Melon EOTD

While Irene pelts down rain outside, to keep from being bored out of my skull I thought I'd share this latest EOTD with you all. x3

I mainly wanted to use the fabulous color called Melon from BFTE Cosmetics. (You can see swatches here.) I got this color because I've had a look in my head for weeks, but lacked the right color to actually create it. So with Melon, I tried to do a bright melon eyelid which fades into light gold shimmer, and a baby blue accent underneath. This is the basic concept, but for some reason the look turned out different than I'd pictured. I wasn't in love with it, but it's not horrible lol. I may try recreating it sometime to create a look more like I'd originally pictured. ;)

No flash

No flash

With flash

Products I used:

-UDPP

-NYX JEP in Milk all over lid

-Sephora mini white eyeliner on lower lashline

BFTE pigments in:

-Melon: super bright melon shade on lid

-Chaos: shimmery light orangeish-pink in crease

-Cornflower: baby blue on lower lashline

-Ornamental: pale shimmery gold above crease, inner and outer corner, and under Cornflower

-Guipure: super sparkly bright gold on browbone
-Raspberry: hot pink patted on over Melon

-Loreal Carbon Black felt tip liquid liner pen on upper lashline

-Almay black liquid liner on upper tightline

-UD 24/7 pencil in Zero on waterline

-Shu Uemura lash curler

-Maybelline Colossal mascara in Classic Black

-Red Cherry #600 lashes

-mark. Eyemarker in Java and BFTE Truffle on brow

Even though it's not quite the look I pictured, it's still pretty in it's own way. I failed a bit with the picture-taking though, not sure what happened but I had to stop when my camera battery died. :P

Thanks for reading, hope everyone on the East Coast is staying safe in this storm!

~Emily<3

Darling Girl Cosmetics review and swatches, yay!

I ordered from Darling Girl Cosmetics almost two months ago, but as some of you know I've been having computer issues, so the fabulous product shots I took of my package when it arrived are currently trapped on my laptop which is in the custody of my dad or brother until they (hopefully) fix it. However this week we finally got a new camera to replace the one that broke, so I was finally able to take some new product shots and swatches to share with you all! The swatches turned out not too badly, thankfully. The product shots aren't as good as my previous ones, but I guess they'll do. :P

I'm not going to talk too much about the ordering process and all that, mostly because it was a while ago and I forget the details lol. (All I really remember was that I hit some snags in the ordering process, but Susan was nice and helped me through it.) There are plenty of blogs reviewing DGC in depth, so I'm mostly reviewing my personal feelings about the brand and the products themselves, with emphasis on the best part: the swatches! So buckle up for a pic heavy post and keep reading...... ;D

I ordered:

-Blogger's Review Set with samples of Electra, Mardi Gras, Exhale, Rose Queen(blush), and Miami Holo-gloss (This is a genius idea!)

-So Sakura set with Liquid Kiss gloss and petit-sized eyeshadow

-Glitter Glue

-My order came with free samples of new eyeshadows Barbarella and Danceteria, and a petit jar of Charming Coral blush, the free gift with purchase!

On to the pictures! I feel weird without a picture of the entire order together, so I guess I'll just jump right in... (Don't forget to click the pics for full-size viewing!)

Electra eyeshadow, a metallic "Oscar the Grouch" green with a hint of gold and shimmery goodness. I'm a sucker for this type of green, and I love this one a lot!

Mardis Gras eyeshadow, a pretty aqua-teal with subtle copper shimmer. It reminds me of oxidizing copper, like the Statue of Liberty. (You can see the copper better in the swatch photos.)

Excite eyeshadow, a beautiful lavendery purple with aqua shimmer. This type of shade seems common enough, but this seems like one of the prettier versions! The purple isn't at all greyish, and the aqua stands out nicely over Glitter Glue.

Rose Queen blush; I have an obsession with blushes, so after browsing for hours upon hours, I settled on this rosey shade. It has a purple undertone which one would think might be too cool for someone neutral like me, but I actually love it. It looks mauvey pink in the bag, but when applied to my face it takes on more of a berry tone. It has very subtle shimmer, I really like it. I've worn it several times already, and I'll probably wear it a lot in the coming cooler months as well.

