FOTD: Calypso Minerals Whatever, Tramp, Popstar, Mermaid and Platinum

I can't say that today's look is a complete success. I thought I was getting better with what ever I have but I spent last night coughing. So I'm tired and I look tired.

I totally forgot that I had some new stuff other than Medusa's Makeup. I'm a fan of xsparkage's blog (although it seems that she's not been blogging that actively as she used to) and on several occasions she has praised Calypso Minerals. So I wanted to give them a try and ordered one of their collections that had three eyeshadows: Whatever (almost purplish pink with blue sheen), Tramp (gorgeous vibrant purple) and Popstar (a striking bold blue). It took over a month before I got my stuff which was a bummer (because I didn't hear from them and I was getting a bit worried). Finally I got my shadows plus a few freebies because I had to wait for so long (it seems that other people read xsparkage, too...). I got Mermaid (a shimmering greenish blue), Platinum (white with blue sheen) and Raspberry Truffle (reddish brown).

For some reason (Lady Stardust?) David Bowie has been on my mind so I did a look with Whatever, Tramp, Popstar, Mermaid and Platinum.


FOTD: Whatever, Tramp, Popstar, Mermaid and Platinum

Meow Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (two layers plus applied wet on blemishes)
Purely Cosmetics Diamond Perfect Finish (finishing powder)
Fyrinnae Glow Blush in Bewitched
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on lids)
Calypso Minerals eyeshadow in Whatever (all over upper lid)
Calypso Minerals eyeshadow in Tramp (outer vee and crease)
Calypso Minerals eyeshadow in Popstar (outer corner of upper lashline, 2/3 of lower lashline)
Calypso Minerals eyeshadow in Mermaid (outer vee; above Popstar, 1/3 of lower lashline)
Calypso Minerals eyeshadow in Platinum (as a highlighter below brow)
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (as a liner)
Max Factor False Lash Effect waterproof mascara in Black
Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Flavor of the Day

Because these colours are so different from each other and because all the shades are very vibrant, this look required a lot of blending. I actually smudged the blues after taking this photo because it looked a bit too OTT. But here you can see that Mermaid on the inner corner is a bit sparklier than Popstar.

It's barely noticeable but on the outer corner I have Popstar on the lashline and Mermaid directly over it. It makes the outer corner a bit darker and it also balances the look by making the transition from the purples to the blues a bit more seamless. Well, that's at least what I think..

Because I made my eyes the focal point of this look and because the colours I used are so vibrant, I decided to keep both cheeks and lips a bit more nude. I used Fyrinnae's Bewitching for my cheeks. Bewitching looks almost grey in its container (I almost burst in tears of disappointment when I saw it because it looked significantly different than on Fyrinnae website) but once you apply it, it's a lovely mauveish pink. Flavor of the Day is a golden peach lip colour.

I love Purely Cosmetics' Diamond Perfect Finish but it seems that there's a little something you should know. It seems to be UV/blacklight reactive. We went bowling and there were blacklights and my face was glowing in the dark. Others say I looked a bit creepy, like a zombie who likes to go bowling. In natural light, however, it's an amazing product :)

I really like Whatever and Tramp from Calypso Minerals. Popstar is a bit tricky colour for me and Mermaid isn't as green as I would like it to be. Calypso Minerals is specialized in strong, vibrant colours so if you want something that can be seen from miles away, you should check them out. The eyeshadows range in price, some are more expensive than others because some ingredients are more costly than others. If you order from them, ask them how long your order will take so you won't be left waiting like I was.

Have you tried Calypso Minerals? What do you think about them? And how do you like my look?

FOTD: Lady Stardust

I decided to use a colour mousse again on my hair because my natural colour had bleached considerably (damn you, sun!). I'm off work because I'm still a bit sick. But I don't feel sick. So, as I'm about to go to get some food, I also did my makeup.



I decided to go with subtle eyeshadow paired with a bold glittery liner. I used Aromaleigh's Eye Plush eyeshadow in Dollhouse. It's a matte, very light lavender. Because I did't want to go too subtle, I also used Medusa's Makeup eye dust in Barbarella, a shimmering lavender, to create a contrast with it and Dollhouse. For a liner I used Aromaleigh's Rocks! in ladystardust which is a purple eyeshadow with green/aqua sparkle. The funny thing with ladystardust is that it's more of a blueish purple when used dry. However, as I used it for wetlining, it turns almost pink when mixed with water.



