Make-Up Monday: Too Faced Absolutely Invisible Candlelight Powder

I can't remember how I came about getting my first compact of this. I want to say it was a present but it is the kind of thing I'd buy for myself.

Anyways it comes in super cute packaging but it is Too Faced so I expect that. It also comes with this pink sponge to apply it but I just use my face brush, same one I use for my regular loose powder.

The best way to think of this is as a highlighter. In the beginning I tried to use it as a regular pressed powder and let me tell you that is so not flattering. You start looking like you're Data from Star Trek. (And I love Data but I flush too easily to rock that look.)

So apply your foundation and powder as you would if you weren't using this...

Then dust this on sparingly. I do a couple runs on the cheeks and one or two on the forehead, nose and chin. And then hit up my chest and neck too so I'm ~sparkly~. Well I'm not too sparkly in photos but it is there in real life. And as you can see it also kind of soft focuses my face a bit!

It is a fun little addition to make-up, especially for evening looks or for special occasions.

Price: $27
Packaging: 5/5
Very cute, secure and durable.
Quality: 3/5
Nothing too special. It I could use it in place of my regular powder instead of with it then we'd have something.
Value: 4/5
For what it is the price isn't too bad. It lasts just about forever since you need so little but $27 for a fun little addition is a bit rich for my tastes.
Overall: 4/5

Lolita Musings: Trends I'm hoping will catch on

The other day while get dressed I looked at my giant brimmed sunhat and thought, "If bonnets can be so popular and tiny hats of all nature, I wonder when your time will be."

I love a giant confection of a hat. More ribbons and pins and feathers please! And giant brimmed hats are perfect in the summer to help a lolita keep her pale glow. As tiny hats seem to be going to the wayside as maxipad headdresses and head eating bows have I want to believe the next trend will be giant, looks like something from loli-Titanic hats. Clips and modest bows will likely stay around as they have for so many years and they are great staples. But sometimes I want frippery. I'm hoping AatP, purveyor of many FABULOUS tiny hats will next year or the year after be a purveyor of many FABULOUS giant brimmer, shallow crowned hats.

I also hope stars and regimental stripe patterns will come back into vogue. Now that I have the money to buy lots (well not lots really) of Victorian Maiden I hope they bring back their amazing regimental stripe stuff.

Lastly I'm hoping leggings catch on. Basically the awesome things Brands have done with socks but in full footed jersey leggings. Leggings are so much more comfortable and far superior to sock.

BB Wednesday: Tony Moly Dear Me Cotton

I can fully admit that I only bought this because of the cute wing on the package. Literally what got me to buy it otherwise I wouldn't have. I love little adorable wings. This is also the last of my BB shopping spree, so for right now the BB Wednesday feature will take a break. Maybe a few months until I see another super cute one I have to have.

This is another with a simple tiny hole applicator and it works wonderfully well.

This BB is the darkest of what I got.

And here's my plain face.

And here I am wearing it. This is a very opaque BB and it is also a little heavy. The scent is faintly soapy but otherwise not really there which is nice. This would be great in winter when I'm not sweating it off. In summer it only lasts about 5 hours before a powder is needed.

Price: $10/30ml (From RubyRubyShop
Packaging: 5/5
So cute! And very effective and would pack easy. I love it. It could be kawaii-er but I like that I could have this when travelling and even though it is still cute I wouldn't be laughed at by TSA.
Quality: 4/5
This one makes me break out least, has the most opaque coverage and feels really nice. Only downside is that it isn't much suited for hot, humid summers.
Value: 3/5
It is a bit more pricey than the others without too much of an improvement in quality so it only scores average.
Overall: 4/5

And here's the comparison chart:

Make-Up Monday: Evil Shades Cerberus, Mordant, Suffocation and Valkyries eye shadows and Obscurity and Hell Froze Over Lipstick Swatches

I would say this will be the last of my Memorial Day sale haul but that would be lying. You can look forward to a ton of Victorian Disco swatches soon. But this, my latest Evil Shades order was mainly to restock my two fav lipsticks, Fearless and Jenaveve. I also bought the full size of the Drakon and Yellow Snowballs eye shadows I'd gotten samples of with previous orders (would have never known how much I like Yellow Snowballs otherwise). And then since I was already ordering I figured why not get some new eye shadows and a lipstick too. There was something with a Final Fantasy related name that I didn't have after all.