Free sample of Barbarella eyeshadow! I'd just seen this color on Susan's blog and Facebook, and I was sad that I'd already ordered because I definitely would have included this in my order. For some reason this shade was really hard to photograph; the color didn't really show up accurately in any of the pics, it ends up looking more brown than pink. To me it looks like a light, bright, metallic coppery pink shade, almost like a brand new penny. Thank you Susan for sending me this sample, I adore it!

Free sample of Danceteria; if you could make eyeshadow out of a discoball, you'd get this bright metallic silver with CRAZY multicolored glitter! I'm not a big fan of wearing glitter since it kind of gets everywhere, but this stuff is pretty cool. If you love glitter, you probably need this shadow. ;P

Miami holo-gloss; peachy-pinky-coral gloss with tons of gold glitter. When I tried it on, the glitter really stood out! Again, since I'm not a big glitter-wearer, I think I'll try wearing this with another gloss to tone down the glitter a bit, but it's really pretty to look at. ;3

So Sakura Liquid Kiss gloss. It's a soft pink shade with fuchsia-violet highlight, terribly pretty.

Here you can see the shimmer! Ignore the scratches and debris, it's been in my purse since I got it. (Except for the week it apparently went to camp with my sister, which is actually probably where the scratches and debris came from. ;P)

The applicator is smaller than I'm used to, so I need to apply a few times to get a glossy pout. No real smell or taste that I could notice.

My gorgeous GWP blush and Sakura eyeshadow petits- I LOVE the artwork on the jars! They feel very sturdy and high quality.

L to R: Charming Coral Blush and Sakura eyeshadow. If I have an obsession with blush, I have an UNHEALTHY obsession with coral. When I saw the swatch pics of Charming Coral, I knew I had to order; it's so pigmented and bright! I've worn it a few times, applied with a stippling brush it gives me a nice bright flush of coral. <3

Each label tells you what's safe in the cutest font ever. Despite the warning I've been very tempted to put Charming Coral on my eyes. >.<

Now for swatches! (Except for So Sakura gloss which I forgot to swatch, sorry..)

L to R: Electra, Mardis Gras, Exhale, Danceteria, Barbarella, Sakura, Charming Coral, Rose Queen, Miami holo-gloss. This pic is in direct sunlight :)

In daylight :)

Closeups with flash!

More closeups!

Direct sunlight so you can see the sparkle :) Look at the blue in Exhale!

Slightly out of focus for shimmer-purposes ;)

Here you can really see the copper sparkles in Mardi Gras! Sooo pretty...

Slight violet sheen in Sakura <3

Blushes and holo-gloss. I obviously swatched the blushes without blending them so you can see the colors better ;)

Amazing glitter in this gloss!

All eyeshadows were swatched on DG Glitter Glue, blushes and gloss were swatched on bare lotioned skin.The Glitter Glue, (which I sadly just realized I forgot to take pictures of this time :<), was what interested me in DGC to begin with; I read some blogger reviews about how awesome it was, so I had to try it myself. I really like it; super easy to use, and makes shadows look awesome! I've been using it whenever I want to swatch a shadow, not even for pictures but just to see what the shadow looks like over a foiling medium. It's good stuff :)

So there you have it! I am thoroughly enjoying my Darling Girl cosmetics, and I look forward to purchasing more. Susan is a sweetie and always seems to be working on new products, which I love; I can't wait to see what drool-worthy things she comes out with next. If you haven't tried Darling Girl Cosmetics, I highly recommend them!

*All products were purchased by me, all opinions are my own, yada yada yada. You know the drill. ;)*

BFTE haul with swatches #11

Beauty from the Earth recently had a Back to School Sale, so I'm back again with another BFTE haul! It just happens that I order from them pretty regularly because #1.They're awesome. #2.They give me free stuff, like the free full jar of eyeshadow I get for each 365 I win. If that's not incentive, I don't know what is.

The swatch pics are a little blurry but still give you a good grasp on what these colors are like in person. Typically I use my sister's little handheld camera to swatch, as it's much easier to handle and the macro works great and does all the hard work for me. xD However since said camera is currently broken, I therefore attempted to take some swatch pictures with my bulky Rebel, usually reserved for portraits only. 

