Day at the beach avec moi

Hi everyone!

I know summer is almost over and autumn things are starting to pop up everywhere so maybe this isn't the prime time to talk about beaches. However, I haven't been on a proper holiday this summer, yet. We are going to the southern coast of Croatia with my boyfriend next month and although I'm not a beach person (you have seen how pale I look, right?), I'm actually looking forward to a beach holiday because my knee is still a bit unstable and wouldn't endure our usual tight-paced city holidays.

Since our holiday is drawing near and I'm making some confirmations with hotels and trying to figure out how to pack, I wanted to share my beach favourites.

That plaid bikini from H&M is currently my favourite one. It looks a little 50s retro on me and it actually creates some curves to my body. Also, I'd never go to the beach without SPF50. I like sun lotions that can be sprayed on because they apply more easily. That one is from Eucerin, it doesn't have perfume in (which is a must for me). That floppy white sun hat was bought yesterday when I realized that I don't have a proper sun hat. Yes, it has some sparkly rhinestones on it but I decided not to care.

I don't wear much makeup on the beach because I don't want to look like melty face so I want to wear light and shimmery products. Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation is light enough to not make you feel like you have a mask on but it does cover any unwanted blemishes. It also comes in a munchkin jar size that doesn't take much room in your bag. I wear it in Inquisitive Himalayan. Evil Shades blush in Burlesque is a lovely peach blush with a hint of pink and gold. Also, I've never gone on a holiday these last couple of years without Fyrinnae's eyeshadow in Polar Bear. Waterproof mascara is a must so my trusty Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara is coming with me. Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Lace Gloves will keep my lips moisturized and pink. I'm painting my toes with OPI Catch Me In Your Net which is a shade that morphs between blue and green and gold. On my nails I'll be wearing China Glaze Hi-Tek, a lovely rosy golden shade.





Close-up on the beach beauty products.

I'm trying to get a FOTD posted this weekend so don't give up on me yet!

Dirty Talk: Sweet Peachy Blush From Meow Cosmetics

I took advantage of Meow's Egg Hunt coupon codes over the Easter weekend and ended up getting my staple foundation and Taboo blush in Dirty Talk (both full size) without shipping fees. I rarely shop at Meow (although I love their products) because of the astoundingly high shipping costs of $14.95 (that's why I advertise their free shipping coupons if they apply to international orders). So when I get a coupon with free international shipping, you can be sure that I'm using it.

I love Meow's blushes, especially Lush Blushes that have that glow thing going on. I wanted to try out Taboo blushes and because I'm wacky that way, I immediately ordered Dirty Talk without sampling because I wanted a glowy peachy blush for spring.

This pic is taken outdoors without flash. The difference between Lush Blushes and Taboos is (as I can see it ) that Taboo seems to be more sparkly. The sunlight catches the shimmer especially well whereas indoors it's just glowy. I love the shade and I'm probably going to be using this like a.. okay, my comparisons would sound way too dirty so I'm going to leave it at that.

The same blush indoors. As you can see, the sparkle is barely visible.

I think peachy blushes are great for spring, especially for us who shun the thing called bronzer.

What kind of blush do you like to wear in spring/summer? Or do you turn to bronzers instead?

Free Shipping on orders over $25 at Meow Cosmetics Today!

You get a free shipping with orders over $25 at Meow by using the code CatsHateTaxes. This includes international orders so if you want something from Meow and don't want to pay $14.95 on shipping, this is your chance. The coupon is only valid today (at least that's how I understood it).

My favourites from Meow are foundations, blushes and Egyptian Treasures eyeshadows.

FOTD: The Grin of a Certain Cat

Yeah, I know I promised. But the thing is that I really want to see the movie and I can't because of the current situation. I have to wait at least two weeks still. Plus I really love the idea of Stephen Fry voicing Cheshire Cat.

I also have downloaded a theme to my trusty Firefox which is Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. And on the right upper corner of my browser screen is the grinning face of th Cheshire Cat. So I couldn't help myself, really. I took silver and turquoise as the colours (the cat is silver-grey tabby with turquoise eyes) and went a bit mad.

Smurf's Up: Blue-ish swatches

As Phyrra and Nea requested on Twitter, I'm doing blue swatches today as well (aren't I nice, two swatch posts in one day, read the other one too so I'll feel special). The problem of course was.. I don't wear blues. Blue clothes make me look dead and same goes with most blueish eyeshadows. Blue is just not my colour. It does nothing (good) for me. Le sigh. But dark blue jeans make my butt look awesome :P

Onwards!



(L to R) Fringe, Misfortune, Bali Mynah, Anemone




(L to R) Jinx, Cheshire Cat Grin, Starstruck






(L to R) Sleepy Hollow, Hypercool, Japan

Fringe (Mixology): Silvery icy blue. Do I detect a hint of pink? This isn't a matte shade, it has a stainy sheen but no actual shimmer. This is the one I like to use because it pairs up perfectly with dark, plummy purples.
Misfortune (Meow Cosmetics, Friday the 13th collection): You could say this is green but I'm saying that this has some serious blueness in it. It also has a coppery flash. Looks lovely with greens so one of my faves.
Bali Mynah (Fyrinnae): Shiny turquoise. I've never used this one but I think I will this summer.
Anemone (Fyrinnae): Sky blue that flashes green and gold. I think I need to pair this up with a purple...
Jinx (Sassy Minerals): Heather grey with aqua shimmer. The shimmer is so strong that it passes for a blue. This is another favourite because it looks ohmogodsoamazing with silvers.
Cheshire Cat Grin (Fyrinnae): This is Delft blue with aqua sparks. I have to admit, I bought a sample of this just because of the name. I can use it as a liner but otherwise it's WAY too cold for me. Would look awesome on brown-eyed girls.
Starstruck (Sassy Minerals): To me, this is navy blue with multicoloured sparkle but the official description says "smoky midnight blue with intense blue and silver sparkle". Looks good with purples.
Sleepy Hollow (Fyrinnae, discontinued?): Teal with amazing sparkle. Looks greenish in some angles. I need to come up with a way to use this because it's just so amazing. The photo washes this one out, much more intense and sparklier in real life. Props for the name.
Hypercool (Fyrinnae): Brilliant turquoise on a black base. I think I can use this as a liner. I'd like to try this out for a smoky eye because this is just such an edgy beaufiful shade.
Japan (Fyrinnae): Deep shimmery teal, leaning towards green. Black base. Looks oily, in a good way. A liner colour for me but a great smoky eye base for those who dare.

