Saturday Morning Cartoons

So guess what I wanted to do the moment I woke up?
If you guessed play with new Victorian Disco eyeshadows, dingdingding!
I messed around and didn't do a full look - rather, I did a very different look on each eye. No worries, though; of course I'm going to wash it off before I go out in public!
The reason I titled this post "Saturday Morning Cartoons" is because the colors reminded me of toons I watched on TV (not necessarily on Saturdays) as a kid... or yesterday.  I used only ELF Mineral Eye Shadow Primer as a base for both looks, and my mascara is Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara.
Here's my old 90's X-Men Cartoon Look:

Products used:
Victorian Disco Sapped (Yellow)
Sugarpill Afterparty (Blue)
Wet n Wild Color Icon Single in Sugar (Sheer, shimmery white)
NYX Single in Black (Duh... darkened crease and outer-v)
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero

And here's my Retro Colors out of Scooby-Doo Look:

Products used:
NYX Single in Vanilla Shimmer (Peachy inner corner and brow highlight)
Victorian Disco Hero Class (lid), The Earth Warder (crease), and Furry Fury (lower lashline)
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Lucky

By the way, I really should have wet/foiled Hero Class.  You can't see it in these pictures, but later on when I kept playing with the bit I'd dumped out from the pot I happened to wet it and this amazing, purpley-rosegold glow came off the color.  It translated to my eye, too.  Drool!

Same look, but with Hero Class and Furry Fury applied wet

I hope you liked these looks, and that you're having a fantastic (Memorial Day, in the States) weekend!

Swatch Me Play

Hey y'all! I've just been playing around with some of my products looking for dupes and complimentary colors lately.  I wore the combo of L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush with Lorac Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss all day, then when I was playing with my black sparkly shadows I first compared Wet n Wild's new "Trashed" single with Sugarpill's Stella Chromalust with and without a base (NYX Eyeshadow Base White).  Using my new Real Techniques shading brush I just quickly used the Wet n Wild to define my crease. I didn't have any fallout and the brush and shadow are both awesome!

So happy together!

Top: L'oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in Amber Rush

Bottom: Lorac Multiplex 3D Lip Gloss



This doesn't really capture the metallic effect of Amber Rush, sadly. It was really glinty!

Two black shadows with multi-sparkles: Wet n Wild Trashed and Sugarpill Stella

Please note - these swatches are several layers of product!
Left to Right: Trashed over base, Stella over base, Trashed without a base, Stella without a base
Stella is clearly more full of the rainbow sparkles!

Same makeup as above, with just Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Perversion and Wet n Wild Trashed in the crease

This photo better captures the metallic glint of Amber Rush

Bonus: Here's my pretty ring I bought off of Amazon in lieu of this month's Jewelmint choices.

None of my crummy camera's photos could capture just how much this ring sparkles - my inner little girl is THRILLED!
Nail note: Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips in Speed Dating

Also, a heads up: TwilightBeauty.com is having a sitewide 50% off sale now through February 29th! I wish I hadn't stocked up on my favorites from this line already (d'oh!).  I know this line isn't talked about much in the beauty community, but I personally find the quality great for this sale price.  I highly recommend:

Mortal Glow Blushing Creme in Swoon ( a gorgeous cream highlighter. Let me know if you'd like to see swatches!)

Bella Palette ( has a seriously fantastic peach blush and a couple of great everyday shadows and is really convenient to carry around)

Edward Palette (has a fantastic silver shadow, but the rest of it is ho-hum)

Jacob Palette (I adore all the shadows in this one)

Femme Fatale Lip Glosses

January 2012 Favorites

Hi Everybody! Again, sorry for the lack of posting. I'm trying to reign in my beauty spending and I've certainly cut back lately.  I just haven't had good light or time for blogging, either.  I'll try to post more often in February; especially fun, romantic looks!

To be honest, I didn't really play with makeup much this month. Sure, I swatched things and messed around with organization (One of my Christmas presents to myself was two 5-drawer Muji acrylic cases... love them!). But I really played it safe with my eye makeup and reached for a base that was quick and fuss-free to apply most days.

