An Attempt at a Purple Smoky Eye EOTD

I Purchased This Press Sample Gift

I actually did this for Cosmetics Aficionado's Smoky Eye Friday but I got lazy about writing up a post that day so here it is today. I haven't done an EOTD in a while because my sister borrowed my eyelash curler and since I don't like the look of my EOTDs with straight eyelashes, I didn't feel like posting (though now that I see it, my eyelashes be looking decidedly uncurled, dang you Inglot mascara!!). This is a warning for all you people who have been looking for a cool bright blue mascara, don't get Inglot's Color Play mascara. I'm wearing it in the EOTD and you can barely tell, even after two coats. Pass.

Products Used

Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Black Eyeshadow from Senna Cosmetics Haute Nudes Mystic Palette
MAC Poison Pen Eyeshadow
Silk Naturals Bareback in the crease and transition
Anastasia Dark Brown Eyebrow Powder
Buxom Hold the Liner Eyeliner in Call Me on the lower lashline and waterline
Anastasia Lash Genius 
Inglot Color Play Mascara 03

I'm not entirely sure of how often I'll keep posting since I'm starting my first day of grad school today (woooo!) and though I only have three grad classes, it's definitely going to be a ton of work. I'll try to post when I can! I've been growing my nails out a little bit (well technically my left hand which is the good hand) so I can hopefully post a few pictures of my nails which is easier than doing a whole review post.

If you already have started school or will soon, good luck this semester! I know I'll be needing it.

Sugarpill Cosmetics Kitten Parade Eyeshadow Giveaway!

In the month before Sugarpill's Sparkle Baby Collection is supposed to be released, I thought it would be nice to give away an extra Kitten Parade eyeshadow that I had picked up while I was at PHAMExpo.

This time the giveaway is open internationally so feel free to enter wherever you are! The giveaway ends September 13th, 12AM EST. If you're wondering about my last giveaway with the Sugarpill Asteria Chromalust, the winner has already claimed their prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lip Tar Pencil Adventures: Black Dahlia Lip Tar

As beautiful a color as Black Dahlia lip tar is, it is finicky (even more so than the rest of the line) to apply because it can be a little streaky. A few people asked me whether I could turn Black Dahlia into a pencil (read my post and tutorial if you're interested!) and I did. IT TOTALLY WORKS.

The caveat is that you can't really layer the pencil the way you can with the lip tar, the color you get is as dark as it'll be but for the most part the streakiness/unevenness is gone and there is basically no bleeding into the lip lines. If you find Black Dahlia to be a PITA to apply, consider making it into a lip pencil! If I had to get hypercritical, I think the pencil is a smidgen lighter than the original but not by much. FYI you still have to have perfectly exfoliated lips, the color will still catch on imperfect lips.

If you've made any of your lip tars into lip pencils, I'd really love to see pictures! If you have any questions on the process, feel free to leave a comment.

PS If the blog looks different to you, it's because I scaled down the pictures and reduced the width of the blog. I originally liked having the larger images but I think they just looked too large over time and it was making it difficult to view the blog without scrolling. Anyway, I gotta give thanks to my boyfriend who wrote me a script so I wouldn't have to manually change back all my blog images! I hope you like the slightly more compact blog.

Available Today: Sugarpill Cosmetics Cold Chemistry Palette and Singles (Swatches inside!)

Affiliate Link

A few trade shows back, Sugarpill* (affiliate link) previewed their new Cold Chemistry and Sparkle Baby Palettes. I was so in awe of them while I was swatching everything and I'm happy to say that the Cold Chemistry palette is finally on sale at Noon today!

To refresh your memory, here are pictures and swatches of the Cold Chemistry palette.

Under fluorescent lighting. From left to right: Soot and Stars, Subterranean, Junebug, Diamond Eyes, Elemental Chaos, Weekender. Elemental Chaos is NOT vegan.

Will you be getting the palette?

Disclaimer: The link marked with an asterisk and pictures in this post contain affiliate links which give me a commission based off your use of the link and that helps support the blog. If you don't want to use my affiliate link, feel free to go to use this direct link to Sugarpill.

The Lip Brush for Spy Wannabes

Press Sample

Maybe I'm easily entertained but there's nothing like an object that makes me feel like I'm living out a secret existence as an intelligence officer like James Bond with all of his fancy gadgets. I got this Morphe Brushes retractable lip brush (the second one) a few weeks ago at PHAMExpo and I'm living out the fantasy world just a little bit with it.

I was a bit confused on how to open it first but then...

It is just so cool and it's a little silly for me to be this excited over something as mundane as a lip brush but a) it's a handy and useful lip brush and b) it's so dang cool to pull it open and click it shut. The brush itself isn't too thick with the sides thin enough to make precise lines. You could definitely load up the brush with some lipstick, retract it, and then touch up later on.

You can get it on Morphe's website (link above and use the coupon code MORPHE2013 for 20% off!) or at one of the many trade shows that they attend! I contemplated getting another one when I attended their recent grand opening but I won't be greedy (even though I want to hoard them all!).

