A short summery NOTD and EOTD post

Hi everyone! Usually I don't post makeup looks on Sundays because of my promise to my boyfriend to keep one day without any makeup in a week. However, because I've been ill most of this week and have 3 days without makeup, I'm posting you an EOTD and a NOTD. I would've liked to post a full-face photo but I'm still all sick-looking, pasty and gross.

It's not quite that summery in Finland. It's mostly been rainy and windy for the last couple of days but I'm not giving up on summer yet. So I wanted to do a bright look to make the sun come out. Come on, you can't hide from me forever. I even bought sunscreen.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance (as a primer)
Morgana Minerals eyeshadow in Joust (inner 2/3 of the lid and inner lower lashline)
Morgana Minerals eyeshadow in Coraline (outer vee and crease and outer part of lower lashline)
Morgana Minerals eyeshadow in Alchemy (to darken the outer corner and crease)
Morgana Minerals eyeshadow in Chivalry (wetlined on upper lashline)
Lumene Blueberry Curl waterproof mascara in Rich Black

I like how this turned out, the colour are really lovely and vibrant. The colour pay-off is amazing, to be honest.


Also, I did my nails during this week. I used Essie's Lilacism (a lovely lavender creme) and then I used a nail art sticker to cover up a bit I effed up while my nails were drying. The top coat is Seche Vite which is great for people like me who don't have 1h+ to wait until the polish is completely dry.

Lilacism has to be my favourite nailpolish at the moment. I initially ordered a mini bottle but I had to get a full size right after I had first worn it.

So how was your weekend? What do you think about the makeup and the nails?

NOTD: Lost My Marbles

No swatchiness today, I'm afraid. It's too cloudy to take decent photos and I don't want you to stare at muddled colours, going "Is she seriously saying those are gorgeous greens?". No, I won't do that.

So yesterday I was browsing nail polish blogs. I saw that Polish Pixie had done some gorgeous green marbling and that Cucumpear has done a spring manicure (check out their blogs, they're on my blogroll on the right). I decided to try marbling after I had watched a video from a blog Polish Pixie directed me to. I wanted springy marbling, so I made my way to my bathroom and grabbed three cheery polishes (and had a hell of a time bringing them to livingroom because I still have the crutches). I also took a mug of warmish water (that was a challenge to get), some nail polish remover, cotton pads, q-tips, matches (to mix the colours) and scotch-tape.

Polishes I used:

Spa Ritual Protein Boost Nail Fortifier (as a base coat, I've been using this ever since I got my gel nails taken off)
OPI Elephantastic Pink (lovely bright pink)
Butter London Cheeky Chops (yellow creme)
Essie Mint Candy Apple (mint green)
Konad Top Coat (to seal it all)

So I covered the skin around my nails with some scotch-tape and got cracking. It took me exactly an hour to do all my finger nails and it was messy.

This is the end result:




Yeah it's not perfect but at least it's colourful! Not only did I loose my marbles, I also went bananas! Banana here was the perfect prop*.






I fuxxed up the tumb because the polish hadn't dried when I started to set up my photography studio. My poor hands are parched! I have to wash my hands more often because I have to change the dressings in my knee. Also, nail polish remover doesn't help. Don't worry, I'm bathing in cuticle cream now.

These look seriously crazy. Like Carebear uniform pattern or like my manicurist was Willy Wonka. I'm not complaining, though. I'm just getting cabin fever.

What do you think? Have you tried marbling your nails?

*The banana wasn't harmed during photography. It only got eaten afterwards.

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?

Going Dame Edna

Yesterday I wandered into MAC's counter at Stockmann's and what was waiting for me? The Dame Edna collection. Of course, most people have already sampled the collection and seen it a thousand times so I decided to approach it differently.


I bought Vericose Violet nail polish and Possum Nose Pink lipglass (no spelling mistake here, MAC's signature gloss is called lipGLASS because it's so shiny) from the collection. The eyshadow trios were nice but nothing out of the ordinary (except for the kooky packaging). MAC website describes Varicose Violet as "frosty mid-tone pinkish purple" and Possum Nose Pink as "sheer bright coral with multidimensional pearl". The packaging of the lipglass is funky!


This is how the Varicose Violet looks on nails. There is a definite pink sheen but I think the colour is not purple, it's mauve. I love the colour. There's a funny story to this nail polish. I don't speak English as my first language and though my vocabulary is quite broad, there are words that I can't even guess what they mean. I studied the shade name and realized that I had no idea what a 'varicose' is. I was thinking a tropical flower because the colour was so gorgeous. So I bought the nail polish, went home and reached for my dictionary. Varicose is not a tropical flower, I get that now. Those of you who speak Finnish, varicose means 'suonikohju'. Lovely.

I took these pictures again on our balcony. The balcony glasses were frozen (yes, it's that cold) so I had to play with it in this pic. I think the ice looks cool (pun intended) with my Varicose Violet.

So I decided to do a Dame Edna inspired look for today. I had less than an hour to dress up, eat breakfast and do my makeup before heading to town to meet my parents for a shopping spree. So, I decided to use purple and my new lipglass.

Koala's Dame Edna Look

Meow Inquisitive Chausie Pampered Puss foundation (first layer)
Meow Inquisitive Sphynx Pampered Puss foundation (second layer)
Lime Crime Marie Antoinette blush
Meow Quartz Crystalline Glow (on cheekbones)
UDPP
Facefront Weekend Warrior eyeshadow (all over lid)
Coastal Scents Platinum gel liner
Dior Diorshow waterproof mascara
MAC Possum Nose Pink lipglass

The reason why I'm using two different shades of foundations is that I've found that Sphynx is too yellow on me. So I'm waiting for my order on Inquisitive Himalayan which is my actual match. Until I get it I have to use two shades.


As you can see, Weekend Warrior is a very vibrant purple. Oh I hate this picture so let's move on..

Okay, here you can see the silver gel liner from Coastal Scents. I think it pairs perfectly with Weekend Warrior and brightens the eye. I used a flash in this photo to bring out shiny finish of the liner. I really like how little product you need to build a good finish.

Well, I told you I didn't have much time with the waking up early and the shopping. But below is how I looked when I left the house after 20 minutes of beautification:

I did PRETTY good *lol* I love the lipglass though at first I thought it would be too orangey (yes, the name is confusing. It says pink but it looks orangey red in the container and sparkly reddish pink on your skin). I love how it glistens, there are obviously blueish or mauveish sparkles that plump up your lips, so to speak.

Oh, and if you live in Finland and you are thinking about getting Varicose Violet after reading this post, you're late. I bought the last one in Finland and they are not getting any more. Sowwy.

I may post some swatches soon...

Love,

Saila, the Adventurous Purple Koala