As I already mentioned, my favourites are Fringe, Misfortune, Anemone, Jinx and Starstruck.

Fringe, Misfortune, Anemone, Jinx, Hypercool and Japan (in a way) are duochromes. For someone who wants sparkle, Cheshire Cat Grin and Starstruck are good choices (as well as Sleepy Hollow but that seems to have disappeared from Fyrinnae site).

Do you feel the lust for blues? Anything here you like?

Not Just For Goblins: Gold Swatches

So yesterday I tweeted that I would accept suggestions for swatch posts. My friend Phyrra acted the fastest and suggested aquas/turquoises and then golds. My eyes started gleaming. Yes, golds.

Golds seem to divide people. Some stay clear of them because they feel like gold will make them look like Christmas decorations (it's a bit telling that the Aromaleigh shades were LE and weren't voted as part of the regular lineup). But golds are as wearable as any colour. If a strong metallic one isn't your cup of tea, why not try a lighter gold shades? Golds are especially good friends with green eyes, making them pop but there is a gold for everyone.

This swatch post has lighter golds and darker golds and I'm sure that everyone will find something that they'd like to wear on their lids.





(L to R) Sticky Buns, Iberian Lynx, Platinum, Wild Coco




(L to R) Pavane, Polar Bear, Griffonrider, Half-Elf Hottie





(L to R) Sand Dune, Lucky Charmed, Medieval Haunting, Bastet

Sticky Buns (Fyrinnae, unfortunately discontinued): Warm, peachy-shaded gold
Iberian Lynx (Fyrinnae): Tawny brown with various shades of gold and bronze sparkle. This is a very safe gold for those who want just a little dusting of gold powder.
Platinum (Fyrinnae): "Not silver, not gold but somewhere in between" sums this shade up nicely. Very wearable yet striking. Highly recommended to have in your makeup kit.
Wild Coco (Aromaleigh L'Orchidée, discontinued): Satiny gold with a hint of khaki. I'm so glad i snatched a full size of this and sad that this didn't get voted to become a part of the regular lineup.
Pavane (Aromaleigh, En Pointe, discontinued): Taupe with golden highlight, very satiny.
Polar Bear (Fyrinnae): White-gold, shimmery and soft. If you don't have this, you should get it. The gold isn't in-your-face but gives you a nice glow. Universally flattering and simply divine.
Griffonrider (Fyrinnae): Metallic (dirty) gold with turquoise sparkle and highlight. The turquoise is more visible in real life but in the swatch photo you can see how it makes the gold look very cool, almost silvery. A favourite.
Half-Elf Hottie (Fyrinnae): Gold with purple highlights. You can see the purple in the swatch on the edges of the colour. Really interesting and unique colour.
Sand Dune (Meow Cosmetics, Egyptian Treasures): Metallic golden French vanilla which to me just looks really striking, EXTREMELY metallic gold. Almost sandy, looks gorgeous paired up with chocolate browns.
Lucky Charmed (Fyrinnae): This is what I call olive gold (i.e. gold with chartreuse/green undertones). Very metallic and shiny. If you love greens, this one's a keeper. Can be easily paired up with greens and chartreuses.
Medieval Haunting (Fyrinnae): Antique gold with gold and silver sparkle. This one almost looks brownish but it's not. It looks great with browns, though. Another favourite and I think this would be a good darker gold for those who have a fear of golds.
Bastet(Fyrinnae): Deep velvety black with gold sparkles. This one's a stunner! Great as a liner, too. I once wore this almost by itself (I had highlighter) and it made even a milky-faced pansy like me look edgy! BTW, great name.

Again, these are not the only gold I own but the ones I could easily find and that were in jars. If you want golds that are easy to wear, I'd recommend Platinum, Polar Bear, Iberian Lynx and Medieval Haunting. For those who want their golds supermetallic, check out Sand Dune, Lucky Charmed and Griffonrider.

So, what's your take on gold eyeshadows? Do you see anything that pleases you?

FOTD: Waiting for the butterflies

Hi there!

It's a very sunny day in Helsinki although the thermometer says that it's -14 centigrade outside (and about 40 centimetres of snow!). I got a haul from Aromaleigh. Their Les Papillons collection was on sale and I decided to buy 4 full sized products without sampling (yes, again). I chose Glowing Luna, Zephyr's Breeze, Butterfly Kisses and Fragile Charms based on several swatches around the blogosphere. The result? Only Zephyr's Breeze didn't raise any squeals from me. It's a pretty colour and I will no doubt use it but.. well, the others were just so much more amazing!