Cerberus is a pretty crimson. Why yes I continue to buy things that remind me of Final Fantasy VII, how ever could you guess?
Mordant is a brownish plum. Very lovely.
Suffocation is a bright pink with a blue shift to it. It is apparently the eye shadow sister to Lost Kiss and very like Urban Decay's Omen except with a pink base instead of lavender. Like magic.
Valkyries is a pale petal pink which I am very happy to add to my collection.

Here's a look using Cerberus, Suffocation and Valkyries.

And here's a look using Mordant, Drakon and Suffocation.

Obscurity is very blue. I... Both liked the name and also the Mana feel. Some days I want to be pretty like Mana.

Hell Froze Over is a sheer white. It kinda makes you look like you have frost bite almost.

BB Wednesday: Skinfood Good Afternoon Peach Green Tea

I have so much in the way of peach things now it isn't even funny. I like peach a lot but I'd like some variety too. But this color seemed the palest and yellowest and it was listed as mattifying which is a serious plus for me. If I'm dewy I tend to look like I'm sweating or oily. Not very nice.

The package is alright. The box the tube came in had a teacup shaped cut out so you could see the tube which was super cute.

Another tiny hole applicator which is fine by me! Easy to control exactly how much you get out. :)

Here's my unmade face (I naturally exude eyeshadow lol).

And here's the product itself. A bit greyer than the others.

And here's my face! It covers up redness really well but isn't horrendously opaque. It works nicely really but is a bit heavier than the Peach Sake and as it is summer here in the South I am preferring the Peach Sake at the moment. I think in the fall this one will really be up against the Holika Holika Essential one. Essential will probably be my fav in winter. This one lasts about as long as the Holika Holika Essential Petit BB, about 5-6 hours before needing a powder.

Price: $8/30ml (Purchased from RubyRubyShop on Ebay)
Packaging: 4/5
Cute enough and practical. Not super cute though.
Quality: 4/5
Pretty opaque and a great match for my paaale skin. Also conceals redness without making me too pasty. I like. A little heavy though.
Value: 3/5
Pricewise on point with the others but nothing really makes it special.
Overall: 3.66

And the comparison shot:

Make-Up Monday: Shiro Cosmetics 40 Cakes Intertubes

I loved the idea behind the Intertubes: memes and pretty lip colors. For the most part colors I liked were not paired with memes I liked so I didn't grab one. But 40 Cakes. I should not be as amused by that meme as I am. And the pink looked pink and fun. I figured it was a sheer balm and those are also great to throw in a purse.

The tube itself is weird, I don't think I've ever seen another lip product in a tube like this. But it isn't bad. Just different. Also I really wish Lex was on there but I still giggle every time I pull this out so it gets the job done.

And yeah this is so not a sheer balm guys. It actually is pretty much NYX lipstick in an applicator suited to the easily pliable formula. It is super moisturizing but the color is still quite opaque. And with this Barbie pink... It is quite the look. There is a slight bit of streaking to it but with this color that isn't an issue because it isn't too bold against the lip. With some of the purples and very dark colors it might be.

But 40 Cakes is honestly an amazing lip product. And that's not terrible at all.

Price: $6.50/5.5g
Packaging: 5/5
It works well to neatly apply the product. Like really well. I'm not taking any points off for the lack of Lex simply because it probably had something to do with copyright issues or whatnot.
Quality: 4.5/5
It is super moisturizing with very opaque color and it feels like buttah. Only taking half a point off because it is slightly streaky.
Value: 4/5
It is a great product but I can tell I'll probably go through this in about three months and having buy 3-4 a year adds up. But still great for what it is (which is amazing).
Overall: 4.5/5

Lolita Musings: Summer Wardrobe

I love lolita. I love getting dressed up in it, I love wearing it, I love foofing about with my fluffy skirts. But there are about four months out of the year where that isn't necessarily going to happen every morning.