On to the goods! (Please click each photo for maximum drool capacity!)

L to R: Bubbly, Canyon, Melon, and High Roller glitter.

L to R: Gun Metal, Lola, Coal, and Celtic Charms(COTW).

Bubbly, Canyon, Melon, High Roller(over Darling Girl's Glitter Glue), Gun Metal.

Canyon, Melon, High Roller, Gun Metal, Lola, Coal, Celtic Charms.

Good shot of Lola, Coal, Celtic Charms, and Chocolate. I wanted to compare CC and Chocolate; CC has more depth because of it's deep matte base and coppery/red shimmers. Chocolate is a lighter, more metallic pinky-bronzey shade. (You can also see the micro shimmers in Lola on the far left!)

Bubbly, Canyon, Melon, High Roller, Gun Metal, Lola, Coal, Celtic Charms, Chocolate. This is what I mean when I say that Bubbly GLOWS. <3

Natural light;  my sister has pretty tan arms from being at camp for 3 weeks lol. xD

My own impressions:

-Bubbly was my free pick for my latest BFTE 356 because I had to have a full jar of this stuff. I got a sample baggie in an order a while back and fell instantly in love. It has some nuances but the overall impression is a pigmented, glowing, metallic peachy-gold.

-Canyon is a light creamy kind of peachy-beige; not quite matte but super dense and silky, with very fine micro sparkles. It's a little darker than I thought it would be but that's actually a good thing. This is a really nice color, I can't wait to play around with it!

-Melon... ahhh Melon... where do I start? I've been craving this color for weeks because there's a specific look that's been in my head, but I couldn't do it yet because I didn't have the right color; NOW I do. Melon is a saturated red-pink-coral-melon shade, exactly what I've been needing in my collection. It's not matte but there ain't no sparkles here; just lightly pearly and smooth. I love it.<3

-High Roller is a bright blue micro glitter. What can I say, I thought it would be cool to have in my collection. ;)

-Gun Metal is a bright, smooth, lightly shimmery, metallic silver. If you're looking for a light-medium silver without a lotta sparkle, you should be happy with this.

-Lola is a sheer light grey with very fine micro sparks that appear to be light blue. It reminds me faintly of Harmony, but more of a neutral grey than blue. It's an adorable shade; I don't know if it's the name or what, but it seems cute and delicate.^^

-Coal is a completely matte dark grey. I got this and the other greys because recently I was trying to do a smokey eye for a tutorial, but realized I don't have ANY grey shadows! So this should come in handy.

-Celtic Charms was the COTW this week. It's a pretty popular color amongst BFTE fans, and I can see why. I'm not a big "dark matte base" fan usually, but it does give this shade an interesting depth and complexity. I didn't get to study it too closely, but it seems to be a dark brown, almost black base with dark brown shimmer and some bronze/copper/red sparkles.

Harvest was my free sample, which I already have, so this little baggie will go in my giveaway drawer for the giveaway I'm planning on having someday. x3

Harvest is kind of a sentimental color for me, since it was my very first COTW in my very first order, and one of the very first colors I used in my very first BFTE look. It's a super bright and metallic shimmery copper, almost like a new penny, very eye-catching. ;)

I was planning to swatch it with this batch but I forgot. :( For an old swatch, go HERE. For looks using Harvest, go HERE and HERE.

So I love everything, but of course I'm never disappointed with BFTE. Crystal just announced that she's been working on some new colors so I'm totally excited for that, can't wait to see what she came up with! Thanks a bunch for reading guys, hope you're all enjoying your Saturday! ;)

Bronze, gold, and blue EOTD with BFTE

Time for a quick eotd post :) I haven't been doing much play-makeup lately, and when I do I can't always take pictures because of the camera/computer situation I mentioned in my last post. :( But 2 nights ago I felt like playing with my BFTE pigments, so I created this look that's been on my mind for a while now. It's a bronze, gold, and blue look and I love how it turned out, even better than I pictured! (Don't you love when that happens? xD) If you'd like to see more, scroll down for the pics ;3

I didn't edit this one at all because I think the colors are pretty true-to-life, at least on my screen.

The rest of the pics are lightly edited for basic things like exposure and vibrancy, but most of them turned out pretty good so I didn't have to do much. I think I'm getting the hang of this picture-taking stuff!??