So no butterflies flying around for now but I wanted to do a more colourful look so that the spring might arrive a bit earlier. Glowing Luna is pale spring green with copper and pink sparkles (this is a very lovely colour, be sure to get this one if it becomes permanent!), Butterfly Kisses is "the sweetest cool silvery frosted pink with lavender tones, golden highlights and brilliant sparks of aqua" (this looks so shiny on lids, a true mirror-like effect) and Fragile Charms is "a muted mauved purple with fuschia and burgundy undertones, slight blue highlight, silvery metallic smoothness and brilliant diamond glints" (I don't think I have a purple like this which is really something).

FOTD: Waiting for the butterflies

Face:

Meow Equilibrium primer
Purely Cosmetics Skin Smoothing foundation (1 layer and on blemishes)
Meow Lost Rainforest LE glow powder in Queen Alexandria (as a highlighter below brows and on cheeks)
Sassy Minerals blush in Hopeless Romantic

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Aromaleigh Les Papillons eyeshadow in Glowing Luna (inner 1/3 of the upper and lower lids)
Aromaleigh Les Papillons eyeshadow in Butterfly Kisses (2/3 of the lids)
Aromaleigh Les Papillons eyeshadow in Fragile Charms (outer vee and crease)
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (upper lashline)
Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara in Rich Black

Lips:

Lumene Natural Code Smile Booster lipgloss in Sheer Nougat





I love the shimmer in Glowing Luna! I think it brightens up my eyes a lot. I like the shimmer in these colours. It's there but it's not gritty or overpowering. These are true spring colours and I love that they are. I'm aching for soft colours that are still interesting.





I wish the photo would show how shiny Butterfly Kisses is but not a chance. It's the kind of colour that looks almost liquid on your lids. It applies smoothly so the effect looks glidinf. I can't explain it but that's what it is. Fragile Charms looks a bit washed out in this pic but I can guarantee you that it's quite strong a colour. It's on the edgy side but very buildable. I used it quite moderately because Glowing Luna and Butterfly Kisses are such sweet colours that I didn't want them to disappear in the background.






Sorry, this was the best full face pic there was. I really like Sheer Nougat. Despite the name it's not brownish at all. It gives a very sheer wash of colour on lips. It's also a bit shimmery but more lipglass than dazzleglass shimmery. Great for office looks.

Of course I had to use Queen Alexandria as a highlighter because of the butterfly theme. It looks very yellow on the jar but it gives just a subtle shimmer on the skin.

Oh I wish I could take better photos because these colours are so much more vibrant in irl than in photos. Hope you still like the look :)

FOTD: It's those damn Paladins again

Happy 2010 all!

I wasn't able to take photos of my NYE look because our guest arrived literally 5 minutes after I had finished doing my makeup. Plus I had food in the oven.

So is there a better way to start the blog year of 2010 than doing a look with Fyrinnae? Well, I got a haul from them on NYE and there were a couple of beauties that made my heart squeal so I decided then and there that I'd start my blogging year with them.

Damn Paladins is a taupe with light blue highlights. Honestly, I considered leaving this one out. I think I chucked it out of the cart at least five times before giving up and ordering it anyway. SO glad I did. The blue highlight is subtle but very interesting. It's like seeing small blue flowers in a dry field or something. Griffonrider is a metallic gold with turquoise shimmer. I ordered a full size of this one without sampling (because that's how I roll) and I'm not a bit sorry. Now you must be wondering why a person with a slight aversion to blue makeup would order a full size jar of gold with turquoise shimmer but would debate over ordering a sample of taupe with light blue highlights? I don't know. Anyhow, I wanted to keep on playing with the light blue highlight and I decided to use Baby Beluga which is like a soft, satiny silver with light blue shimmer. It's a very milky shade and one of my favourites.

FOTD: It's those damn Paladins again

Face:

Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (foundation and wet as a concealer over blemishes)
Aromaleigh You're a Doll! finishing powder in Parfait (over foundation)
Fyrinnae Glow Blush in Captivate (on sheeks)

Eyes:

Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Damn Paladins (2/3 of upper lid)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Griffonrider (outer vee and crease, lower lashline)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Baby Beluga (inner corners, over eyeliner)
MAC Fluidline in Blactrack (upper lashline)
Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara in Rich Black

Lips:

Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Flavor of the Day





Uh-oh. I didn't get a decent picture with my eye open. So let's try another one with my eye closed.





This picture shows a bit of the blue highlight in Damn Paladins. You see how Baby Beluga just melts into it? I really like the blue in all of these shadows. It's not too much but it looks amazing when the light catches it. And yes, the blue doesn't show up all the time. That's the beauty of it. I love these kinds of shades and there could be more. With different highlights.





A bit sleepy here? I had to close my eyes a bit to show of the shades. I love the overall look. I was a bit intimidated by the blush. It's very strong and I only took a tiny grain of it. The result is an apple-like colour. Fyrinnae describes the colour as "Ruddy deep peach-tone with a golden shimmer throughout. The shimmer is very noticable, but not gaudy or "disco-ball" in appearance.". Yes, there is shimmer. But it's very sophisticated. This doesn't look peachy on me in any way but I think it's because my lack of pigmentation. I get apples on my apples.

BTW, it's about -20 centigrade outside. It's effing freezing! I took these photos on our balcony because natural light is the only way to go and I almost got hypothermic. Yeah, wearing a sleeveless top and pajama pants is a great combination for subzero temperatures.

I know I haven't done really colourful looks in a while so I promise that the next look will be a bit more wild.

But how do you like this one? What do you think about the blush?

My Favourite Products in 2009

Hi all!

This is the last day of 2009 so I wanted to list my favourite products from 2009. These are the products that I've discovered in 2009 AND I've used most often or fallen in love with them.

10. Meow Equilibrium Primer

It soothes my easily irritated skin. What more do you want, really?

