Another throw back kind of item, this has been one of my favorite eyeshadows since about forever. It was discontinued a long time ago but you can find it on ebay. It also seems to never run out, since I've had it for a few years and it is still pretty full.
The print has worn away a bit since this always goes in my travel bag.
This eyeshadow is full of shimmer and stays on (with a base) pretty darn well. I bought it originally because it matched Faust VIII's perfectly. It has only grown on me since.
Of course, it wasn't eyeshadow for him, he just never slept.
It has only been recently that is went into my regular rotation though. I'm not sure why but it blends really nicely with my black eyeshadow so that is a big plus for me.
That is with base, with base it stays very nicely though when applying I tend to get some fall out (but I've got a shaky hand). I tried to take a picture with flash but it washes out to just about the same color as the skin on my forearm. The not flash picture is color accurate and shows the approximate amount of shimmer seen when on the eye though.
Price: ~$5 on ebay, $1.50 at Big Lots.
Packaging: 3/5
The packaging is solid and very unobtrusive. It can be a bit of a pain to get the powder out in the small amount needed for a daily look but it is possible.
Quality: 5/5
It applies, stays on and feels great.
Value: 5/5
It lasts just about forever and is nice to work with and wear. That is the definition of a 5 here.
Overall: 4.33/5
Pretty good, I'd definitely buy it again should I ever run out.
Last week I went and saw Jane Eyre and kind of sort of fell completely in love. Michael Fassbender has been on my list of people where if they are in a film, I'm just going to go see it. The man can act. And he didn't disappoint in Jane Eyre.
He is also just the right mix of awesome actor, not handsome and not hideous to be the perfect Mr. Rochester.
I left the theater in a bit of a happy haze which I've not had after a movie in ages (I think the last one was 9, but I'm not sure). Half of that was from the dresses which sang a siren song to me. 'But I've got enough sewing projects' I thought, 'and I don't have the proper under garments'. That evening I downloaded a copy of the book to my kindle and figured it'd be a fun on and off read. Oh yeah, sure. Jane's childhood is a bit less than fun to slog through but it is totally necessary. It establishes who Jane is and what has made her that way. Then Jane gets to Thornfield and we get some powerful scenes. Oh my. Rochester and Jane are so not an ideal relationship and things are weird but somehow it is super enjoyable to read and there is a passion (pronounced in the super hilarious, Italian sportscar way, btw) to their interactions. I finished the book in about five days, finishing it by not sleeping the last night of that because I couldn't put it down.
When I had first left the theater I thought it was an awesome movie and liked Jane as Mia W. portrayed her. After reading the book... I still like both. They are just two different Janes, kind of similar but totally not. Book Jane is a bit more playful and teasing and proud which we are able to get to fully know since it is written from her point of view, as if she was telling us the story in person or in a veeeery long letter. Movie Jane is much more reserved and kind of... timid. Most of it is probably since we don't have Jane commenting on everything but the air that Mia W. gave off just felt more timid and being pulled by the tides. I don't dislike it but I do prefer Book Jane.
The trailer is kind of a terrible example of the movie's quality but it shows the pretty clothes!
In short: Loved the movie (Fassbender should get a freaking award btw), LOVED the book and fell in love with the clothing.
Which is where this post's title comes in. I tried to fight it but within a few days I succumbed to the desire for a Jane Eyre wardrobe. It doesn't help that there was a big clearance at Hancock so I got a lavender/grey stripe shirting, super fine black cotton and some white with black/grey stripe shirting (more Ingram than Eyre but I love white and I didn't see any black taffeta for cheap). The pink fabric I had wanted a corset made out of for ages was also on sale which also helped. Since that style needs a proper corset base.
So, for the next few weeks this blog will pretty much be on field trip to the 1840's. The garments are still beautiful and I've got some hilarious sewing fail stories on my part (wire hangers as boning in a corset for the lol) so I'm sure y'all won't mind too much. I'll also be reviewing Matches and Matrimony, a Pride and Prejudice/Sense and Sensibility/Persuasion crossover visual novel which was posted up on egl last week as well. Oh, and the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June will likely be a bit empty on my part. Botcon is the first weekend of June so there's a bit of prep and breakdown concerning that and I've got to get my capstone stuff all settled at that time as well. I'll try and post some interesting things but they may be themed on transforming robots. :D
10 Things I Love About Lolita
1) That it is a modest fashion.
2) That tailoring and quality are valued.
3) The people I get to see at meet ups. Most of them are awesome.
4) Getting pretty. It takes awhile but it is nice if I’m not in a hurry.
5) The fact other people share my love of clothes made of couch fabric.
6) The fluffy skirts!
7) Seeing all the gorgeous coord pics people post online.
8) The love of hilariously OTT hair accessories and jewelry.