L'oreal Magic Smooth Souffle Foundation in 518 Natural Buff $15
Thanks to raves from Danielle of Bloomin' Beauty and Elle Fowler (AllThatGlitters21... I think she and her sister might be affiliated with L'oreal but it's Danielle's photo with this foundation that got me to buy it at last), I decided to pick up this relatively (to Chanel, anyway) inexpensive foundation.  I had tried the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse years ago but found it too drying... it really highlighted any flakies in my skin, but this whipped foundation does not.  Applied with any foundation brush, this foundation blends in with full-coverage almost instantly.  In the rush of recent mornings, I couldn't appreciate it more!  It really does impart an airbrushed finish and covers most of my acne and post-acne red spots.  It also covers the redness around my nose and, dabbed with a finger, my dark circles.   When this first came out, I remember thinking, "Blahhh, that is much too expensive for a drugstore foundation," but with how well it performs I really think it's a steal now.  It doesn't last all day, unfortunately, but I get a good six hours of perfect wear before it starts to fade.  It doesn't oxidize on me or allow my face to get super-greasy, so I can accept the fading.  A primer (I'm using Hourglass Veil Mineral) and a setting powder (whatever I have on hand seems to work) helps this to stick around to *just* the end of my work day.  If you need a bit of coverage and are rushed in the morning, I highly recommend checking this foundation out during a drugstore sale.

The brush is wet because I just washed it

Real Techniques Stippling Brush $10
This is my favorite to apply the L'oreal Magic Smooth Souffle Foundaton.  I also have used my Sephora #55 Airbrush, but I find that brush more difficult to get clean and tend to save it for my Perfection Lumiere or when this brush is dirty.  I love that this brush's duo-fibre construction helps keep me from picking up too much product.  I don't get streakiness, but that is in part due to the foundation as opposed to the brush.  The Real Techniqes stippling brush is a great size for applying foundation in my opinion, is soft, has synthetic bristles, and stands on it's end (flat) so I can use it a few times before washing without worrying I'll smear foundation on anything.  I haven't had ANY shedding, which is nigh on a miracle.  And it's $10, people!  I want to go buy two backups!  Thanks to Vivianna Does Makeup for mentioning this brush... and thanks to the Real Techniques ladies for pricing it at $10 so I would take a chance on it!

Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume Mascara $9
An oldie, well-known, and a goodie! I can't help but try tons of mascaras but I've come back to this one several times.  It's just so reliable!  It darkens, lengthens, thickens, and separates, all while looking fairly natural.  It is, pardon me, "easy-breezy-beautiful" LOL please don't hit me! The best everyday mascara I've tried.

Sugarpill Chroma Lusts in Stella and Asylum $12 each
Sugarpill shadows are amazing. I can't believe I waited so long to order these beauties. I finally broke down when I saw Asylum swatched on A Brilliant Brunette.  As you may know if you check out my posts this past month, I'm very into red eyeshadows lately.  As for Stella, I just couldn't resist the rainbow micro-sparkles!  Even dry these go on smoothly and so pigmented it's amazeballs!  I have Stella on here and Asylum on here.

L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe and Sultry Smoke $7
These were go-tos this January for a quick swipe of shadow across my lid. I actually have yet to make a full look using my Infallibles, because they work so well (just like the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense shadows) on their own.  Along with the foundation I've been reaching for, speedy looks have been necessary this month and these are great for that.

Jack Black Intense Therapy SPF 25 Lip Balm in Natural Mint $8
This is an amazing lip balm - it's not over-hyped in my opinion because it's one of the few balms out there that actually soaks in!  Most just kind of sit on top of my lips.  I don't get chappy all that often, but this balm will clear it right up if I do.  I also like how the finish is matte and yet my lips look naturally plumped when I wear it.  I have almost forgotten to put on lipstick/gloss in the morning wearing this balm!

Slightly embarrassing beefcake on the cover... good thing I usually read in private!