9. Lumene Blueberry Curl Waterproof Mascara in Rich Black

I had searched AGES for a waterproof mascara that would make my lashes look more thicker (I already have ridiculously long lashes) but I couldn't find one that wouldn't make ugly black smudges under my brows. This is THE ONE. It doesn't smudge and it doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes. And it stays on beautifully.

8. Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

First I didn't know how to use this and thought it would be the most useless product ever. I was wrong. I use this with strong shimmery eyeshadows. I get to keep all the glitter and make the shadows visible for a kilometre radius.

7. Sassy Minerals blush in Gimme Some Sugar

This is a lovely warm blush with the perfect amount of shimmer. It amounts a nice glow to any look. I use this for work looks to brighten things up a bit.

6. Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Shangri-La

Honestly, at first I though it would look too purple on me. When I tried this on, I knew it would be the start of a very beautiful relationship. It's not too cold (I don't look hypothermic) but it's edgy enough for strong looks.

5. Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Pumpkinfire

I love the black base with the shimmer overload! I don't get to use this often enough but when I do: oh boy.

4. Meow Cosmetics Lost Rainforest Blush in Canna

The loveliest strong pink blush there is! Unfortunately it was limited edition. Boo. I still love it and the full size will probably last a long time.

3. Aromaleigh L'Orchidée collection

These are just beautiful. This is my all-time favourite eyeshadow collection from Aromaleigh. Fortunately, some of these are now permanent. Unfortunately, not all of them are. Nonetheless, they are worth snatching. My faves are Jewel, Unicorn, Orinoco, Pink Fingers and Shadow Witch.

2. MAC Slimshine Lipstick in Long Stem Rose

It's the most beautiful golden pink! And I love the formula. It's a lipstick that truly makes lips look more juicy and glossy. It's a lipstick that feels like lipstick but looks like a gloss. And it's super moisturizing. My precioussssssss.

1. Purely Cosmetics Diamond Perfect Finish

I run out of this. All the time. It's like an instant photoshop on my face. It doesn't look dusty, it actually disappears into the skin and makes the whole face glow (in a good way that is). I hope this thing was forever.

Meow coupon code and holiday collections

Meow Cosmetics have just launched their holiday collections (yes, that's a plural). My favourite of them is "12 Pains of Christmas", a rather humorous approach to the 'dark side' of the celebrations. I also love the Glacial Grove collection. I might be ordering samples after all...

Use the code CatsEatTurkeys2 to get 20% off of your order. This code is valid until Sunday so now's the time to get ready for the holidays!

FOTD: Twinkling lilac with soft peach

Today I wanted to base my FOTD on MAC's Dazzleglass in Jingle Jangle. When I saw the colour yesterday, I went "OMG OMG OMG" in my head. Then I read the shade name and my heart sank. Jingle Jangle. I almost retched. Now don't get me wrong, I love winter and yuletide (I love the word). But I hate the gross commercialism around it. I love the smell of freshly baked gingerbreads and I love to decorate my christmas tree. But I hate how everything that appears around this time of year has to be so.. hokey. Finally I gave up because the colour is delicious.

Jingle Jangle is described as "sheer yellow peach" in Temptalia but to me it's warm peachy pink. I can't see no yellow whatsoever. Maybe they've mixed it up with another Dazzleglass from the collection that was actually yellowish.. Hmm.

Anyhoot, in MAC promo pics for the collection, the model is wearing Jingle Jangle on her lips matched with soft lilac eyes. I didn't want to copy that directly because I had my mind set on something peachy. I decided to jazz up the peach with lilac to pay homage to MAC (for making me buy a lip gloss with a hokey name).

I decided to use Fyrinnae's eyeshadows for this look. I chose Orangutan (a soft satiny peach), Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat (sparkling lilac) and Shinigami (deep purple with shimmer). I also used Sakura (an off-white with lilac shimmer) to highlight.

FOTD Twinkling Lilac with soft peach

Face

Purely Cosmetics Skin Smoothing foundation in custom blend
Meow Lost Rainforest glow powder in Chameleon (on cheekbones, bridge of the nose and chin)
Purely Cosmetics Diamond Finish finishing powder
Illamasqua cream blusher in Rude
Meow Lost Rainforest blush in Heliconia (over Rude)


Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Orangutan (inner 2/3 of upper lids)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat (outer vee and crease)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Sakura (as a highlighter below brow)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Shinigami (wetlined on upper and lower lashline)
Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara (on upper lashes)

Lips

MAC Dazzleglass in Jingle Jangle







I had problems with blending Orangutan. It stuck on primer and I spend a good amount of time making it look softer. I think it might be the shimmer in it that makes it a bit harder to blend than for example Fyrinnae's Tamarin which is a similar shade but more matte. Usually mattes are harder to belnd but with these two it's the other way around.






I love Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat. It looks much darker in the jar which is why I hesitated a moment but on my skin it's a lot softer. It also has some sparkle in it so it's not a bland kind of soft colour. I actually didn't have to blend it that much to Orangutan, the colours worked perfectly together.

I was going to line my eyes with black pencil or Fluidline. But then for some unknown reason I grabbed Shinigami which I haven't used before. I was afraid it would be too harsh but it turns a lovely plummy purple when used wet.





And here's the end result. I love these colours together. I'm a bit sad that the camera doesn't capture the incredible shimmer in Dazzleglasses (I've had this problem everytime when I try to photograph them). But it really is very sparkly and beautiful.

When I first took photos of this look, I was wearing only Rude on my cheeks. Somehow it looked off and I went over it with a hint of Heliconia which seemed to brighten up the overall look. Maybe it was the sparkle on my lips, dunno.

