8 posts tagged “lips”
It's pouring with rain here right now and I don't think I can get to my car without getting soaked, so while waiting for it to let up I figured I'd compose my entry for the day. Today I primed with MMBB Photogenic Veil, used Bright Eyed on undereye and mixed a little with Bisque Concealor to cover blemishes. Then I used a 50/50 mix of Lumiere Medium Beige and Medium Golden in VV but I'm not sure if this ratio is right because the colour still looks a bit off. Or maybe I just haven't given it enough time to warm up yet.
On cheeks I used MMBB True blush which looks like a light-medium toned dusky pink with a slight sheen. It gave my cheeks a very natural glow with a bit of understated yet noticable colour. Very similar to Lumiere Wild Rose except I used less product with MMBB to achieve the same result. I was wondering what to use on my lips and then I decided to see if True would work on lips as well if I used it with lip balm. The effect when mixed with my soft lip balm was incredible because True just transforms to this medium-toned pink shade that is so gorgeous! I am absolutely in love with this cheek and lip combo now! Paired together, True is like the little sister of Fyrinnae Kabuki. While Kabuki is more gothic-lolita sexy, True gives off a very romantic vibe while still managing to look fresh and girlish. I absolutely love True and I think I must have more of this! I can't rave about this colour enough. I didn't use much on my cheeks but I think if I layered a bit more, it would give a more dramatic look that would be ideal for nighttime.
Oh well, I'm starving now and it's still raining. I guess I'll just brave the rain in an effort to find something to eat!
[Updated]: I've been wearing the same makeup for the past 11 hours and I have to say that it held up extremely well. I only had to blot once today but otherwise no major oilies. I guess this could be due to a) the Photogenic Veil, b) the oat extract in the foundation, c) the fact that I didn't do anything streneous today, I think I barely broke a sweat, d) the fact that it rained all day so the weather was much cooler than usual or e) all or a combination of the above. I only added a dusting of face powder in the evening to touch up before I went out again. Also I'm delighted to report that I experienced no new zits today and a zit that was emerging a couple days ago even subsided without coming to a head. So far VV looks quite promising although I wonder if using Photogenic Veil to prime acted like a buffer between my skin and the foundation. Shade-wise the foundation is still a bit off though so I guess I'll have to tweak the ratios a bit more.
One thing I may have forgotten to mention in my MMBB entry yesterday, is that the colour payoff for the blushes (and I presume eyeshadows though I haven't tried those yet) is excellent. I have been using very little each time, a few grains actually and this is enough for both my cheeks to look flushed. Excellent value! I also want to take back what I said about the foundation samples, they are more generous than I thought for the price you pay. And that goes for the mineral veil too. I expected to get maybe 3-4 applications out of each but now I think I may get more than 5 for the foundations and even more for the veil.
Blush-of-the-day was Fuschia Fusion, a medium pink colour that looks scarily bright in the baggie but goes on very natural. I haven't decided if I really like this one or not. To be sure it is a beautiful colour but I'm not sure if it works that well for me. It could be because the foundation I wore today wasn't a match and maybe that threw things off. I tried out Bright Eyed which is really the MMBB Yellow Colour Adjuster/Undereye Concealor. Kind of a 3-in-1 thing. Bright Eyed was too light for me and sort of reminded me of Meow FF N-Angora which has a similar yellow intensity but was also too light. I also think I may have used too much because it looked a bit cakey soon after I put it on. Or maybe it just doesn't go well with the skincare sample I'm using. On lips I wore Rouge Shimmer, which turned out to be another very pretty nude red like lips stained lightly with raspberry juice.
Later in the day I washed off the makeup and decided to do half faces of Walnut Beige and Tan foundation. When I first saw them in the baggies I thought, no way I can wear this. They both looked so different from the foundations I know I can wear. They both actually look almost identical to the colours I used to highlight their names above! Walnut Beige is like a medium nut brown and Tan looked like a medium-dark peachy orange. Despite first impressions, they both looked very natural when worn. WB is a bit too dark for me though, it makes my face look somewhat dull. I think it would be a good shade for women of ethnic Indonesian or Filipino descent. Tan on the other hand, looked like a good match! I was a bit worried I would look neon orange, lol but it actually seemed to suit me very well. I'll probably wear a full face of this tomorrow to try it out properly.
I am still waiting on my Meow samples I ordered that shipped on the 20th. I really hope they get here by Monday! The last time it took 10 days to ship. I want to see if Manx works for me or if I should just go and order a munchkin of Purrfect N-Angora. I really do like it alot and like Lili, love the fact that it's layerable without feeling heavy.
