Review - Shiro Intertubes and custom lipgloss

Shiro did an offer at the beginning of May to celebrate their birthday where you got a free eyeshadow, May The Forth Be With You, and as my birthday is May 4th I just had to place an order!  I opted for 3 Intertubes which are being discontinued, and one custom gloss.

I have to say that I am so sad at the Intertubes disappearing, as they are so great to wear!  They're super comfortable and moisturising.  They're still available for the rest of this month, so I may place and order and stock up.

Rickrolled is described as a bright red-orange.  It definitely pulls more coral-orange on my lips.  I usually find oranges quite hard to pull off, but this one is really nice.  Super summery.  It's pretty opaque and applies smoothly.  It's got quite a strong ginger scent to it, which I found to be a little overwhelming to begin with.  The website says the ginger can have a tingly plumping effect, but I didn't notice this at all (which I'm glad off, I'm not a big fan of plumping lip products)

Rickrolled

Shoop Da Whoop is my favourite out of  the lot.  It's a bright, glossy, fresh red, that is almost opaque.  This one is unscented, and whilst the wear time is shorter than the others  I can see myself reaching for it a lot, as it's a nice day time red.

Shoop Da Whoop

Sad Keanu is a pinky purple, and the Intertube I had the most trouble with.  I think that the fact that it's darker is the reason behind my struggle to apply it evenly (as you can see from the pictures).  It's a pink toned purple, and it leaves a pink stain behind, which I actually really like!  This one is blackberry scented, although the scent isn't as strong as Rickrolled.  

 Sad Keanu

Sad Keanu stain

Sticking with the purples, I also ordered an opaque custom gloss using Team Rocket pigment.  It's a cool toned purple with blue shimmer throughout.  This isn't quite as opaque as the Ganondorf gloss (seen here), which meant I did have a little trouble getting it to apply smoothly.  I love the blush shimmer in it though, and it's certainly a more unique purple lip colour.  I chose to have it cherry pie scented.  It's a strong cherry scent, and whilst it's not horrible, I don't think I'd opt for that particular scent again.

Team Rocket opaque custom gloss

Overall I'm super happy with my order.  I need to hunt down a good purple lip liner as I think having a good base would mean that Sad Keanu and Team Rocket would apply more evenly.  I'm contemplating buying a back up of Shoop Da Whoop, as well as Why Not Zoidberg and Team Buffy before they disappear for good, as I can see myself getting a lot of use out of them this summer.

Deep gold and red FOTD

I love pairing greeny golds with rich reds.  When swatched, Diggy Diggy Hole and Getting Wood look quite different, but on the lid they look very similar, so I patted Rupee over Diggy Diggy Hole on the inner half of the lid to make it look a little greener.  I used Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Brisk October Morning as a liner, mixing it with Illamasqua's sealing gel.  I was hoping the sparkle would transfer, but it really didn't.

Face
YSL Touche Eclat foundation BR10
Illamasqua Skin Base Lift White and Light 1
Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder Light

Sleek Antique blush

Shiro Cake as highlighter

Eyes

NARS smudge proof eyeshadow base
NYX jumbo pencil in Milk

Shiro eyeshadows in Diggy Diggy Hole, Rupee, Getting Wood, What's This Leaver Do?, War of Five Armies, Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Brisk October Morning, and Cake

Illamasqua sealing gel

Urban Decay 24/7 pencil liners in Mildew and Corrupt

Lancome Hypnose Star mascara

MUFE Aqua Brow

Lips

MUFE Star Collection gloss S14

S

Re-doing paranormal FOTD

This was a look I did a while back that I really love.  Since my photography skills have improved a little since I last posted it, I thought I'd put some clearer ones up.  I was pretty lazy with my false lashes, so apologies for them looking so sloppy!  I paired this look with Benefit Sugarbomb blush, and Guerlain Madame Fascine lip gloss.

Products Used 

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Beauty UK Double ended shadow pencil - black and white (white end used as base)

Illamasqua Paranormal palette

MAC eyeshadows in Nylon, Goldmine, and Contrast

Illamasqua pencil in Vow

Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Goldmine

Illamasqua black gel eyeliner

Lancome Hypnose Star mascara

Active Cosmetics false lashes

MUFE Aqua Brow

Bright and bold FOTD

I fancied doing something a little different today.  This was another one of those looks where I had no idea where it was going when I first started it.  I'm not totally in love with this look, and it definitely could have been tidier.  Ah well.