Also, second day hair. I freshened it up with a spritz of Spoil Me but I left it looking a bit messy because of my makeup. I don't want to be look too made up on Sundays. Okay, sometimes I do but this is a laid back Sunday.

I think I need to find a brow pencil...

How do you like this look? Do you ever base your makeup purchases on the shade name? Do you like Dazzleglasses?

New Hair, look and hauls: it's a 3 in 1 post!

Hi there!

Today, November 14th, is the International Diabetes Day. I've had type 1 diabetes for a couple of years so my contribution for today was to wear blueish makeup (a cerulean blue ring is the symbol for diabetes).

I was supposed to wear Fyrinnae's Baby Beluga (a soft pale grey with blue shimmer) with Mirrors (a shiny antique silver) but the look turned out bland. It just looked black and white on me. Rather than go wash my face, I took Fyrinnae's Blue Footed Booby (teehee) and used that for a wash of colour.

Blue for a Purpose

Face:

Meow Cosmetics Equilibrium primer (as a primer)
Purely Cosmetics Skin Smoothing foundation in custom blend
Meow Lost Rainforest glow powder in Chameleon (as a highlighter on cheekbones, bridge of the nose and chin)
Purely Cosmetics Diamond Finish powder (as a finishing powder)
Fyrinnae blush in Bewitching

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on upper lids)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Baby Beluga (all over upper lids)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Blue Footed Booby (middle of the eyelids)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Mirrors (outer vee and crease)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Underworld (as a highlighter below brow)
Fyrinnae eyshadow in Shinkirou (over Underworld)
MAC Technakhol in Graphblack (upper and lower lashline)
Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara in Rich Black

Lips:

MAC Slimshine lipstick in Long Stem Rose





Sorry for not getting pictures but there's just no light anymore. I tried taking pics with a flash but it didn't work because we're using energy saving bulbs that are not as bright as regular bulbs. As you may notice, I've lined my eyes almost all the way around. This is because after getting my hair cut, I noticed that I have almond shaped eyes. I had never noticed that before but the hairdresser cut my fringe a little wider to show of my eyes. What I did with the lower lashline was that I draw the line from outer corner to the middle of the lower lid. Then I took a sponge applicator and smudged the line inwards.
I wish the blue shimmer of Baby Beluga was more visible but on me it just isn't. Oh, the joys of being unnaturally pale!





Okay, here's the overall look. I'm very pleased with my hair (which explains the wide grin). It's not a drastic change as such but my eyes are much more noticeable now with the blunt and wider fringe. The back is shorter and as you can see, I have bits of longer hair I can play with in the front. I went to a different hairdresser and a salon than before which was a completely new experience for me. I've gotten my hair cut in the same place since I had hair in my head to get cut. But I wanted someone who hadn't seen me before to do something new.

I still need to work on styling the new 'do...





Which brings me to my haul from yesterday. My hairdresser recommended me to get a can of Tigi's Queen for the Day volumizing spray. I also wanted to get Spoil Me which is used to defrizz the hair. My hair is extremely fly-away, especially in winter. For some freak chance of luck I found them as a set "Buy Queen for the Day, get Spoil Me for free!" called "Royal pain". Score!





Today I went shopping with my best friend (and a follower of my blog, the lightweightthinker) and I strayed to MAC counter. They were celebrating the launch of Magic, Mirth and Mischief! holiday collection. I snatched Jingle Jangle dazzleglass (the top lipgloss in the pic) and Lucky Number nailpolish from the collection as well as Funtabulous dazzleglass. I also visited Lush and got BB Seaweed fresh face mask and Bohemian soap (not pictured).

I wanted to swatch the dazzleglasses for you guys but it's way too dark. Jingle Jangle is a soft warm pink with loads of shimmer (I see blue, pink and maybe peach) and Lucky Number is a metallic pink nail polish. I think it will look foiled on nails.

How do you like my hair? Have you been shopping any Magic, Mirth and Mischief! products?

Fyrinnae Halloween: Werewolves and Pumpkins

I think I promised more Halloween looks... I got a haul from Fyrinnae a couple of days ago. I picked up some more of their Halloween 2009 stuff. I love them. Druid Werewolf looks dark, tarnished gold (with burgundy notes) on my lids. Pumpkinfire is black-based shadw with tons of shimmer ranging from gold and orange to green. Medieval Haunting is an antique gold with flashes of silver. I decided to use these three together and create a darker look (but not as freaky as my Death experiment).

Werewolves and Pumpkins

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (on upper lid as a primer)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Druid Werewolf (all over upper lid)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Pumpkinfire (outer vee and crease, wetlined on upper lashline)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Medieval Haunting (wetlined on lower lashline)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Platinum (as a highlighter below brow)
Lumene Blueberry Curl Waterproof mascara in Rich Black

Face:

Purely Cosmetics Skin Smoothing foundation in Custom Blend
Purely Cosmetics Diamond Perfect Finish finishing powder
Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Sphynx (to contour, under cheekbones)
Meow Cosmetics Firefly blush in Illuminate (on cheeks)
Meow Cosmetics Crystalline Cat Glow in Quartz (on cheekbones, temples, bridge of the nose, chin)

Lips:

Illamasqua Sheer Lip Gloss in Soul
Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Solstice






Here you can see how velvety the Fyrinnae shadows look. I had a bit of a problem blending Pumpkinfire because it's so glittery. I even tried using Pixie Epoxy but that made things very sticky which didn't help. So when I had done the crease, I blended Pumpkinfire in with a little Druid Werewolf. Pumpkinfire looks so good wetlined because it really brings out the shimmer.