I also witnessed a road accident this evening! I was waiting at the traffic lights when I heard this sharp screeching sound. I looked in my wing mirror just in time to see a motorbike hit the side of a sedan car about two cars away from me! I literally saw the guy on the bike bounce off the car and I think his crash helmet flew off because he wasn't wearing one when he landed on the road. In my rearview mirror I saw him move and begin to sit up immediately so I don't think he was that badly injured. Several other motorists went to help so I didn't stick around. It was freaky though! I think the car driver was in the wrong because it looked like he made a sharp right turn and the motorbike ended right in his path. Gosh! It's times like these when I'm reminded that life is so fragile.
I am doing much better today! I think all that sleep, good thoughts and medication did wonders :) Just hope I don't relapse now!
So today I went on a sampling frenzy in order to weed out what colours I should wear on my trip and so on. I also wanted to finish trying my Meow samples before I go away this weekend. In the morning I used Meow Undereye Concealor Naughty-Chartreux as foundation and it seemed all right. The match wasn't perfect, a bit ashy around the edges but still wearable. I liked the feel and coverage more than Flawless Feline but I did seem to get a bit oily after only a couple of hours. In the early evening I tried Meow Purrfect Frisky-Korat just because I had some lying around. To my amazement, I could actually wear Frisky! The colour was still a bit off (not enough yellow) but the depth wasn't too bad at all. I expected to look like a mime or something but no, Frisky was really quite good. Now I'm in a quandrary because I'll have to try both Frisky and Naughty Manx in all the different formulas, as well as Frisky-Chartreux. Here's to another sampling frenzy.
At night I wore LaurEss Elemental Soft Gold and while this also looks like a wearable shade, it doesn't seem to match well under certain types of lighting. Overall, it's not bad though.
Daytime blush and lip colour was Fyrinnae Kabuki. This is really too strong a cheek colour for daytime so I think I'll pull it out for nighttime use when I'm in KL. I have to keep reminding myself to use less of this everytime because it is so, so pigmented. I used a little and thought it wasn't enough. Then I added a bit more and it was too much! I blended like crazy and then it looked much better. The one thing I like about Kabuki as a lip colour is that it lasts and lasts. I used a little mixed with lipbalm over lipliner, and hours later after a meal and washing my face with water my lips were still stained a rosy red.
At night I used Meow Sizzle on my cheeks and fell in love with it all over again. A fullsize is coming to me sooner or later! I buffed it first on the apples of my cheeks, then lightly under my cheekbones and finished by dusting it in the number '2' shape from temples to cheekbones. I love the natural bronzey look that I get and I think I'm going to be wearing this for interviews since it's not too over the top. I also wonder if I'm weird for doing this, but when I apply mineral blush I don't do one cheek first then the other. I load my brush then go back and forth very quickly from one cheek to another doing equal swipes/circles each time. This seems to be the only way I can get both cheeks to be even without overloading on blush and having to go back to fix things.
I've also been practising lining my upper lashline and doing that little flick at the corners. Daytime I used M.A.D Minerals Chocolate Matte (Rich, chocolate brown) from a sample Wern sent me (thanks Wern!). Chocolate Matte was not as dramatic as my black eyeliners so it made a perfect daytime liner and stayed put all day. I couldn't get the flicks to be even though! The left eye looked much nicer than the right. Bolder too. Oh well, I still have time to practise. For nighttime I wore Fyrinnae Ultrasuede (Matte, velvety deep charcoal brown) and managed to do more even wings this time although I made them more subdued. I also tried lining just the outer 1/3 of my lower lashline as suggested by thepinkpixie and while my eyes looked great, I also noticed the lower lashline colour start to smudge after 3-4 hours =/ Ultrasuede is very different from Chocolate Matte in that it's less of a true brown and more of a very dark grey. In fact it reminds me of moleskin :) I really like them both and I think they make good brow colours too.
I'm half dreading going away this weekend because I don't know how much online time I'll have. I'm guessing not a lot. I don't think I'll have bad withdrawals but I shudder to think what if there's an MMU sale and I won't find out about it!
Today I tried Meow Pampered Puss Naughty-Chartreux. I don't think this is my match either *sigh* I prepped my face like yesterday, then did 1+ coats of the foundation and used matching concealor after that on my spots. The concealor seems to work best if I pat it in with my fingers although I have to be careful to blend the edges well. Meow concealor is some of the best mmu concealor I've tried. It really melts into my skin unlike most other powder concealors that just sit on top. Five hours later, my face is a little bit oily but nothing serious, I don't see the tiny zits and no itchiness.