Those four months are pretty much summer here.

In winter lolita is great because it is layering and helps to keep me warm. I can totally cover every inch of me except my head and be comfortable. But when things start getting hot towards the end of spring it gets a little harder and when we finally hit summer and it is stupid humid too? It gets rough. That's when I have to pack my socks in my purse and put them on when I get to the air conditioned tundra that is my place of employment. I stare at my blouses, all neatly hanging up in my closet and spend three minutes debating the virtues of being totally loli and protecting my jsks from me glistening by wearing a blouse and the fact that I will be cooler while walking to work if I don't wear one. Even my most summery of blouses still feels constricting and hot. And when the humidity is stupid high because we're clearly going to get thunderstorms a petticoat seems a ridiculous thing to wear.

So in summer The Rules are a bit fudged. I can't even say sometimes to that, in summer it is a special occasion to be in full lolita kit. My socks only get worn indoors or for short periods on days when it isn't too humid (high humidity plus socks equals very itchy legs). I actually am will to for-go a petticoat and just rock bloomers as my underpinnings because they don't itch. And I'm going to be making a pair of super full eyelet bloomers once I'm back from vacation to hopefully recapture some of that poof while still being cool and comfortable. I have two or three summery blouses which are loosely woven and 100% cotton to be as cool and breathable as possible and which also protect my pale arms from getting too tan when I go on outings.

Summer is almost a test for lolitas, at least if you live somewhere with extreme weather. But luckily The Rules aren't hard and fast. We can adapt them to a certain extent and still be poofy and loli and have fun. I would hate to get up in the morning and resent my lolita finery because I know I'm going to sunstroke from it.

BB Wednesday: Skin Food Peach Sake

So, I can't be the only one who buys things because they sound kind of weird. When I saw the Peach Sake BB I was like 'Say whaaaa?'. That just sounds so odd for a face product. But it also looked pale and yellow toned and I like peaches and adult beverages so why not? I also ordered the sun lotion from the same line.

The packaging is a bit odd, not sure what is up with the faux wood cap and the peach colored container with the copper embossing is unique. But it still looks pretty on my counter.

The pump is rather annoying. I'd have preferred more of a small opening like pretty much every other BB I got.

Here I am with, uh, my unmade face. Yes my unmade face includes eyeshadow, I sleep with fully done eye make up half the time (I know, terrible).

As you can see very yellowy and nice and pale.

And here I am with the cream on! It is a bit more sheer than the Holika Holika one but it smells delightfully similar to a Bellini, it applies well and can go a whole work day without needing powder (though not much longer). So it edges out the Holika Holika one just barely.

Price: ~$8/30ml (On sale at RubyRubyShop's ebay acct)

Packaging: 4/5

A bit WTF-y in the design though not hideous but the pump knocks a full point off for making it harder to use.

Quality: 4.5/5

If it was less sheer and/or didn't slightly irritate my skin (I know, asking for miracles) then it'd be a full five.

Value: 4/5

Average cost wise for BB creams but I really like it so y'know, that makes it a better value to me.

And here's the comparison chart again:

My Newest Book Is Now Available!

This series is mostly about the normally secondary characters within your typical comic book style universe. The first book follows a museum curator who is tired of her museum getting blown up and robbed, a girl henching to pay for college and a med student who is antsy to start practicing medicine and helping people.

You can download it from the kindle store here.

Make-Up Monday: Evil Shades Hardcore Lips in Lost Kiss

I got my migi of Lost Kiss in my last order. It has been living in my purse ever since with the Bane lipstick, my Chanel gloss and the Revlon Gucci Westman gloss in Crystal Waters. I love Lost Kiss so much. So. Much. I already reviewed it so this is more for the swatches. :D

The applicator works very well and the migi size is great for tucking in pockets and tiny purses.

