pastel princess

Eh, I liked it.

Review: Bvlgari Jasmin Noir fragrance

I know we don’t seem me posting many fragrance posts… I have so many perfume sensitivities that any love I have of fragrances tends to be tempered by the headaches I get from 90% of them.

When I find a fragrance I like, I tend to cling very hard. I previously reviewed Miss Dior Cherie, which is my favorite summery/fluffy fragrance. Jasmin Noir is a bit heavier, and easier to wear during the winter though.

The primary notes seem to be Amber, Licorice, Almond,  Jasmine, and Gardenia.  I couldn’t tell you the order they present themselves in, with my unrefined palette.  It’s just a very subtle scent, not as heavy as a lot of jasmine scents, or as woody as the description seems to imply. It’s just kind of flowery, and nutty. I love the licorice notes.  It doesn’t seem to have a terribly strong onset(Trust me–I tried one of the Juicy Couture perfumes, and for an HOUR after applying, I could hardly breathe, it was so strong).  The various notes of the fragrance DO linger quite nicely, though.  I noticed very subtle traces of it even after 6-8 hours after spraying.

I think the woody notes make it particularly nice to wear during the winter, but the floral notes keep it a bit playful.  Ordinarily, I prefer citrus perfumes with the occasional hint of a floral, spicy, or woody note.  For some reason, Citrus tends to aggravate my sensitivities far less.  So this perfume is somewhat of an anomaly for me to wear.  I love that I can, though!

As fragrances go, this one has a pretty wide appeal.  I’m not a perfume nerd, but I love it!  For someone who can actually tell the variety of aromas included, I’m sure it would be even more delightful.  It’s definitely my favorite bvlgari fragrance I’ve tried, in part because of its subtlety.

quick vintage smoky eye

Eh, I did MUA for a photoshoot today, so going all-out on my makeup seemed a little silly.  I wore this deep smoky eye, with very bright lips.  I’d wanted purple, at first, but I figured Lady Danger might look a little bit more polished.  If the eyes look familiar, it’s because every time I want an “easy smoky glamor”, I use these eyeshadow duo’s.  I LOVE hourglass Exhibition and Suede.  My eyebrows aren’t as sharp as normal, because my normal brush made it into my MU kit, and I used a different one, with softer bristles, when I did my own makeup.  Ah well.

Review: OCC Lip Tar in Memento

Memento is  a pretty, dusky coral.  It’s better on warmer skin tones, but isn’t so orange that it would look bad on cool skin tones.  It wears for at least 6 hours, although the initial gloss fades closer to 4.  It’s VERY pigmented, and the teeniest bit stretches for a whole application.  The gloss feels slippery, and seems to smooth out lip texture to a plush finish.  It DOES dry the lips a bit though, and you will want to condition them thoroughly after it wears off.

At $12.50 a tube, it’s a bit pricey if you ordinarily use drug store lipsticks.  It’s on par with high end lipglosses from MAC, NARS, MUFE, etc.($14.50-$18, or that region).  I tend to find OCC Lip Tars well worth the money, since you can get REALLY striking experimental effects with them, and there’s such a variety of shades.  For a sheerer color, add Clear lip tar.  For a paler color, add a bit of Feathered Lip Tar.  THe texture of Lip Tars lends well to blending and mixing new shades.  This has made them favorites of many make up artists, though it’s not the most accessible product for your average makeup consumer.

subtle burgundy and gold smoky eye

I actually really like Aztec Gold in this. The green shows through faintly, but it’s less vibrant than my other uses of it.

Focus On: Sugarpill Lumi

Focus On is a work in progress. Have you ever talked yourself out of buying a product because the color was too odd, and you wondered how often you would really be able to use it? Or, you know those colors you LOVE because of some hidden versatility that you never imagined when you bought it? I do that ALL of the time. In the interests of loving what I HAVE, and learning its limitations, rather than relying on the influx of new colors, I will be doing this post every Saturday, focusing on a new color from my collection, with examples of past work, ideas for other uses. Please feel free to suggest colors you wish to see, or uses for the ones listed, or let me know what your favorites are for future posts.

Lumi is a sparkling white pigment laden with teal sparkles.  It changes color over colored bases, or can be used to add sparkle to pretty much anything!

Tecbnique: Basic eyebrow shaping and finishing

Now, eyebrows are always a chore in and of themselves. I don’t consider mine to be a particularly great example of impeccably groomed brows, but I can give a few pointers in making yours look the best.   It’s time for me to do a quick overhaul of my brows anyways, so we’ll photograph the process.  Start out in the BEST lighting you can find.  If a light on one side of your vanity is out, that side will look considerably different and you’ll find yourself shaping that side differently, especially over time.  If you don’t feel especially confident in your handiwork, I recommend seeing a professional for your shaping method of choice(Waxing, threading, etc.) every few months, just to get a fresh set of eyes on the shape. It’s much easier to keep to an existing shape than it is to design a new one.

Review: Mario Badescu whitening cream mask

Snagged this during a hautelook sale way back when. I’ve been looking for a good wintertime facial mask for a while.

My skin is mostly clear, and slightly oily.  But because I work outside during all weather, it gets uneven, itchy, and dull, even as it develops severe blemishes and bumps.  Most facial masks relieve that itching, but cause swollen pores and blackheads.

I enjoy this one, but it may not be effective on dry skin.  I do recommend it for oily skin though.  It evened out my skin a lot, and using it twice a week or so, my face is rarely ever itchy, no matter HOW much nasty rock-salt and rain is pelting into my face.  Hopefully, I’ll find it on hautelook again without too much trouble.  Even at full price, it’s not too expensive.  And will certainly last a while.  I’d rather save money, though, if possible.  I have a hard time putting as much effort into my skincare as I do into makeup.

My skin doesn’t feel noticeably drier after use.  It takes longer for oil buildup to show, though, and my skin DOES feel slightly softer.  I definitely wouldn’t say it does anything for my acne-I prefer the Badescu Glycolic cleanser for that!  I’m quite happy with how much it has helped my skins sensitivity, during these long, frigid work weeks.  I may come back to update this after using it during the summer–I think I’ll end up skipping it, and focusing on controlling acne instead.  That’s usually the summertime skincare routine.

For now, though, I consider it a bit of a livesaver!  My skin actually looks and feels almost as healthy now, as it did during the summer!

 

fade to blue(eyes only)

UDPP
HiFi Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll-outer corner
HiFi Mug Shot-middle of lid
HiFi Between the stars-highlight and inner corner
HiFi So What-above crease
MAC Fluidline in Waveline-upper lashline and lower waterline
MUFE Smoky lash mascara

quick VERY sheer eyes(only)

Truthfully, I only applied this to test a few new ELF brushes with a tried and true combination I’ve done many times.  This is my quintessential subtle makeup.  MAC Kid, cork, and naked lunch are the BEST shades I’ve found to melt into my skin tone.