My thoughts on N-Chartreux: I think this is just too peachy for me. I actually have a lot of yellow-olive undertones in my neck and too much peachiness on my face emphasizes the contrast. But I can't just stick a pile of olive foundation on my face because it makes me look greeny-yellow and ill. N-Chartreux seemed to wear better as the day wore on though. However, it could be my imagination but it seems a bit too dark for me?! Which seems really strange because I know I am too dark for Frisky. Side-by-side, N-Chartreux makes my neck look like a light yellow with some olive, while my face looks a shade darker and peachier. I'm sorry I don't have a photo, I really wish I did!
On my cheeks I wore Meow Tongue-in-Cheek (Dusty rich purple/pink/rose) blush and am happy to say that I like this colour a lot! Thankfully it didn't turn out as coral-toned as I expected, more of a warm red. It looked beautiful layered under their Sizzle bronzer. Five hours later, the colour is still staying strong. Thumbs up for this one!
I took a cue from Lili and did my lips in Meow Sizzle mixed with lipbalm. Love this! It turned a warm brown-red on my lips, slightly deep-toned but very wearable. It suits me to a tee and I'd love more of this. I used the excess specks of Sizzle on my cheekbones and temples and blended it into the blush.
I didn't do my eyes today but speaking of eyes, I still haven't heard back from Ashley about my potentially mixed up order :( As much as I want to like Meow, part of me is a bit turned off by their customer service. Maybe I've just been getting them at the wrong time (eg. peak sales, weekends) but they seem to take ages to get back to me. I've probably just been really spoiled by the other companies that offer lightning fast replies like Lisa from MMBB, Jenya from Jenulence and Barbi from M.A.D. And while we're on the topic of eyeshadow, Fyrinnae is having a sale on their latest Fairytale Collection as well as their loose eyeshadow in Aegir, Dragon Tears, Winter Again and Helena & Demetrius. I don't see anything I like there so will be sitting this one out, but if you've been eyeing their Fairytale colours, they just added a bunch of new ones too! So get on over there ladies because the sale ends on June 9th!
Today I tested some of the Meow samples that recently arrived and also practised lining my eyes. I'd gotten samples of Naughty-Angora and Naughty-Chartreux in Purrfect and Pampered Puss, as well as concealor and undereye concealor samples in Naughty-Chartreux. A couple nights ago I swiped both foundations on my jawline and Angora seemed to blend in better so I decided to try that first.
I prepped my face with tea tree oil and didn't add a primer since I wasn't going anywhere special. I used Chartreux concealor on my spots and then Pampered N-Angora foundation. I think I did about 1 1/2 to 2 coats which is a little more than I usually use but it doesn't feel heavy at all. After wearing it the whole day the itch factor is zero and my face is a little oily but not terribly so. I'm still not sure if this shade is right for me. It's definitely wearable and the depth is not too bad but I feel like there's something missing that I can't put my finger on. Sometimes I think it looks a smidge too dark? I'm at a loss at describing it, it looks ok but at the same time it's just... o...k. After wearing it for 6 hours I also see about four little pus-filled zits popping up (sorry, I know it's disgusting) on my cheeks but I'm not sure if it's due to the foundation or the fact that my skin is just bad in general.
For blush I used Meow Harlot (Sheer, rich coral with tones of pink and peach) which I thought would turn out too light for me. It was the lightest of the other blush samples I ordered which were CherryBomb and Tongue-in-Cheek. However, Harlot surprised me by turning a nice subtle pink-peach after I applied it. It looks like a colour that's perfect for everyday and while I really like it I'll still need to wear it a few more times before I decide if it's worth repurchasing. Otherwise, I am happy with this colour.
Now to the eyes. Several months ago I ordered a few samples from TaylorMadeMinerals and Driftwood (Earthy golden brown with very low sheen) was part of my order. It turned out to be one of my favourite TMM shades because it is so versatile I can use it for any occasion, day or night. I can even imagine myself still using this 20 years down the road. It is comparable to Fawn but lighter and more matte, which is actually a good thing because it makes it wearable for daytime. Foiling gives it the perfect pop of light shimmer without being flashy. I've also worn it 6 hours now without any primer and it has held up nicely without creasing or flaking. Driftwood is like a light-medium brown with gold, a little taupey but definitely more brown than Meow's YHMAM which is a golden taupe. The light sheen that Driftwood has when foiled gives it a slight antiqued look. It also seemed to emphasize my crease when viewed from certain angles, making my eyes look more deepset (a good thing). I used eyedrops to foil this colour all over my lids and blended just above and into my crease. Since I still had a light dusting of Driftwood leftover in my dish, I used my shadow brush and layered that dry over my whole lid. Waste not!