FOTD: Lady Stardust



Meow Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (two layers, also used wet as a concealer)
Glamour Doll Eyes blush in Doll Face
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on lids)
Aromaleigh Eye Plush in Dollhouse (all over upper lid)
Medusa's Makeup eye dust in Barbarella (outer vee, crease and lower lid)
Aromaleigh Rocks! Sonic Eyes in ladystardust (applied wet as a liner)
Max Factor False Lash Effect waterproof mascara in Black
Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Pink Guitar
Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Lollipop-Pop

I'm really pleased with how Dollhouse looks with more sparkly colours. On its own it looks almost grey on me but when I applied Barbarella, the lavender shade instantly 'popped'. Eye Plush shadows are great when you want to go for subtle look. The colours range from matte to nearly matte and they are all very soft. But I wanted to break that softness a little by pairing it with sparklier colours.

I have used ladystardust as an eyeshadow but the problem is that the shimmer wears off quite quickly. Now that I used it wet as a liner, I've been able to enjoy the sparkle whole day.

I really like Barbarella, it's a very soft, shimmery lavender. I'm likely to buy stuff from Medusa's again and next time I'll probably buy a couple of more daring colours. I did buy two pinks in addition to Barbarella: Flamingo and Pink Cadillac. Both of those are very strong, in-your-face pinks. I like the quality of Medusa's. The pigments are very vibrant and nicely pigmented and they are also very long-lasting. I did a longish trip on my bike and I was drenched in sweat by the end of it but my makeup looked fine. So that's a huge plus.

For my lips I mixed Fyrinnae's Pink Guitar with Lollipop-pop. First I painted my lips with Pink Guitar. However, it was too strong a fuchsia on its own so I applied a little bit of Lollipop-pop on top of it. As you can see from my bottom lip, it gave a nice shine and lightened the look up a bit.

I also like how my hair turned out. I think the darker red (which is closer to my natural colour) is much more flattering than the bleached-looking strawberry blonde. I think I look less pale with this darker hue.

What do you think about the hair and the softer purples?

Feeling Kinda Blue

I was supposed to post this on Friday evening but guess what? I fell ill. Yesterday I spent almost six hours at the hospital waiting for a diagnose because I could've had the swine flu, tonsillitis or glandular fever. I have none of these, thank goodness. But still, I was feeling crappy enough not to post anything.

But because I never wear blue makeup (I use blue for colour effects but I've never done a completely blue eye look) I simply have to post what I should've posted on Friday.

Feeling Kinda Blue

Meow Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (two layers)
Meow LR Glow powder in Queen Alexandria (on cheeks and temples)
Meow Taboo blush in Nudity (cheeks)
Meow Top Cat Finishing powder
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on lids)
Aromaleigh Pure Hue eyeshadow in Moon (2/3 of upper lid)
Meow LR eyeshadow in Nabau (outer vee and crease)
Fyrinnae Baby Beluga eyeshadow (middle of the lid)
Meow LR eyeshadow in Poison Dart Frog (as a liner)
Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof mascara in Black
Helena Rubinstein Wanted lipstick in Racy Bare



At first i was about to do this with just Moon (a pearly white), Nabau (blue with purple shimmer) and Poison Dart Frog (bright, almost neon blue). However, it looked odd, Moon and nabau are so different from each other that I needed a medium colour. I grabbed Baby Beluga, which is a soft grey with blue shimmer. I applied it on the middle of the lid and blended Moon and Nabau together with it.

Note how blue my eye looks in this picture above. Because in the full face pic it looks completely different...




So here you can see that the colours blend well together. Actually Moon looks less white here because I had an issue with lighting. But it really is very pearly white, really exquisite.

And the lighting issues continue.. I said my eyes looked very blue when I took photos of mye eyes only? Now here they look very green, actually almost hazel. I don't know why...

I first did this look with fuchsia lips (Archetype's Sex Kitten) and I couldn't get a decent photo. I took over 20 photos and kept wondering why on earth none of them looked even remotely good. Then I took off that fuchsia lippie and put on a very frosty pink lippie. And then my pics improved considerably.

I really like Meow's new Taboo blush. They're a bit more sparkly than Lush blushes but not glittery. Lush blushes give you the sort of "glowing within" look, Taboo blushes are a bit more noticeable. I suggest that you give them a go if you're ordering anything from Meow.

So how did my blue day go for me? Well, I actually felt comfortable after I had checked my face out for about five times. I could do a look with blues again.

What do you think?

FOTD: Very natural

Just a quick post for the weekend. It's been a very sunny day today in Helsinki so I decided to do a very natural look before heading out to have breakfast in the nearby park.

