off sheer.

All in all I'm impressed with the quality of Facefront products. I like the Artistic Pigments. I think the eyeshadows are the real star of the show.

What would I recommend and why?

Tigresa Morphesa- It's a beautiful metallic orange that makes blue eyes pop

Shadow Keeper- I love that it looks like a dark purple but reflects a light pink

Nylon Garden- Olive greens always capture my my attention

Loco Cocoa- It's a matte bronzer that works on my pasty skin... YES!

Re-write Pink- This one is pigmented but if used lightly will give a natural result.

Facefront can be found at select retailers and online at facefrontcosmetics.com

Adele Inspired Make-up

I love Adele. Her voice, her style... her MAKE-UP! I consider her look to be a mix of Mod/Twiggy lashes with classic pin-up liner and a light coral lip. It's simple, elegant and timeless.

Product List-

FACE:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Ivory

Make-up Forever HD Powder

Milani HD Concealer in Light

EYES:

Mac Paint Pot in Painterly

Mac Eyeshadows in Blanc Type, Dark Edge and Shroom

Raving Beauty Eyeshadows in Gentle Brown and Sparkle Beige

Wet N' Wild Megaliner in Black

Laura Mercier Full Blown Mascara in Black

Salon Perfect Eyelashes in Demi-Whispies

LIPS:

Rimmel Lipliner in Addiction

Wet N' Wild Lipstick in 903C

Mac Dazzleglass in Smile