The only sad thing is that it wears off within a few hours. But I still love it.

Outfits of the Fortnight: Vol 4

Okay with Comic Con International coming up and taking up the two weeks after this there might not be an OotF next fortnight. Or if there is then it may have a Madame du Pompadour tossed in. And despite wearing lolita for the whole roadtrip to Savcon I actually didn't get any decent coord pics. So, um, yeah. My first break of my biweekly posting schedule isn't from not wearing lolita but being too busy to take pics lol.

EDIT: Ha yeah, I wore loli but there are no good pics. Whoops, sorry.

BB Wednesday: Holika Holika Essential Petit BB

This shall be a kind of short run feature, I don't plan on buying enough BB cream to post about every week or every other week, so consider it something fun for July.

These always look bigger in the pictures but 30ml isn't all that much. But honestly since it is just about impossible to sample BBs here in the USA small sizing (and therefore smaller prices) isn't such a bad thing. The cap is also purple btw.

It has a nice small opening so it is very easy to get just the right amount.

And here is what the cream itself looks like.

Here's my mug sans BB cream. I've been breaking out a bit more since starting to use BB creams but I break out whenever I use anything other than sensitive formula face lotion so no surprise there. I also do my eye make up before because eyeshadow fallout sticks to freshly applied BB cream like nobody's business.

And here we are after. It really has great coverage and covers up the red in my face (which is basically the only color I have in my face). I accidentally covered the side thirds of my lips, which is why they are skin toned, that's how good the coverage is. I've worn it all day for a couple of days now. It does make me breakout a slight bit and the slightly soapy smell isn't tops but that fades out pretty quickly. Overall I really liked it. I just wish it didn't crease and accentuate every bump on my forehead after 5-6 hours so I have to powder.

Price: $8/30ml (from RubyRubyShop on ebay)
Packaging: 5/5
Very effective and compact and also cute (That kitty!).
Quality: 4/5
I'm not a fan of soapy smells and it does make me break out a little (but so does my current local water). It also doesn't last all day, I have to powder after 5-6 hours but I do practically live in a swamp. I'll let you know how well it works when I'm in California (aka not a swamp).
Value: 4/5
Eh... It is a nice product and costs about the same as foundation here in the states but at least it is a color that works for my ridiculous paleness.
Overall: 4.33/5
I really do like it, the coverage is great if you are breaking out, the smell isn't too horrible and does fade quickly. It is also a great color for me which my w1 skin is thankful for since they stopped selling the w1 l'Oreal truematch shade here.

And here is a comparison shot of all my currently owned BBs since these were one of the most helpful things I saw when trying to figure out which ones to buy (lol my paaaale skin).

Make-Up Monday: Morgana Cryptoria Lipsticks Copper Patina, Hydrangea, Ice Queen

I really do love the Morgana lipstick blend. I just don't feel like dropping $12 on something I can't swatch first. So this past half year I've only gotten three new ones.

Copper Patina is good, not particularly remarkable but good. Applies nicely, not streaky and doesn't dry out my lips too horribly. I ordered this hoping to find one like Pumpkin Eater but this is closer to 24k Pumpkin. Maybe if I'm lucky she'll do another batch of Pumpkin Eater as a Halloween special.

Hydrangea is a lovely color. I bought it solely because Hydrangeas are some of my very favorite flowers. Were I ever to get married the floral would be hydrangeas and rosemary. I really like this purple toned pink, it is just slightly darker and purpler than my natural lip color. AND IT HAS GREEN SPARKLES. The name is very apt and I think my Chanel Satin is going to have a run for its money on which gets to live in my purse.

Ice Queen is a bit of a let down. It is through no fault of Ice Queen's own, as a matte ice blue it is quite unique and for a blue has pretty darn good coverage and is easy to apply. The color just doesn't quite work with my skin tone. I'm going to try putting different glosses on top and see what that does for me.