Blurry sparkle shot! Look how pretty, like sunlight on the ocean! x3

The last three were without flash since I finally have some (sort of) decent lighting in my new room. I like the softness it gives <3

Products I used:

Eye:

-UDPP

-NYX JEP in Milk (on lid)

-Sephora mini eyeliner pencil in White (under lower lashline and on waterline)

-BFTE pigments in:

-Chocolate (chocolate brown with bronze shimmer on lid and crease)

-Harvest (copper on inner third of lid, along crease, and blended up browbone)

-Autumn (metallic gold along inner half of lower lashline)

-Very Vanilla (matte vanilla shade dusted lightly along browbone)

-Ornamental (light shimmery gold blended up tear duct and browbone)

-Way Up High (matte white with gold shimmer, blended into tear duct and browbone)

-Cornflower (baby blue under Autumn)

-Peacock (Bright shimmery teal under outer half of lower lashline)

-UD 24/7 pencil in Zero (upper tightline)

-Shu Uemura eyelash curler

-mark. Lash All You Want high volume mascara in Black (I like this new mascara!)

-#507 Red Cherry lashes (applied with Duo lash glue)

Brows:

-mark. Eyemarker pencil in Java *discontinued*

-CS 88 Matte Palette (medium warm brown shadow)

Skin:

Revlon Colorstay foundation in Beige (just around eye)

-CS Camouflage Concealer Palette (just around eye)

-mark. Powdermatic setting powder in Light/Medium *discontinued* (just around eye)

I just did the one eye, pretty simple stuff. I had so much fun with this and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy it too!^^

Should I be embarrassed to post my non-makeup'd face? Hmm.. nah!

Thanks for reading, happy weekend everyone! :3

Summer Beauty Review: It's A Coral Kind Of Summer!

This summer has been all about the corals. My lips have been rockin' everything from orange corals to pink corals. Here are some of my favourite picks this season! (Will have to update with swatches - still no memory card! :()

(Counter clockwise)

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Mega Melon ($19 CAD): These chubby sticks bring me back to my kindergarten days when I used to rub crayons on my lips for colour. These balms will drench your lips with moisture. Love the colour pay off too. I was expecting it to be sheer, but the colour payoff is similar to a glossy lipstick. Mega Melon is a beautiful shade just right for bronzy summer skin. It leans more orange than pink so it gives the skin some warmth. I also love the twist-up feature. I hate sharpening gloss pencils - just too messy. Available in 8 shades.

Guerlain Rouge Automatique in Nahema ($35 USD): Luxury in a lipstick tube. Guerlain's signature gold casing and interesting packaging screams luxury. This is the first time my lips have ever been touched by Guerlain and unfortunately I'm in love. The texture is unbelievably creamy. For a long-lasting lip colour, it doesn't dry out your lips and keeps them hydrated. I love the flip-top applicator. No need to take off the cap - just push up and your lipstick pops out. And isn't luxury all about convenience? Nahema is a bright coral sheen. It has a nice mix of both cool and warm undertones so it will work for many skin tones. If you love collecting uber chic and luxurious lipsticks this is one to add to the collection! Available at Sephora.

Revolution Organics Freedom Gloss in Vibe ($26 CAD): You all know my love affair with Revolution Organics so I'm sure it's no surprise I'm featuring the brand again. Vibe is described as "fresh warm peach", but it looks more like a flat orange in the tube. Before trying it I wasn't too keen on this shade, but once it was on my lips I fell in love. There is a slight shimmer and it has beautiful undertones of coral and peach. With the Freedom Glosses, you never feel like you're wearing a gloss. I never have to apply a lip conditioner before applying these glosses. They contain organic plant proteins, oils and shea butter that moisturize and heal the lips. 

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero ($24 USD): New for summer, Bolero is described as "pink cantaloupe". The bright pink swatch on the website is deceiving. Do go to the counter and test this out. I'm featuring this not because I'm totally in love with it, but I think it's an interesting shade for summer.

What I love: 

• The matte texture is a nice alternative to the usual glossy lips for summer. When you wear shimmer on the eyes and face it's important to keep one area non-shimmery. A matte lip is the perfect compliment.


