even more on my face

 

 okay so I'm still make up binging...so far I can comment on almost all of these products with more to be reviewed on the way (including some pictured here that I haven't tried yet).

Starting from the very top:

Wet n' Wild metallic gloss: I don't know how exclusive these are, but I found them at Walgreens and it's not exactly worth checking for. The wash of translucent shimmery gloss is slightly above generic or at least more than what I expected from the brand. "Chrysanthemum's the word" is the color I got, it's a cute Bratz Doll pink against my skin tone.

I tried Jordana for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised. These matte lippies have a crayon-like texture that at first comes off kind of cheap, but then substantial as the opacity is there and the longevity of the color is comparable to more expensive brands. I got "matte me pretty" and "popular"; one makes me look like a Barbie doll the other a crackhead. I love both.

Estée Lauder is another brand I've never tried, this "steely lilac" eye shadow is 10/10 I love using it as an all over the eye look, it makes me feel like a goddess.

Moving on to yet another brand that's new to me Smashbox basically knocked my socks off with this matte lipstick in "first time matte". The formula is so luxe I feel like it upgrades my entire face.

I was interested in dabbling in bright pink lips for the summer and due to Stila "patina" being legit on of the best matte liquid lipsticks out there I figured I would try their stay all day formula, which has been out for a while now. Unfortunately "amalfi" had to be returned as the formula just did work for me at all despite all my efforts (with and without chapstick, a lighter hand etc, nothing worked or made it more comfortable to wear).

The Maybelline color blur lip crayon thing was just okay for me, definitely not a repurchase or even something I'll be reaching for. It came off like a second rate version of Lorac's pro matte lippies (which are pretty legit by the way).  I think the "blur" aspect of it (that white erasure looking thing) just keeps the formula from curdling up, which is a different approach I guess, but still underwhelming.

Finally, Katy Perry collaborated with Cover Girl to create these slightly above basic lipsticks that I was here for enough to repurchase in other colors.  I believe it's limited edition as most collaborations tend to be and I'm glad I was able to pick up the few shades I could find; the one pictured is called "catoure" and it makes a wonderful daytime color. The other two I picked up are "kitty purry" and "sphynx" which make me look about ten years younger and like a worn out pornstar respectively. All have a creamy, chapstick-like formula (not the best, but not the worst) that isn't consistent from color to color, but it's okay because they layer well and the colors actually show up as expected.

Forme de Machiaj | can someone please tell me...

...why Lancomé wants to charge $50 for a make up palette, but has the nerve to put in 2 cent applicators on the side, like...?

Anyway, I finally got out to Sephora to pick up some luxe face costumes including the ever-popular Becca Champagne Pop highligher--darker skinned black girls beware, it's not the kind you can shlep on with a heavy hand like the perfect "Rose Gold" shade (I could put that all over my BODY, it's so perfect on me), it's best applied sparingly with a stippling brush maybe--I guess I'll have to talk more on how I strobe later.

I also picked up a few Lancomé lipsticks that were not available previously; the first lipstick I ever owned was actually by Lancomé so I've always sort of had a sentimental attachment to the brand. The Kat Von D matte lipsticks were something I've wanted for a while now especially considering the Stila ones are such a big deal for me (Patina is Holy Grail status).

Bougie visage erryday yo!

Halloween

 I'm a bunny rabbit from the '90s. Duh.

Make up (is EPIC): Stila's In the Garden palette: "rosette" in the tear duct, "honey" right under my brow, "bark" along outer edge of the V (so it looks less cat-like), "chinois" and "nectar" for whiskers. Mary Kay black eye shadow with NYX "milk" on waterline, Lancome "makeover metallic", NYX "strawberry milk" on my nose and Lancome "cream" on the lips.

The only purpose of Halloween is to buy candy on deep discount a day later. That is all.

I Make Pretty For You | Bold No Make Up Look for Fall

Okay, so technically there is some make up involved, but not nearly as much as a regular make up look.

All you need is your favorite colored eyeliner (two in this case) and some mascara along with your everyday moisturizers for your face. For this look, I used Stila's smudge stick in Starfish mixed with Milani Liquif'eye liner in green; my mascara of choice is my favorite from Maybelline. The liners are waterproof so smudging is minimal, and with the cooler temperatures of fall, it's unlikely to budge anyway. However, if you have oily skin around your eyes, just use a little powder or flesh-toned eye shadow to seal in the liner.

Pick your favorite nude lipstick to complete this natural look. This lip butter is a gorgeous nude color for darker skin tones.

There are a lot of variations of this look, which is perfect for those days when you don't have a lot of time to put a full face on, but you don't want to look like shit. Adding a simple colored eyeliner and some neutral lips is a great way to look like you tried to put your best face forward.

I know this photo looks pretty much identical to the first, but I'm too self-indulgent to care.

What are your bare essentials for a "no-make" up look?

I make pretty for you | Golden Green Smokey Eye

First of all, this could totally be my school portrait in like, the 8th grade. 

I usually stay away from doing beauty/make up posts or videos because there aren't too many products out there that are catered to my skin tone so it's hard for me to be inspired to invest the time or money in new items.

Nevertheless, I still love wearing make up and I recently decided to start putting together some looks with some new products that have worked really well for me.

Products Used for my Golden Green Smokey Eye Look:

 I moisturized first (I do everyday) with Jojoba oil and some Aveeno sunscreen lotion.

My eye primer and face primer:

I find that I have to shake up this Too Faced eye shadow primer before I squeeze it out because it separates sometimes; still works great though.

MAC is one of the few make up companies that go out of their way to cater to women with darker skin tones so I tend to wander over to that make up counter quite a bit when I have the money.

I have three different powders by them; their loose power is my go to for summer:

After I've applied my face primer, I apply my face powder and then my eye shadow primer. The powder helps absorb some of the moisture in the crease of my lid so my shadow primer is more effective.

While everything is setting, I apply my eye liner which is this amazing green pencil liner from Milani, another company that does an excellent job of marketing to people with darker skin tones. The Liquif'eye liner is a recent purchase and basically the star of this look. It goes on so smooth and has an incredibly vibrant color payoff that doesn't budge in the heat when applied correctly.

 I've never been here for the Naked Palette.
Stila gets it done for me every time. I got all cheesy and shot this one in the garden :P

I used these colors:

 Breeze has this wonderful muted shimmer to it I used it to highlight my tear duct area but it could also work as a nice highlight under the brow.

 Honey is the quintessential gold shadow; it looks metallic, but the shimmer is actually really subtle.

Moss makes a great neutral for darker skin tones; it's a wonderful crease color for a basic daytime smokey eye as well. 

Le Swatches:

Milani eye pencil---Moss---Honey---Breeze

I used NYX jumbo eye pencil in milk to help all these colors look as vibrant as possible.

My tools:

 Some Pixiwoo realness, a little E.l.f. and Sonia Kashuk. I keep it pretty standard.

All these brushes are fantastic and I'm definitely planning on getting more.

...and the final touches:

 ...finally, I added some Mega Plush action for the finished eye look.

I used one of my favorite Revlon lip butters, Sugar Plum; it's a perfect pink for darker skin tones.

I always use Blistex chapstick as a base for all my lip colors because the SPF 15 protects my lips, which is usually not found in lipsticks or glosses.

 The finished look, complete with superficial pouty-lipped posing :)

Tutorial Video Here.