Very Natural

Meow Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (two layers)
Meow LF blush in Heliconia
Meow Top Cat Finishing Powder
Meow Crystalline Cat Glow Powder in Quartz (on temples and cheekbones)
Aromaleigh Eye Lustre eyeshadow in Amelie (all over lid)
Aromaleigh Pure Hues eyeshadow in Delicate Bronze (on outer vee and crease)
Aromaleigh Elemental Lustre eyeshadow in Blaze (to darken crease and outer vee)
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof mascara in Black
Aromaleigh Gothic Lolita Nourishing Color Creme lipstick in Cakewalk


I didn't get a decent picture with my eyes closed (boo). I really like Blaze, it's an amazing coppery brown that has this metallic sheen to it. Amelie is a very soft peachy sort of colour with a hint of stiny shimmer. Delicate Bronze is sort of a lighter and non-metallic version of Blaze. It's the sort of colour that it's very easy to use. I'm not a big fan but it worked well with this look. I don't hate it either, it's just so ordinary that I neither love it or hate it. A very neutral colour in every sense. The pigmentation is gorgeous though, as with almost everything that Aromaleigh comes up with (I've only been disappointed with a handful of Aromaleigh stuff and with my makeup collection, that's nothing).

And this is how I look when I do my makeup after shower and decide not to do anything with my hair :D Also the sun was shining directly at my eyes.. Yes, very lovely :P

When doing makeup with brown or bronze shades, it's usually best to have something pink in it, too. I mean, if you decide to use browns for your face and you want to use a bronzer instead of a blush, you should use pink lipstick or gloss for your lips. I decided to use a bronzey lipstick from Aromaleigh so I opted for a pink/coral blush. I think it balances out the bronziness and gives a nice pop of colour.

I've come to love Aromaleigh's Nourishing Color Creme. They are very easy to use because of the twist-up lipbalm container. The formula is very moisturizing and the colour stays on for quite long, too. Also the price $6.65 makes it very affordable. I already have Sweet Tart (mauveish) and Cakewalk from the 4 new colours but I think I might be getting Shortcake (pink) at some point.

Hope you have a nice and sunny weekend, too!

FOTD: Bromeliad + Torch + Toucan + Mantis

I'm on a roll! This is the third post in three days and this time I'm finally showing you the look I've done a couple of times now with Meow's Lost Rainforest Collection's Bromeliad, Torch, Toucan and Mantis. I added Toucan to darken the crease, before this I've done without it.

Bromeliad is a coral shade with golden glimmer.
Torch is a peach sort of colour with golden glimmer.
Toucan is very vibrant and fun pink.
Mantis is a glimmering aqua.



Bromeliad + Torch + Toucan + Mantis

Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (one layer, applied with a damp flat top brush)
Meow Lost Rainforest Iridescent Glow Powder in Morpho (as a highlighter on cheekbones and below brow)
Meow Lost Rainforest blush in Heliconia (on cheeks)
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on lids)
Meow Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Torch (on whole lid, except for outer vee)
Meow Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Bromeliad (crease and 1/3 of outer corner)
Meow Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Toucan (to darken the crease and outer vee)
Meow Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Mantis (lower lashline)
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (as a liner)
Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof mascara
MAC Hello Kitty lip conditioner in Popster
MAC Dazzleglass in Goldirocks

I love the brightness of these colours! That's why I decided to do a thicker line with Blacktrack because the black seems to emphasize the vibrancy of the colours. Torch is really flattering. Most peaches are either too dull or too orange but this has a great golden shimmer to it. Bromeliad pairs with it perfectly as it has the same golden gleam.

I've done this look without Mantis and it looks perfectly fine but I think Mantis is so fresh that I couldn't just leave it out this time. Aqua is a very difficult colour for me because it makes me look even paler than usual but as the other colours are so warm, I think it makes a nice contrast.

I tried to blend the colours together (again, by sweeping with a eyeshadow brush from side to side). It wasn't too hard because the colours match beautifully.

I really love this look and I feel completely comfortable with it (that's probably why I've done it several times already). I've usually used Canna for my cheeks but this time I reached for Heliconia. If Meow decides to keep this collection around longer, I'm going to get a full sized tub of it. I know, I know, I said that the colour doesn't look flattering on me but I have to admit that I might have been wrong. It happens, you know.

I decided to continue playing with the golden glimmer by applying Goldirocks over Popster.

I hope you like this look! And have a happy weekend everyone!

FOTD: Endangered Siren look with Meow Lost Rainforest

Today I wanted to try out some purplish colours from Meow's Lost Rainforest. Siren and Endangered caught my eye because I love how Sires is almost-purple, almost-rose with golden gleam and how Endangered just begs to be paired with it.