9) People who appreciate making things like clothes.
10) That princess feeling. Not the hauty diva attitude but that regal, sunny feeling I get from dressing up so very prettily.
And...
5 Things I Hate About Lolita
1) THE NAME. Seriously.
2) The drama caused by a few overly politically correct bad apples.
3) Giant head eating wigs.
4) The shoes! Aside from the classical brands they are chunky and ageplay like.
5) The price. Blag $300 dresses and pleather shoes that sell for leather prices.
In October of last year I finally had enough of my hair being a dry, wavy rat's nest. Aside from the fact it would tangle as soon as you looked at it, it just was not happy and very poofy. So, I went to my mom's hair stylist, Hannah, and asked her to help me out. I was thinking of getting a keratin treatment because I heard that makes hair silky smooth but I didn't want straight hair. I mean my wavy hair can annoy me but it is easy to curl and I didn't want to lose that. She had the mostly perfect elixer that I needed. She used Moroccan Oil Original Treatment Oil (and the matching shampoo and conditioner).
I've tried various anti-frizz oils and conditioners but nothing worked for me, this did wonders. My hair still tangles a little and definitely curls and grows in high humidity but it does so less and is quite happy to be styled. Now it isn't just a pile of fluff atop my head. I'm going to try the "store brand" of it that Walgreens has since that would save me like $30 but I'm quite willing to pay the extra if only this one works.
Price: $40-$70
Size: 100ml
Packaging: 5/5
It is juuuuust inside the limits allowed by the TSA so it takes up space when I travel but they do sell a smaller bottle which I just fill up from the bigger bottle. I have long hair so I use a lot of product which is why I buy the bigger bottle. It is actually rather pretty too for a dark brown glass bottle.
Quality: 5/5
It works almost miracles. It isn't going to do the same thing as a keratin treatment but you can still curl your hair and you don't have to sit in salon for half a day and drop a few hundred bucks.
Value: 4.5/5
The 100ml bottle I bought last October still hasn't ran out, I think I've got another month of every other day use left in it. Even though it costs some money, since it lasts so long I think the value isn't bad at all. Especially since a keratin treatment costs more and only lasts like three months.
Overall: 4.83/5
It is a great product (as is the whole line really). It is a little pricey but it works great.
Do you have a favorite Lolita, Aristocrat, Goth, etc.? What do you admire most about her/his style?"
They aren’t all lolita but they all influence me and my lolita style.
OTT: Valentino Rossi
Not a lolita but he’s so very over the top. I almost chose one pic because I could have gone with the caption: "Pssh, highlighter yellow and primary blue totally match." He also likes having cartoon pictures of his dogs either on his helmet or on his bike. He’s taught me not to be afraid of wearing bright things with random things on it.
Gothic: Marius (ala Queen of the Damned)
Aside from the fact he’s just handsome, I love how the character of Marius always manages to wear a red jacket/coat and look fancy. He is the one and only reason I went out of my way to make a red velveteen jacket. I didn’t quite follow the exact style of his red velvet blazer but I’m sure he’d think it’s a fine one. He also very much embodies a love of the arts and all things gorgeous in his own book, Blood and Gold. And the vampire thing kind of lends itself to gothic.
All Around: Marie Antoinette and Madame du Pompadour
Hey look, some ladies are on my list. These two are just so beautiful, I’d wear any of their dresses, either shortened to knee length or not. Just. So. Pretty. I liked both the film for Marie Antoinette and the episode of Doctor Who with Reinette. Marie Antoinette had absolutely gorgeous costuming, set design, photography and food. Reinette was so dignified and beautiful. I love dignified and beautiful. And her theme from the soundtrack is one of my favorite tracks ever.
So yeah, half my fashion role models are dudes and only Vale and Reinette are otherwise role models to me. Go figure.
This is a very important topic, cleaning your brushes makes sure that they work the best they can and that they don't get nasty. It is also very easy to clean brushes. I'll be cleaning my eyeshadow brush today, I clean this one about once a week since I have a daily look which uses this brush for one color only.
First, get your not clean brush:
Then get your brush cleaner. I read somewhere once that you can use baby shampoo and after trying it out, I found it works great. I also like that I can buy the travel size bottle of it since it is cost effective and doesn't take up much space. I pour a small blob into a paper bathroom cup.
Then I fill the cup 3/4 full with water and stir vigorously with the make-up brush. Try using a whisking motion for best results.
Rinse out your brush.
Straighten the bristles out if they are messy and let the brush dry! A toothbrush holder works great for thin handled brushes (which for me includes all but my face powder brush).
Now your brush is clean! This does not work well with super cheap versions of synthetics (I lost my costuming face powder brush finding this out) but any quality brush should have no problems.