FAQ: Turning Lip Tars into Lip Pencils

I've had a few people ask me a few questions on my lip tar to lip pencil tutorial (check it out here if you haven't yet!) so I thought I would write up a FAQ post answering ones that I've gotten!

The lip tars and the corresponding pencils are Memento, Radiate, and Pretty Boy.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of the lip pencils over the lip tar?
A: There are a few advantages and disadvantages. 

Advantages

• Travel friendly 
• Less messy
• Precision without a brush needed
• Helps prevent any bleeding or feathering on the lips
• Can color customize
• Wear time is the same or improved 
• A more traditional lipstick feel

Disadvantages

• The end product is not vegan
• The pencils have to be sharpened so you lose some product that way
• The color can look slightly different due to the satin finish but the difference is so marginal. 
• You can't sharpen it too much otherwise the tip will break like a traditional pencil.

Q: Is the eyeliner base you use from TKBTrading lip safe?
A: Yes, the ingredients in the eyeliner base are lip safe. Prior to posting the tutorial, I made sure to ask the manufacturer (TKBTrading) who confirmed that it is.

Q: Will the lip tar lip pencils be vegan after the process?
A: No. This process will de-veganize your lip tar since the eyeliner base used in the tutorial contains beeswax.

Q: Why chubby pencils as opposed to slim line pencils?
A: I chose the chubby pencil barrels because I wanted to find a way to turn the lip tars into a traditional lip pencil and those are usually in the chubby pencil barrels and they are easier to fill than the slimline barrels without sacrificing precision. 

Q: What sharpener do you use to sharpen the chubby pencils?
A: I've had great results with my Essence pencil sharpener that you can get at ULTA and my Covergirl pencil sharpener.

Q: Will you be making a video tutorial?
A: I'm actually in the midst of recording one, it should be up soon!

Q: Is the color changed during the process?
A: In my experience, it looks like there's more of a difference than there actually is. When you swatch them on your hand, it looks like there'a huge difference but when worn on the lips, the slight difference is virtually indistinguishable. Check out my comparison of Pretty Boy Lip Tar and the corresponding pencil here!

Q: Can I make a custom color lip pencil?
A: You most definitely can! If there's a custom color that you like, you can mix it up (as long as it adds up to 2 grams) and make a pencil out of it!

Q: This looks like a lot of work! Will you consider making and selling these lip pencils?
A: I've been thinking about this actually and I think I will be. Feel free to contact me for more information!

Q: Does this work with the Stained Glosses or Metallic Lip Tars?
A: I do not know. I don't own either so I cannot assess to it. However you may want to keep in mind that the lip tar is essentially a colorant so if you have a sheer lip tar, then it'll produce a sheer lip pencil.

Q: The bottom cap for my lip pencil is loose, is there any way I can fix this?
A: If you take a pair of flat pliers to it, you can adjust it to fit the pencil better!

Q: What's the shelf life of the pencils?
A: I recommend you toss them after 6 months.

I hope this FAQ helped answer any questions you might have! Feel free to ask me questions and I'll be sure to answer them. Would you do me a favor and check out a poll I have going on my Facebook page? That would be so helpful!

Announcement: Sugarpill Elektro Cute Neon Pigments Available (Swatches and Comparison inside!)

Affiliate Links

If you remember from way back at IMATS LA 2012, Sugarpill* introduced their new neon pigments. The collection wasn't named yet but they're a part of the permanent ElektroCute collection, a series of five gorgeously bright and sparkly neon colors. 

They're finally available for sale today and I have swatches of each of the colors along with a comparison to the colors from the rest of their line. These retail for $16 for 5 grams of product.



Before I get to the swatches, I do need to make the disclaimer that due to the neon pigments, these are NOT considered eye-safe by the FDA in the United States due to the fact that the neon pigments involved have not been tested (and therefore not approved) in the US. The pigments are considered eye-safe by their respective federal agencies in Europe and Canada. Feel free to use at your discretion. (I'd personally still use these in the eye area but again, up to you!)

Under fluorescent lighting. From left to right: Supercharged, Sparkage, Acidberry, Hellatronic, Royal Sugar, Hi-Viz, and Love Buzz. This helps to get an idea of the base color but the multicolored sparkle is so hard to capture!

Supercharged has a hint of a pastel to it, Sparkage is like a yellow-y bright green, Hellatronic is indigo with a blue and pink sparkle, Love Buzz is a neon pink and Hi-Viz is a neon yellow.

Supercharged, Sparkage, Hi-Viz, and Love Buzz are considered lip safe, Hellatronic is considered not.

I hope you can see the difference between Hellatronic and Royal Sugar. Royal Sugar is much more blue wheres the new color is much more purple/indigo color.

I gotta say, Hellatronic is calling my name, ditto for Hi-Viz! Are you thinking of getting any of the colors?

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in the pictures and in the post itself (marked with an asterisk). These affiliate links give me a partial commission based on your use of the link when making your purchase. Feel free to use a nonaffiliate link, the commissions just help support myself and the blog!