I didn't want to do a cat eye because we're talking werewolves here. And my eyes have been watering lately so my look would've been destroyed before any pictures. So I blended the shadows upwards and made the shape of my eye a bit rounder.





I didn't get a decent pic with my eyes closed. It seems that it's that time of the year when we Finns don't see much of the sun, even when it's middle of the day. But you can see the shimmer of Pumpkinfire.

Some of you may wonder why I don't line my lower waterline. I have really sensitive eyes and lining my waterline makes my eyes red and watery. I do it sometimes when I absolutely have to but it doesn't feel nice. I actually can't use Fyrinnae's Inks because I get an immediate reaction to them. It's a bummer because the colours are really nice and interesting.






With such strong eye makeup, I wanted to do almost nude lips. I first put on some Soul and then I dabbed Solstice over it. I didn't want to use too much of Solstice because I was afraid it would go too Egyptian instead of werewolf.

I'm a huge fan of Druid Werewolf, I think it's a fabulous shade. It doesn't look like much on the jar but it's gorgeous. I like the velvety finish and the almost burgundy undertones. It's almost metallic but not really. It's also easy to use for everyday looks. Yes, it's a bit dark but it's not "young lady, please wash your face" dark.

I might do more Halloween looks so if you have something in your mind, let me know? But in the meantime, how do you like this one?

FOTD: The Cat Caught the Beetle!

I know I promised more Halloween looks but I couldn't help but playing with Meow's Egyptian Treasures collection again. As you all know, these colours are metallic and I think they're the best metallic colours I've ever seen (if you don't count in cream eyeshadows).

When I swatched the colour Miw, which is metallic neon-ish green with golden undertones, I was 100% sure i couldn't wear it. But I decided to give it a shot because it looks awesome in its sample baggie (a bit like acid green, like the shade they used in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series in the early 90's). Because it's such of a show-stopper, I decided to do a very simple look. I mean, anyone who can hold a makeup brush can replicate this so if you like it, give it a go!

The other shades I used were Hieroglyph (metallic chartreuse with verdigris overtones and metallic gold undertones) and Scarab (bold metallic olive with a chartreuse undertone).

Are you wondering about the name of this look? Miw is Egyptian for 'cat' and scarabs are these big dung beetles that have a metallic sheen to them. Scarabs were and still are thought to bring good luck.

The Cat Caught the Beetle!

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on upper lid)
Meow Eye of Horus eyeshadow in Miw (middle of the upper lid)
Meow Eye of Horus eyeshadow in Hieroglyph (inner corner of the eye)
Meow Eye of Horus eyeshadow in Scarab (outer corners, wetlined on upper lashline and on lower lid both wet and dry)
Meow Lost Rainforest glow powder in Queen Alexandria (as a highlighter below brow)
Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara in Rich Black

Face

Purely Cosmetics Skin Smoothing foundation
Meow Egyptian Treasures Blush in Isis (on cheeks)
Meow Lost Rainforest glow powder in Queen Alexandria (as a highlighter on and between browbones and cheekbones)

Lips

MAC lipstick in Sandy B

I really love all of these colours and I think they work well together. I started by applying Miw on the middle of my lids. I used a lot of the pigment but you can use it less if you want a lighter effect. Then I took Scarab and darkened the outer lid with it. I used Hieroglyph to the inner corners, and over the tearduct area. it really opens the eyes. I was going to line my eyes with Blacktrack but it would have looked harsh because these colours look almost smoky when blended in together. So I wetlined my upper and lower lashlines with Scarab, however I darkened the lower lashline by using Scarab dry.

The colours blend very well which is pretty unique for metallic shades. In my experience metallics are usually pretty "heavy" and when you try to blend them, the metallic effect pretty much disappears. Not with these babies. These are incredibly easy to work with and I think Meow has done an amazing job formulating these shades.

As you can see, the colours just glide from one to another seamlessly. I didn't have to blend in that much, I used a clean wide brush and went over the shadows with a windshield wiper motion.

I had to take the pics inside (however, I'm not using flash) because it was too sunny outside. I think my look would almost pass as a smoky eye, don't you?

I'm not sure about the blush. I love the metallic shimmer in it but I'm not sure if the shade is flattering for me. Or maybe I've used cool blush shades for too long!

I wanted to keep the lips pretty neutral. Sandy B is a frosty golden peach. Unlike many frosty shades, it's pretty moisturizing. My lips are in a pretty bad shape now but the frost didn't get stuck on the unflattering parts.

I also vamped my hair colour up a bit yesterday with my trusty colour mousse for the Death look I did. I think it's more visible with this look because the other was so... lifeless?

So what do you think about this look? Have you tried Miw?

Halloween look: Death

I've been ill for a couple of days which really sucks. Nothing big, just a bit of fever and blowing my nose off my face. So yesterday, and I'm not sure if this was fever-induced, I went to the bathroom and started applying Fyrinnae's lip lustre in Diabolic Masquerade (black with burgundy shimmer) on my lips. I looked in the mirror and what stared right back at me looked like death. This gave me an idea to a slightly couture-ish Halloween look. I usually don't wear makeup when I'm ill but at the moment my skin looks just perfect for a deadly look.

Death

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on both upper and lower lid)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Faerie Realm (all over upper lid and lower lid)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Mephisto (lashes, cheeks and lower lid)

Face

Purely Cosmetics Skin Smoothing foundation (all over face)
Meow Cosmetics Crystalline glow powder in Quartz (to highlight cheeks, chin and nose)

Lips

Bepanthen lotion
Fyrinnae lip lustre in Diabolic Masquerade

First of all, I went over my upper and lower lids with Faerie Realm which to me is a purple-shaded off-white. It's almost silvery but there's a purple/lavender shimmer to it. Then I rubbed some face lotion on my upper lashes. After that I dipped a cotton bud into Mephisto (really dark royal purple) and batted my lashes against it, letting the shadow stick on my lashes and fall to my cheeks. Then I used Mephisto again on my lower lids and went over Faerie Realm. I wanted to keep the shade darker on the lashline but I extended it downwards. The idea is to look like you've had no sleep in the last 100 years or so.