Endangered Siren

Meow Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (two layers + wet as a concealer on blemishes)
Meow Crystalline Cat Glow powder in Quartz (as a highlighter on cheeks and below brows)
Glamour Doll Eyes blush in Doll Face (on cheeks)
Meow Primp and Preen Equilibrium powder (as a finishing powder)
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on lids)
Meow Cosmetics Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Siren (2/3 of lid)
Meow Cosmetics Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Endangered (outer vee and crease)
Meow Cosmetics Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Toucan (middle of the lid, blending into Siren and Endangered)
Meow Cosmetics Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Waterfall (outer vee)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Meerkat (inner corner over Siren)
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (as a liner on upper lashline)
Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof mascara in Black (upper lashes)
Lancôme Color Fever lip gloss in Funky Pink


When I started doing this look, I was supposed to do it only with Siren, Endangered and Waterfall. However, it looked too dark on me so I had to use Toucan and Meerkat to lighten it up.

I drew the line on my lash line a bit thicker on the outer corners. Then I went over with Waterfall and blended it upwards into Endangered. I finished by blending all the colours together by sweeping a brush over them gently from side to side.





This is the best shot of what I did with the liner and Waterfall. I really like the results and I usually don't wear blue eyeshadows. What's cool with Waterfall is that it has the same golden gleam as Siren.

I love how this look worked out, although at first I was sure it was going to be a disaster :D I took all of these photos before I went to work, which was something like 6.30am... I really TRIED to look like I'm awake. Ooh, my hair looks gorgeous. I have a secret weapon: brand spanking new ghd straighteners! Expensive. Yes. Worth every penny? Definitely.

Glamour Doll Eyes came up with blushes a while back and I went in blind and bought a full size of Doll Face blush. It's a fuchsia shade with a hint of blueish undertones. Looks absolutely scary in the jar but when applied softly, looks very stunning. I have to be careful, though, because it's quite pigmented. I once had too much on my brush and the results were.. well, alarming. I went over with my foundation brush, this time, to blend it in more.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to take pics of my much hyped Bromeliad+Torch+Mantis look, so stay tuned!

FOTD: Lush greens with Meow Lost Rainforest

As you know, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Yesterday I went through Decorative Diva's blog and stumbled upon a gorgeous green look she had done with Meow's Lost Rainforest stuff (http://decoratived.blogspot.com/2009/07/green-look-with-meows-lost-rainforest.html). As there is no one whose makeup skills and imagination I admire more than Decorative Diva's, I decided to copy her look, although I used some different products and eyeshadows for my green look.

So here you go, the first FOTD in August!

Lush Greens FOTD

Meow Pampered Puss Foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (two layers + used wet as a concealer)
Meow Pampered Puss Foundation in Inquisitive Sphynx (under cheekbones to contour face)
Meow Lost Rainforest Glow Powder in Queen Alexandria (as a highlighter on cheeks and below browbone)
Meow Lost Rainforest Blush in Canna (on cheeks)
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on lids)
Meow Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Macaw (1/3 of inner lid)
Meow Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Canopy (middle of the lid)
Meow Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Amazon (outer vee and crease)
Meow Lost Rainforest eyeshadow in Boa (to darken crease)
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (as a liner on upper lashline)
Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof mascara in Black
Aromaleigh Nourishing Color Creme in Sweet Tart


So Macaw is the bright yellow you see on my inner corners. I decided to pair it with Canopy as Canopy has this really lovely golden shimmer in it. I applied both colours so they overlap a bit and as Canopy has that golden glimmer, the colours glide into one another really seamlessly. When I did my crease with Amazon (a really lush green), I blended it a bit upwards towards the brow. After that I darkened the crease with Boa which should be "charcoal with golden irisdescence" is to my eye a dark, golden green. Whatever the colour is, I applied it directly on my crease on the socket (just as Decorative Diva did). I also blended the colours in with a wide brush, using light strokes side to side. I left my lower lid bare because I was going to work and I was a bit afraid that it would look too dark.

I really like the results. Actually, as I was on my way to work, a co-worker came to sit beside me on the bus and commented that my makeup looked beautiful. I wear makeup to work everyday but usually no one says anything (I don't know if that's good or bad...) so this really made my day.

As you can see, I'm a bit sleepy in this photo as I took it in the morning :) I think Canna looks so fresh, I'm a bit tempted to do a nude look but using Canna on my cheeks as the focal point.