Products Used

NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

Urban Decay 24/7 pencils in Zero, Woodstock, and Psychedelic Sister

Sugarpill Burning Heart palette (Buttercupcake, Love+, and Poison Plum)

Sugarpill Sweetheart palette (Tako) 

Illamasqua Precision Ink in Scribe

Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner in Black

Lancome Hypnose Star mascara

Active Cosmetics lashes

MUFE Aqua Brow

Winter sunset FOTD

I love how the icy blues work so well with the purples and reds in Sleek's Celestial palette.  It reminds me of a winters sunset over a snowy landscape.

Products Used

Face
Illamasqua Skin Base Lift White and Light 1
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural Light
Illamasqua Beg blush

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Sleek Celestial palette
Boots Natural Collection Soft Pink eyeshadow
Illamasqua black gel liner
Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Empire
Lancome Hypnose Star mascara
MUFE Aqua Brow

Lips
MUFE Lab Shine gloss S14

Festive sparkle FOTD

Sometimes I like to just add black liner to the outer half of my upper lash line, as it creates a different eye shape.  I wish the camera picked up on the sparkle from the Bobbi Brown Sparkle Shadow.  It's so pretty in real life

Products Used

Face
Illamasqua Skin Base Lift White and Light 1
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural Light
Fashionista blush in Butterscotch

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Beauty UK Shadow and Liner duo - black and white
Bobbi Brown Silver Lilac Sparkle Shadow
Sleek Sunset palette
MAC Beauty Marked eyeshadow 
MAC White Frost eyeshadow
Illamasqua black gel liner
Illamasqua Sophie Pencil
Lancome Hypnose Star mascara
MUFE Aqua Brow

Lips
MAC Nightmoth liner
Chanel Rouge Allure in Rouge Noir

A Christmas tutorial

I did this tutorial before I came to France, and it was only upon going through the photos today that I realised how awful the photos are.  I've fixed them up as best as I can, but I'm afraid my photoshop skills aren't that impressive!

Products Used

Primer (Too Faced Shadow Insurance)

White pencil/cream base (Beauty Uk black and white double ended pencil)

Silver eyeshadow (Sleek Celestial palette)

Red eyeshadow (Sleek Sunset palette)

Dark red eyeshadow

Black eyeshadow

Matte white eyeshadow

Black liquid liner (Rimmel Glam Eyes liquid liner)

Silver glitter liner (Collection 2000 Glam Crystals in Hustle)

Black pencil liner (Illamasqua Sophie)

Black mascara (Lancome Hypnose Star mascara)

False lashes

1.  Start by priming your eyes with chosen eyeshadow primer and white base.  Pat the silver shadow onto the inner half of the lid using a flat shader brush.

2.  Apply the bright red shade on the second half of the lid, and up into the outer half of the crease.  Take the shadow in the crease as far over as the red on the lid.  I used the flat shader brush again.

3.  With the flat shader brush (again!), apply the dark red shadow to the outer quater over the bright red.

4.  With a fluffy brush apply the matte white eyeshadow to the brow bone, blending out the red.

5.  Using a pointed pencil brush, deepen the outer v with black shadow.

6.  Starting in the middle of the lid, apply black liquid eyeliner, winging it out at the end.

7.  Apply glitter liner from the inner corner of the eye, up and along the top of the black liner.

8.  Define the lower lash line with silver eyeshadow on the inner half, fading into black on the outer half.  I used the pencil brush.

9.  Apply black pencil liner to the upper and lower water lines.

10.  Add mascara and some false lashes, and you're done!

Illamasqua Christmasqua - Be Bad For Goodness Sake

This was one of those looks where I had no idea what I was going to do when I started it.  It just kind of happened.

Products Used

Face
YSL Touch Eclat Foundation BR10
Illamasqua Skin Base Lift White and Light 1
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural Light
Illamasqua Beg blush
Barbara Daley Shimmering Highlight Powder

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Grape pigment
Sleek Sunset palette
MAC Nylon eyeshadow
Illamasqua black gel liner
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero
Lancome Hypnose Star mascara
Active Lashes Razzle Dazzle lashes

Lips
Illamasqua lipstick in Pristine
Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Hermetic 

Paranormal and Poisonberry FOTD

You ever have one of  those days where everything goes wrong?  I smudged my mascara, messed up my eyebrows, smudged my lipstick, and my hair didn't want to cooperate with me at all.  Today was one of those days.  I'm sitting here, having just painted my nails, wondering how long it'll be before I mess them up too!