Finally I did my liner in Fyrinnae Bastet (Deep, velvety black filled with gold sparkle) which is fast becoming one of my favourite liner shades. I used the same eyedrops to wetline but I think I'm going to need a mixing medium with more staying power because water/eyedrops alone don't seem to be enough. I used my angled brush to do a catlike flick at the end of my upper lashline. I've tried doing the flick with a pointy eyeliner brush but can never get it to look right. The angled brush makes it so easy! I love the little flick and will be doing it a lot more often from now on. Bastet lines very easily and is nice and pigmented but my only regret is that the pretty gold sparkle barely shows up on a normal thin line. I did my waterline too just for fun and this gave me an almost Cleopatra look, sans blue-green eyepaint. I absolutely love it! It's a bit too striking for daytime but I would love to do this at night if I'm going out. My waterline started fading within an hour or so and now 6 hours later, most of it has faded but I'm still left with a noticable black line that actually still looks good unless you get real close! My upper lashline however is still mostly intact and I think the line will stay clear as long as I don't accidentaly rub my eyes. I really hate the handful of little black dots that are left on my nose and cheekbones though =/ A better mixing medium is definitely in order. I'm not sure if lining all around my eyes made them appear smaller. I think it did to a certain degree, but somehow this look also really works for me. It's like a lowkey version of the smokey eye.
Lips were a quick smear of Meow Tongue-in-Cheek (Dusty rich purple/pink/rose) blush used with lipbalm. TiC makes a great lipcolour although I think I need to use more of it and apply it over lipliner because it didn't seem to last very long.
Chartreux foundation is on the list for tomorrow. So many colours to try, so little time!
A little while back I asked for opinions on what makeup to wear to get a passport-sized photo taken. This was what I eventually came up with. I forgot about the mascara when I took this picture but I did put some on before stepping out. Lumiere Veena Blush in Earth (Earthy brown) not only makes a good blush but it's a very nice eyecolour too. I can see myself reaching for this on days when I don't want to think too much about matching colours and just need a simple neutral. It goes on like a warm brown with a hint of red and a subtle sheen. I think it's a little ironic that in this photo I used a blush as eyeshadow and an eyeshadow as a blush *rolleyes*
I took this picture soon after I did my makeup so the foundation is not the most accurate. It did balance out slightly later on and looking at other photos I took in the evening, still wearing it, it was a match. I guess this one is a keeper! The colour change is very subtle and definitely not as drastic as Neutral Peach. I chose this photo so you can see how much more tan I am in real life. I think the light coming through my window in the late evening is not so accurate because it makes me seem much fairer than I really am.
I got my photos back today and was stunned by them. I know they were going to do some editing and tweaking but seriously, my skin came out looking so smooth! It's not fair, I will never have skin that good in real life! I am happy with the photos, I mean who wouldn't be, I look so beautiful. But knowing my skin will probably never actually look like that is kind of depressing. Gah!
I also had to relinquish the camera I borrowed so I won't be posting too many photos for awhile. I still have one more eye look I did yesterday which I will hopefully get around to posting later.
I got my hands on a camera today so unfortunately you all will have to put up with some of my mugshots.
First was my makeup before going out to lunch. I actually took these photos four hours after I put the makeup on. I used LaurEss Elemental Soft Yellow and added in a pinch of Pure Yellow for good measure. I think I could wear Soft Yellow alone but I didn't have much time to get ready and didn't want to take any chances that it would turn out too light. I love everything about LaurEss Elemental, the texture, the feel, good coverage and I think it's a great match (you be the judge). My only gripe is that it doesn't withstand humidity very well. Within a couple hours my face was all oily. You don't see it in the pictures because I already blotted several times. I think I may have to reserve LaurEss for nighttime use. Or see if primer/finishing powder make any difference.
I tried a little of Lumiere Earth Blush on my eyes. You don't really see it in the picture but that's because I didn't want to look too made up for what was a very casual lunch. I'm thinking it might work for when I get my passport photo taken if I layer it on a bit more. I also tried spritzing with filtered water (it's all I have right now, but I really want some hydrosols!) after I applied the foundation and so far I like the effect.