House of Night Novels (just read #9 Destined) $12 hardcover
If you follow me on Twitter (BeautyVSarahS), you might have seen me asking around for the next fantasy series I ought to read (I finished this latest installment this month and am reading Vampire Academy at the moment).  In the dead of Winter (and the heat of Summer) I tend to get into reading like it's going out of style because I want to stay in the climate-controlled comfort of my house.  These are definitely no-brainer books but they are fun and well-plotted.  I can blow through one of these on a cozy evening in.  All I need is a nice hot drink and my Harry Potter snuggie and it's a good night (wow, what a dork, right? XD).  I can't wait to know what happens next!  If you like fantasy YA novels, I'd be shocked, SHOCKED if you didn't enjoy this mix of vampires, mythology, Native American culture, romance, and high school ^.^

So, I guess it's pretty obvious this January I've been almost makeup-free on a couch for most of my free time.  Sometimes we just need to kick back!

P.S. I just got it so I can't exactly call it a "January Favorite," but MY GOODNESS MAC's All That Glitters is seriously GAWGEOUS!  I always thought it was your standard champagne shadow, but I was so wrong.  I don't have a dupe for it in my stash at all (yeah, I did already say that in my last post)... somehow, it is just that nuanced and unique.  Sorry, husband, this shadow is going to be my Valentine ;-)

EOTD: Still Gaga for Red Eye Shadow

Happy Saturday! You know you're in love when the first thing you do in the morning is reach for a product.  Normal people would probably reach for a face cream or a foundation or mascara... I'm currently having a love affair with red eyeshadows!

Used: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Rust (needs primer underneath to prevent this creasing, but I was just playing around so I skipped that step)
Sugar Pill Chromalust Loose Shadow in Asylum (to DIE for, and I usually have no love for loose shadows)
Tokidoki Sodashop Palette Romeo (dark cranberry red) and Ciccio (gold-copper)
Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Liner in Perversion (to be honest, I preferred this look before I added the ubiquitous slash of liquid liner)
Milani Liquif'eye liner in Gold
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara in Black

I did up this eye look before I even covered any pimples, y'all! I'm obsessed!

Quick Sugarpill EOTD

I finally got my greedy little mitts on some Sugarpill eyeshadows!  Here I created a quick look with Chromalusts in Stella (black with multi-color sparkles) and Decora (pink).  I used the L'oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Eternal Sunshine on the inner corners. I can't remember the mascara I had on and the black liner on my waterline was Stila Smudgestick in Stingray applied in the morning with photos taken at night (so it's half-gone).  Please disregard my dark circles as well... it had been a long day!

OH MY GOSH look at those rainbow sparkles in Stella! Most gorgeous black shadow I've ever seen <3 <3 <3

I wet my eyeshadow brush with a little MAC Mineralize Charged Water (now permanent) to get Stella really intense and precise.

My First Blog Swap: Swatch Edition

Round 2 post of Pinkstrawberrielove aka Chanriya/Riya's super-awesome swapstravaganza!
SWATCHES <3 Check 'em out!

Left to right: KATE Diamond Cut Eyes GN-1, Missha The Style Single in BR201, Anna Sui 900, Beauty Credit Blusher in Orange Heart

KATE Diamond Cut Eyes in GN-1. The best part of this palette is that buttery-smooth, pigmented deep blue!

Left to right: Missha BR201, Anna Sui 900, Beauty Credit Orange Heart Blusher (I'll admit I was scared of this in the pan, but it's actually quite sheer and easy to blend. UPDATE: This blusher is a gorgeous peach on the cheeks!)

Sugarpill Loose Eyeshadow sample in Junebug (dry), Super+ Beblesh Balm BB by Skin79, same blended, Beauty Credit Cream Eyes in White Opal WHO1, same blended

Beauty Credit Cream Eyes in White Opal, same blended, Shengji 2 in 1 Crystal Bright Lipstick Eyeshadow Pencil (so soft, I think this would make a perfect inner eye corner highlight!), K-Palette Real Lasting Eyeliner 24h 1day Tattoo (I think Yu from Let's Make Yu Up loves this, too!), Missha The Style Lucid Berry Lips in PK04 (amazing pigmentation!), Etude House Plumping Lip Tint in Pink

All polishes by The Face Shop: PK109, PK107, OR201, FACE it OR201, GR501

Didn't fit on the one hand ;-) BL601

Hope you're all having a happy Friday! Did you pick up your copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2? I did, and it's going to be a marathon weekend ^.^;;