I applied Diabolic Masquerade on my lips by dotting small amounts of it at a time to my lips. Then I used my finger to blend it in with the Bepanthen (any good, non-sticky or non-slippery lip balm works just fine).

Tadah! I look like I feel at the moment. I could've really used more Mephisto but my skin is really dried out and sore because I'm ill. I also considered using Mephisto or a black eyeshadow on my upper lids but I thought it would be too literal an interpretation of death (skull and that stuff, you know).

I also did a bit of Konading yesterday which didn't turn out as awesome as I would've liked. I used this as my entry to a Halloween themed nail art contest. I'm 100% sure I'm not going to win anything but I wanted to enter anyways.

I used Spa Ritual Protein Boost Nail Fortifier as a base coat (it's excellent, dries very quickly), China Glaze IDK as the main colour (it's a really cool lavender holo polish, I'm pretty bummed out that I couldn't get a decent pic of the holographic effect) and then I stamped on some bats using CO4 plate (Coraline II kit) and Eyeko Vampy Polish (dark blue black), Color Club Revvvolution (black holo) and Zoya Trixie (foiled silver).

So what do you think? Would you be interested to see more Halloween looks this month?

Meow's Egyptian Treasures: Sand Dune, Pyramid and Anubis

I forgot to post this look I did with Meow's Egyptian Collection. First of all, the metallic shimmer in these shadows is beyond amazing. So if metallics are your thing, I'd suggest you go shopping.

I chose three eyeshadows from the collection for this look. Sand Dune is a metallic, French vanilla type of colour. At least in theory. I applied it foiled and I almost had a stroke: it turned into liquid gold! Well, not literally but you get my point. Pyramid is a coppery shade, I used it very little but it looks beautiful. Anubis is deep, chocolatey brown goodness. I think this will become a bestseller because I can see a lot of people using it. It's a very versatile and an incredibly yummy colour.

I also used glow powder in Immortal for highlighting. To me it's a shimmery light taupe. It's lovely but I can't use it on my face because it makes my skin look ashy. But it's perfect for eyes.

Sand Dune, Pyramid and Anubis

Face:
Meow Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (two layers plus used wet as a concealer on blemishes)
Meow Lush blush in Kiss-And-Tell

Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on upper and lower lids)
Meow Cosmetics Eye of Horus eyeshadow in Sand Dune (all over upper lid, foiled)
Meow Cosmetics Eye of Horus eyeshadow in Pyramid (to blend in Sand Dune and Anubis)
Meow Cosmetics Eye of Horus eyeshadow in Anubis (outer vee and crease, 1/3 of lower lashline and over Blacktrack)
Meow Cosmetics Egyptian glow powder in Immortal (below brow as a highlighter)
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (upper lashline)
Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara in Rich Black (upper lashes)

Lips:
Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Flavor of the Day
Lancôme Color Fever lip gloss in Electro Flash Orange


This look actually turned out darker than I anticipated because I foiled Sand Dune. The colour changed almost completely. But it's not a bad thing. I wonder if all the metallics in this collection turn out darker when they're foiled... Hmmm...

I took this photo to show you that the colours really are glistening metallics and that they really shine when they catch the light. Some metallics are simply eyeshadows with some metallic shimmer in them but these colours are the real deal. My boyfriend commented when we were inside that my makeup was almost unnoticeable. When we went outside, he looked shocked and said "I didn't realize that your makeup was so dark!". Haha. That should teach him. Yes, the colours look better in natural light but any kind of bright light makes them glimmer.

This pic was taken inside. Yes, the colour are still stunning but compared to the previous photo, they look more subtle. I wanted to take a full face pic with my eyes closed because I really wanted to show you what the metallics actually look like.

For my lips I mixed Flavour of the Day and Electro Flash Orange because neither of them looked right on their own. I love both colour to death. I would've never in a million years believed that I look good wearing orange lippie before a makeup artist wanted to demonstrate Electro Flash Orange on my lips.

So what do you think? Have you tried the Egyptian collection from Meow? Do the colours look darker to you when foiled?

Meow Lost Rainforest retires TODAY.

Okay, Meow's gorgeous Lost Rainforest collection retires today. I love the collection and I bought a lot of stuff from it.

If eyeshadows are your thing, I'd suggest snagging Bromeliad, Mantis, Poison Dart Frog, Boa, Amazon, Nabau and/or Mayantu.

For cheeks, both of the blushes, Canna and Heliconia, are stunning.

I also recommend the glow powders, my absolute favourite is Chameleon which looks off-white in the jar but has this rosy golden sheen to it.

So get them while you can! Personally I think this has been the most beautiful collection from Meow to date.

http://www.meowcosmetics.com/rainforest.htm

FOTD: Chlorophyll and Sennyo

I wanted to do something bright today because my last two postings have been a bit on the dark side. Because I had work today, I took these photos at 6.30am which means that it was almost dark outside. But I think they turned out rather well, actually.

The idea behind this look was that I haven't used Fyrinnae's Chlorophyll, ever. It's an almost orange yellow shade, very bright. Sennyo is magenta-purple and one of my favourites. I also had to use Meerkat, a golden pink-purple shade, to act as a medium because the contrast seemed too harsh at first. As a liner, I used Fancy Lad, which is a warm pink with green sparkle (to me the sparkle looks more gold than green but it's a great pink nonetheless).