Ah well, on to the pictures.  This look wasn't anything special.  Just wanted something simple really, but I turned out really liking it.  The orange shade from Illamasqua's Paranormal palette made my eyes look really blue!  And, of course I'm still loving Lime Crime's Poisonberry lipstick.  I've found that this applies best if you apply it, blot it on some tissue, and then apply it again.

Products Used

Face
Illamasqua Skinbase Lift (White and Light 1)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (Light)
Benefit Sugarbomb

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Illamasqua Paranormal palette (the red, orange, and green shades)
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Freak
Illamasqua Sophie Medium Pencil
L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Purple
MUFE Aqua Brow

Lips
Lime Crime Poisonberry lipstick

Sleek Sunset Tutorial

Sleek's Sunset palette is probably the Sleek palette I use the least.  After doing this look, I'm really not sure why!

The shadows in the palette don't have names, so I've numbered them to make things a little easier to understand.

Products Used
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Sleek Sunset Palette
MAC Nylon eyeshadow
Illamasqua Black gel liner
Illamasqua Sophie medium pencil
Benefit They're Real mascara
Active Cosmetics false lashes

1.  Apply think golden pink shade (5) to the inner third of the lid using a flat synthetic shader brush.
2.  Using the same brush, place the soft shimmery red shade (3) across the rest of the lid, blending into the first shade.
3.  With a tapered blending brush, apply the bright orange shadow (4) in the crease, almost up to the brow bone.
4.  On top of the orange, with the tapered blending brush place the darker red (2) on top of the orange.
5.  With a clean tapered blending brush, blend the red and orange together to get rid of any harsh lines.
6.  Taking the flat shader brush again, apply more of the golden pink (5) between the inner corner and the crease colour, blending together.
5.  With a fluffy tapered blending brush, place a pale gold such as MAC Nylon below the brow, blending down into the orange shadow.
8.  Line the eye using a black gel liner and a liner brush.
9.  Using the flat shader brush again, apply the black shadow (1) to the outer v, starting at the black gel liner.
10.  Line your waterline using a black pencil (Illamasqua Sophie).
11.  Add mascara and lashes, and you're done!

~Sarah

Review - Illamasqua Nail Polish in Alarm

So I'm super happy to announce I will have another blogger joining me to write posts for my blog! Rae will be helping me out with looks, reviews and the like.  Here's her first review of Illamasqua's nail polish in Alarm.

-Sarah

---

A few weeks back Illamasqua had a big sale, and I went a bit mad in the nail varnish section. I love their nail varnishes a lot!

I find that most Illamasqua nail varnishes go on smoothly, and dry in a reasonable time so you don't really need to use a quick dry top coat. When I put Alarm on, I was happy to see it was just as I had expected.  The colour is a warm red, with an orange hint, and it dries down to a bright, glossy finish.

I can see it working better on people with warm undertones, but the fact that it's not too yellow means it'll work for people with cooler undertones, like myself.

I always apply 2 coats as I love to really get that bold, bright colour, but it's almost opaque after one coat, and you could probably get away with wearing it like that.

I find that most Illamasqua nail varnishes wear for days on end, with little or no chipping or fading. This one is no different, and you can get a good 4-5 days out of it. When I'm wearing false nails, it lasts a lot longer, and I can go a good couple of weeks before it starts to chip.

One final note is that this is really messy to remove, and not one you want to be taking in a hurry!

This is a great colour, but for me, it was a little too bold for every day wear. However, it's perfect for a night out, and definitely one I'll be reaching for again. 

~ Rae Rae

Burning Heart FOTD

Just a quick look I did today.  Again, no full face shots cos my skin is still hating me.  It's slowly getting better though!  I should really use Sugarpill's Burning Heart palette more often.  I toned it down and made it a little more wearable for every day life by adding a little brown in the outer v.  

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Sugarpill Burning Heart palette

Illamasqua powder eyeshadow in Slink

Urban Decay powder eyeshadow in West (from the Theadora palette)

Urban Decay 24/7 pencils in Scorch and  Demolition

Rimmel Glam Eyes Black liquid eyeliner

Benefit They're Real mascaara

Active Cosmetics false eyelashes in Allure

Red eyeshadows