• It accentuates your tan. This shade will look different on everyone. On paler skin, more of the pink undertones will come out. On bronzy skin, it will look edgy and you'll look more golden. Reminds me of day glo lip balms with sunblock. Deeper skin tones should be wary though - it might make you look ashy. 

What I hate:

• The matte texture. My lips can get extremely dry and chapped. The combination of this texture and shade just accentuated the dryness even more. But with a little lip balm, it wore pretty good but settled into my lines. 


• You have to sharpen the pencil.

Stila Convertible Color in Petunia ($25 USD): Petunia is such a pretty pinky coral shade. It looks amazing with a bit of bronzer and really perks up the skin. The finish is creamy and gives the skin a lovely glow. It'll never look overdone because it melts right into the skin. The shade is highly pigmented yet it's very easy to blend. You can wear them on the lips, but I find it dries mine out too much. But it works great as a base for glosses. If your skin needs a good pick-me-up or you're in a rush these are perfect, but don't expect it to last in humid sticky weather! Tip: Make it last a little longer with translucent powder or a powder blush in a similar shade.

Have you tried any of these lovely corals? What colours have you been wearing a lot of this summer?

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them.

Summer Beauty Review: Don't Sweat It...Off With tarte's Amazonian Makeup

Is it true? Is this Makeup Junkie finally emerging from the sleepless world of motherhood?? It's mid-August and I still have lots of summer favourites to share with you! In the next few weeks I will try and bang out my summer must-haves (with Baby Z's permission). Then I can share with you all my Fall/Winter collections that I've fallen in love with (stay tuned for new Chanel reviews!). As much as I love Fall, talking about fall collections seems too soon right? Where did the summer go? Another bummer - my memory card is broken and I haven't had a chance to get a new one so no swatch photos for now (insert sad face).

Has the summer been sticky enough for you? Thank god for water-proof products that actually work! The beauty world is all over tarte's Amazonian Clay blushes because of the high colour payoff and long-lasting texture. I am in love with the Amazonian Clay products. These products couldn't have come at a better time! With the lack of sleep and feeding Baby Z every 2-3 hours, I literally have minutes to swipe on my makeup. Once it's applied it's gotta last all day because touch-ups are not an option. 

tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner ($18 USD, Exclusive to QVC): Sorry to my Canadian readers, but these are exclusive to US beauties. I believe the emphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner is similar in quality. Infused with magic ingredient, Amazonian Clay, these liners are incredibly pigmented and long-wearing. The best part? These actually last on the waterline! And not just for an hour but a good 6-8 hours. The twist-up pencil is a convenient no-sharpening liner. You can wear it close to the lash line or thick for a dramatic effect. The texture is super smooth and glides easily along the lid. Available in 3 shades: Plum, Brown, and Black. 

tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Shadow ($22.80, Exclusive to QVC): I love shadows that I can just swipe on with my finger. I have been wearing these religiously since I received them. Again, colour is highly pigmented and your lids will stay crease-free. All shades are shimmery and highlight the eye beautifully, but you can tone down the shimmer with a matte shadow. I love wearing them on their own for a sheer wash of colour or as a base for my powder shadows when I need the eyes to look heavier. The pots are small (0.1 ounce), but a little goes a long way. My go-to shades have been Beach Bronze and Slate which are pretty everyday shades and go with everything, but all are gorgeous and work with every skin tone. Available in 5 shades: Moss, Beach Bronze, Slate, Shimmering Plum, and Seashell Pink.

tarte emphaEyes Waterproof Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner W/Shadow-Liner Brush ($22 USD, not shown above): Thankfully these are available to Canadians too! Love these little pots of heaven! These are slightly bigger (0.08 ounce) than the cream shadows, but are pretty much the same product. I love the little crease brush it comes with. It allows you to pack on the colour to your desired intensity and gives you precise application. My favourite shade is Bronze (surprise, surprise), but Indigo is gorgeous too. Bronze is the only metallic shade and the rest are matte so they are very wearable for everyday. These work great as a liner but even better as a shadow for when you want something dramatic. Tip: Close the cap tightly to prevent drying out.

Have you tried these Amazonian Clay products? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Want 'em? I will do an update post with swatches!

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them.