FOTD: Chlorophyll and Sennyo

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on upper lids)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Chlorophyll (2/3 of upper lid)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Sennyo (outer corner and crease)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Meerkat (to blend Chlorophyll and Sennyo together)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Fancy Lad (as a liner on upper and lower lashline)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Sakura (as a highlighter below brows)
Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara in Black

Face:

Purely Cosmetics Skin Smoothing foundation (2 parts Fair Maiden, 1 part Peaches N' Cream, two layers)
Purely Cosmetics Diamond Perfect Finish (over foundation)
Meow Cosmetics Lost Rainforest glow powder in Chameleon (cheekbones)
Meow Cosmetics blush in Tickled Pink
Glamour Doll Eyes blush in Doll Face (over Tickled Pink on apples of the cheeks)

Lips:

Lancôme Color Fever lip gloss in Funky Pink
MAC Slimshine lipstick in Pleasing (over Funky Pink)


The end result was very colourful and I noticed some people staring me at the cafeteria. I looked around and in a quick glance I noticed that out of twenty women sitting nearby, I was the only one who had used something else than beige or taupe in her makeup. So maybe not the best look for work but at least I got noticed!

I love how shiny Chlorophyll looks. The colour reminds me of autumn leaves which is perfect for this time of year. And it looks yummy with Sennyo! You really can't see much of Meerkat (which was the point) but it's there, trust me :) I think I could've chosen a darker liner but then again, the end result would've been darker, too. The pink is a bit different but it brightens up the overall look.

Despite my expression here, I was very delighted with my look! I did a bit of layering in eyes, face AND lips. For the cheeks I added a bit of Doll Face over Tickled Pink because I needed more colour. Tickled Pink is a nice, almost sheer pink so I needed to 'oomph' it up a bit. With the lips I first used just Funky Pink but the photos revealed that it was too light. So I added a bit of Pleasing (which is one of my favourite lippies, it feels so soft and looks juicy) on my lower lip and smacked my lips a few times.

I need to get a haircut and maybe have a little colouring session with a colour mousse, my hair had faded noticeably this summer. I think it was the trip to Istanbul that did it, it was very sunny and I didn't use a hat or UV protection on my hair. Shame on me.

What do you think of the look? And was your Monday colourful or beige? :)

Fantasy look: Maenad

Okay, I'm pretty much hooked on HBO's True Blood (well duh, it's about vampires after all). I'm not a fan of Maryann, the crazy maenad chick, mostly because she doesn't look batty enough. She's simply just too pretty. So, I decided to do something different for today. I decided to do a maenad look. I've always sort of thought that gold is a crazy colour. Not the "molten sunshine" gold colour, but the antique, tarnished gold. So I took that as the basis for my look.

Maenad look

Eyes:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer on upper lids)
Aromaleigh Elemental Lustre in Ego (all over upper lids)
Aromaleigh Bête Noire eyeshadow in Darcelle (inner corners)
Aromaleigh Pure Hue in Holy Grail (crease, outer vee and lower lashline)
Aromaleigh Pure Hue in Cocoa Bean (as a liner on upper lashline)
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Choco-Cake Mix (on brows)
Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara in Black

Face:

Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Himalayan (as a concealer and foundation,2 layers)
Meow Equilibrium Primp and Preen (as a primer)
Meow Top Cat finishing powder (as a finishing powder)
Meow Firefly blush in Illuminate)

Lips:

Makeup Store Star Lips in Hollywood

Aromaleigh's Ego is an antique gold shade that has that olive/chartreuse undertone. So that's why it appears a bit greenish. It's a very, VERY strong shade so I tried to be very meticulous when I applied it so it would look even. Holy Grail has stronger greenish undertones so it made a good crease colour. Both colours look a bit blackened so I decided NOT to use a black liner because I wanted a strong look but I didn't want it to look too stuffy. So I used Cocoa Bean instead. It is a golden brown with bronze undertones.

When I did my lower lashline with Holy Grail, I started from the outer corners and worked my way to the inner corners. I did this because I wanted the outer corners look darker. I applied Darcelle to the inner corners. Darcele is a bit brighter antique gold shade than Ego but it has aqua shimmer that's really interesting.

I didn't use a highlighter on the browbone because I wanted this look to be earthy as well. Instead, I made my brows look a bit darker (after all, this is a fantasy look) so that my eyes would look stronger.

This pic (as well as the one before) was taken before I did my brows because I wanted you to see how the colours on the lids work.

Maenads don't smile, they pout.

My main gripe with the makeup in the TV series is that they are obsessed to make sure that the beautiful women look as groomed as possible. I think that wearing red lipstick and being able to vibrate just isn't insane enough.

Usually I don't do both dark eyes and dark lips but maenads don't care. And they don't smile, not in photos at least. I do hate it though how my jaw disappears in this photo but I have to make do with the lighting and skills I have. I think this look reminds me a bit of flapper looks. But I think those are crazy as well so it's fine.

I flicked my hair with a straightener. The fascinator is from Topsy Turvy Design, they make fabulous hair decorations and hats.

I don't like Lumene's makeup in general (the pigmentation is so-so and the products in general quite uninteresting) but I like how this mascara doesn't smudge my browbone. Because that's the most common problem I have with waterproof mascara. Once my lids get a bit oily, I have black smudges below my brows. The fact that I have long lashes also contributes to this. But even when I was in Istanbul and it was 30 degrees in centigrade, this mascara wouldn't smudge. I wish it was a bit more volumizing, though.

So what do you think of the look?

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?