I met my parents for dinner and decided to do a whole new face of makeup. I figured since I have a camera for the next couple days I should use it for all it's worth! I was running late so I think I did this whole look in like 10 mins, no
time for eyeliner, mascara or even to highlight my browbone. I took this just before 6pm and the sky outside was overcast so I look a bit washed out. I'm really not near as pale in real life as I look in these two pictures! This time I wore Jenulence Yellow Beige F/P and I took this photo very quickly after I put it on so I don't think it has really had enough time to 'meld'. Since I was rushing for time, I chose a foolproof blush - Lumiere Wild Rose (An attractive blend of subtle, burnished pink and rose tones). I used 3-4 sifter holes worth applied with a baby buki and you can still barely see it. Much safer than using a darker blush and risk ending up with clown patches on my cheeks. On lips I used my new favourite 'nude' pigment - Twisted Fayte Spa Day, applied with lip balm. I can't wear real nudes because my lips really need some colour or I look tired. So in real life, Spa Day makes a nice, soft pink that mimics the colour of my lips very well. Too bad TF is no longer in business :(
Finally I wanted to use Fyrinnae Sake & Sashimi again as an eyeshadow instead of eyeliner. I was hunting around for a lighter shadow to go with S&S and found an untouched sample of Meow IdealEyes You Had Me At Meow (Frosty taupe with vintage gold shimmer). Let me just say that YHMAM is beautiful. My photos honestly don't do it justice. Foiling gives it a shiny metallic finish and the end result is a warm, eye-brightening beigey taupe that I think would look good on anyone. S&S also makes the perfect partner for YHMAM. Just a little of it foiled on the outer corners of my eyes makes them look bigger and I swear it gives the effect of me wearing mascara! Side-by-side, YHMAM is the flashier, more attention-getting half of the duo but S&S is the steadfast supporting member that gives the relationship depth and makes YHMAM look better than it would on it's own :)
A couple days ago I decided I should try out my Lumiere foundation samples. I got Light Medium Golden (For light medium skin with golden undertones) in both Veena Velvet and Flawless Finish and Medium Golden (For medium skin with golden undertones) in Veena Velvet. I did a full face using VV Lt-Med Golden first. The texture was lovely, truly velvety and luxurious but the colour was off. I waited, I looked at it from every angle but it was noticably too light and lacking a bit in either yellow or peach. Same thing with the FF. I was kicking myself for not ordering the Luminesse but I didn't know it was the most yellow-toned of the formulas until long after I'd place my order. Oh well.
I tried the VV Med Golden next and this looked like a much better match compared to the Lt-Med Goldens. I looked at all these samples under direct midday sunlight and also indoors and the Med Golden looked the best everytime. I didn't wear it long enough to judge the staying power though.
Fast forward to tonight. I was going out for a quick dinner and decided to do my makeup using all Lumiere. I used my new Lumiere baby kabuki for the first time and I'm sorry Susanna, but I think I'm going to hold on to this one for awhile! :P It works reasonably well despite the size. The Lumiere baby kabuki is really dense and ultra-velvety, in fact I love everything about it except the fact that it is so small. The bristles at their longest are just under 1" and the diameter is 7/8" at the most. Comparing it to my 2006 EDM baby kabuki, the Lumiere brush head is almost half the size of the EDM one! I would hardly call it a baby kabuki but somehow foetus kabuki doesn't sound very appealing. Thankfully what it loses in size it makes up for in sheer silky softness. Now I know what the other ladies mean when they say they could buff their face the whole day with Lumiere brushes.
I got out my Med Golden again and applied one layer after moisturising with emu oil (non-Lumiere). I waited a few minutes and looked in the mirror under flourescent lighting. Right away I could detect a slight greenish-yellow overcast that wasn't there when I tested it during the daytime outdoors. It wasn't good at all, I looked a bit ill. I decided to continue with the rest of my makeup, using Lumiere Burnt Sienna (Shimmery aged brick) as both blush and lip colour in the hopes it would cut the sallowness a little. Burnt Sienna is very shimmery on its own and thus makes a very shimmery bright brick red lip colour. However, used as a blush the shimmer buffs off easily leaving a light coral sheen. It's a beautiful colour but I don't think I like it enough to order it again.
My friends and I ended up eating at a very dimly lit roadside cafe which was fortunate for me because I don't think the off-colour tone in my foundation would have been obvious to anyone. When I got back, an hour or two later I checked my face again under the same lighting and the yellow-greenness seems to have subsided?! I don't know what to make of this. I've heard of tan foundations getting more orangey but never something like this. The jury is still out on VV Med Golden. I think I may hold onto this one to wear during the daytime but for a nighttime event I'll stick to Jenulence for now.
I really like the texture of Lumiere but I wonder if the Goldens are just not for me. I definitely need to sample the warms and beiges before deciding if I should embrace their foundations or write them off. If only the new yellow shades they're supposed to be concocting would be launched soon!