Aromaleigh has come up with four new Nourishing Color Creme shades to brighten up their Gothic Lolita collection. I really like this product because it's very moisturising, the packaging is simple and the colour lasts surprisingly long. Sweet Tart is a shimmering mauveish colour, I'm really fond of it.

I'm hoping to get more looks for you this month as I feel a bit guilty for abandoning my blog and its readers. I hope you enjoyed this one, though!

As requested: Meow Lost Rainforest blush swatches

One of my readers, Nea/Fashioned in Finland, asked me to swatch Meow's Lost Rainforest blushes. I hadn't been checking out my blog for a long time so I noticed her request two days ago.

So this Nea is for you! You others may find this interesting, too :)


Heliconia (left) and Canna(right)

It was a slightly overcast day today so the picture isn't as good as I hoped it to be. But you can see that Heliconia is much warmer than Canna. I love the irisdecence in both blushes, I think these blushes rival Meow's gorgeous Lush Blushes! Lost Rainforest blushes aren't overly sparkly despite the irisdecence, so don't worry. They are shimmery and beautiful.

I had to get a full sized Canna blush because it's almost a dupe for Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires is a bit warmer but Canna has that je ne sais quoi that makes my face glow. Canna is very fresh and despite that it looks a bit scary in the jar, it's very wearable.

Here's a rather poor pic of me with my new hair (don't worry guys, I'm actually wearing a very low cut corset top so this is perfectly safe for work..). The reason I'm posting this pic is that I'm wearing Canna on my cheeks. As you can see, it's very pink but not too over the top.

I think that Heliconia is for those of you who aren't comfortable wearing very pink blushes. For me Heliconia is a bit too warm for me, I think it would look better on a person that isn't as pale as I am.

Meow's Lost Rainforest Collection retires on September 1st so get your paws on the stuff you find interesting before it's too late! I can heartily recommend the eyeshadows, too. They really are very vibrant and interesting.

Finally: Obsessed Minerals swatches and review

I've been meaning to do this for a long time but since I seem to be a wee bit accident prone, I've been mostly concentrating on my physio and just trying to stay positive through it all.

My friend Decorative Diva had posted about Obsessed Minerals so I decided to try them out, too.

First of all, the customer service is beyond amazing. Dr Michael Huwe is a really kind and helpful lady. She answered any questions I had about her creations. It's always inspiring to be in contact with a woman who has created and is running her own business. So if you're about to order, and are not sure about some colours, just ask Michael. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help.

Michael also told me that her loose minerals hadn't been reviewed when I ordered. These days I prefer loose minerals because the application is easier to control. So I ordered four loose mineral eyeshadows (Mai Tai, Boogie, Shag Me and No Shame) and also received one pressed shadow (Peasant).



Top row (from left to right): Mai Tai, Boogie, Shag Me
Bottom row (from left to right): No Shame, Peasant

The colours apply easily. However, the loose minerals aren't as pigmented as the pressed one is which came as a surprise.

Mai Tai is a creamy, shimmering off-white. It's one of my favourites, on it's own or as a highlighter.

Boogie is, according to website description, "great colours of reds and violets sparkling together". To me, it's more like a mauve with a hint of purple sparkle.

Shag Me is, according to website description, "two toned mauve and blue". Again, I have to disagree. To me, it looks greyish purple with purple sparkle.

No Shame is a light turquoise with a golden shimmer. I have to say that this colour is just super. It's perfect for summer and very flattering.

Peasant is a golden copper. It's vibrant and edgy. I'm very happy that Michael sent me this as a freebie because it makes green eyes pop!

Another pic, colours as above.

Now for the not so good. Out of the three duotoned shadows (Boogie, Shag Me and No Shame), only No Shame looks like a real duotone. In my opinion, Boogie and Shag Me are not "real" duotones, just colours with different coloured sparkle. I was quite disappointed with Boogie and Shag Me because they look better on the website than irl.

Also, the shadows have a tendency to crease a bit. They are a bit gritty, especially Peasant, although the grittiness in Peasant makes it easy to reapply when it creases.

Also another problem, at least for international customers, is the price. Eyeshadows cost $9-$10 and currently there are no samples available. Because there are so many colours and not all of them have written descriptions, shopping with Obsessed Minerals can be intimidating. This is why I would advice to contact Michael before making your purchase. I'm sure she can offer some help if you're torn between two similar looking colours.

Next time I'm making an order with Obsessed Minerals, I'll probably go for the pressed eyeshadows rather than loose ones.

Go check out Obsessed Minerals: http://www.mineralobsessed.com/index.htm