Make-Up Monday: Shiro Cosmetics Alkahestry, Nic Cage, Ragdoll, Oogie Boogie, Pumpkin King and This is Halloween Swatches!

Just thought I'd toss these up. I still love her shadow formula.

Alkahestry: Ignore my spelling error on the pic. I bought this because I'm trying to find something just like Omen. Clearly this isn't just like Omen since it has blue sparkles over a blue sheen but OMG the sparkliness is so in your face it is so amazing. Love. It. I'm getting FOR GENERATIONS next order, I didn't realize it had Alex on it and omg I need a shadow with Alex right on the cap.

Oogie Boogie: Money green. It's listed as mildewy green but it is more midtone. Goes lovely with Alexandria though, as you can see.

Ragdoll: The color I figured I wouldn't really like but the cap art was super cute so I got it. It is actually a really nice midtone and perfect for fall eye looks. *thumbs up*

Pumpkin King: Is like identical to Nic Cage. I thought it was a packaging error until I looked on the website again and yeah no they really are supposed to be very similar. But I absolutely love it, I've been wanting a good really dark brownish black and this so fits the bill. So I'm okay with having two jars of basically the same color.

Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Brisk October Afternoon: I bought it because of the crazy name and the even crazier cap art. I now taunt one of my interns that the library is haunted by Nic Cage's disembodied leaf surrounded head. It floats around just being creepy. She always gives me a not amused look and thanks me for the nightmares. >:D Like I said, pretty much identical to Pumpkin King but such a nice color I don't mind.

This look was done with Meowth by the brow, Ragdoll in the middle and on one eye Nic Cage and the other Pumpkin King by the lashes. Seriously, cannot tell them apart.

And here is a swatch of the This is Halloween gloss! This was why I waited to get this up because I wanted to give it a test run. It bleeds a bit and requires touch ups after any time you touch your lips but I love the color. Reddish orange you's my fav. The smell can be strong but it is sweet pumpkin-y chai so not that terrible.

Make-Up Monday: Morgana Cryptoria Lipsticks in Fallen Angel, Midnight Plumeria and Nightly Wishing

More Morgana lipsticks! These are just swatches on lip, not full reviews since I've already reviewed her lipstick before. These are just like all her other lipsticks: amazing bold color, don't bleed and stay the hell in place. <3

Fallen Angel is both purple AND has red glitter which is neat even if it reads more silver on film.

Midnight Plumeria is the most red of these three, it is a pretty color. Have to build it up though, a few quick swipes just gives a smokey effect.

Nightly Wishing is the bluest of these shades. It is also the most metallic.

The only downside to these three shades is that they are supposed to be duochrome but for me just read as purple in the mirror and on camera. :(

Outfits of the Fortnight v.8

It was absolutely miserable for most of September so there was little if any loli going on for me. But! Things are cooling down now so yay!

Summer Gothic

No socks 'cause it was still super humid. I should have worn my Jane mitts, they would have really pulled this together... And maybe a black headbow.

Blouse: Offbrand

Skirt: Offbrand

Shoes: Offbrand

Country Loli!

Still too humid to do socks otherwise this would have been perfect.

Blouse: Offbrand

JSK: Offbrand

Boots: AatP

Whaddya Mean Green Isn't a Fall Color?

I love greens like this, om nom nom I could eat them all up. Also EVERYTHING has a pattern in this yet somehow it doesn't feel busy. Yay.

Tie: Bodyline

Blouse: Offbrand

JSK: AatP

Socks: Offbrand

Shoes: Offbrand

A Bit More in the Season

It's the Jane OP! Yay! I was really wanting to wear my lavender and black coffin with bats clip but didn't think I had anything purple until I remembered that OP I hardly wear. I'm wearing bat earrings but clearly I need some black bat accessories.

Clip: Handmade, from the Afest Loli Swap

OP: Handmade

Socks: Offbrand

Shoes: Offbrand

Navy and White

I love mixing navy and white pieces. They go together so well. I forgot my petticoat and bloomers though since I was late and rushing to get ready. :x

Jacket: Offbrand

Dress: Offbrand

Boots: Offbrand

Parasol: Offbrand

Make-Up Monday: Morgana Cryptoria Slimline Lipstick in Lily

Another of Morgana's new products, I was pulled in because it was $5 and there's one called Lily. You can completely and totally get me to buy something if it isn't too expensive and has a name I like.

The tube itself isn't quite as slim as the balm/lipgel tubes but is slimmer than a regular tube. It is poured directly into the tube instead of being free standing like a not slim lipstick. I kind of dig this since it means it won't slide off (Hydrangea does this all the time but most other Morgana lipsticks don't have this problem. Nyx lipsticks alllll do this).

This is an odd color for me. I really like it, but I have to wear bb cream/can't go sans face goo if I want to wear it. I guess it doesn't quite mix with my skin tone when my face is all red. It applies easily but has a bit of a candy scent to it like all of Evil Shades lip stuff. Not unpleasant but something to keep in mind. This is a very luminous shade. You know how her Galaxy gloss kind of glows? This does too. I love that glowing effect. :D

This is also my lightest lipshade now! As you can see it is a bit bubblegum-y which may explain why it doens't play nice with the red in my face.

Price: $7/2ml
Package: 4/5
Sturdy, supports the lipstick and works without any issues. Classy looking but nothing to write home about.
Quality: 4/5
This formula seems different from her normal lipstick one, it is a bit sheerer and easier to apply but also doesn't have the staying power for daaays aspect. With a light tone like this it isn't a problem, it just means a touch up after coffee or lunch.
Value: 5/5
That's a great price for a good lipstick! Seriously.
Overall: 4.36/5
I'd buy it again, it is a pretty color, I'm digging the price point and quality. And this shade will look tops with my Tron:Legacy Siren coord!

Make-Up Monday: Missha Signature M Real Complete B.B. Cream

So I said I wasn't going to buy any more bb cream since I have plenty from my order back in May. And then I was in Dallas for A-Fest and had to hit up the H-mart for my fix of Asian groceries and the cosmetics store was open so I went in and the adorable sales lady totes sold me on this one. The one downside of the other four bb creams I have is that they still make me break out. My skin is just mean like that. So adorable sales lady, who takes one look at me after I ask for bb cream, navigates the giant display of them and picks out the best match for my skin thus far in about ten seconds assured me this was one of the best for sensitive skin. And $50 and two weeks of near daily use later I'm now writing this review.

I'm not normally much of a fan of the pump. It normally pumps too much/I can't get just a smidge out. This one I can actually vary how much I get out in a pump which is nice. The packaging is also pretty although not all super cute which is a slight let down. But maybe that just means it is a more grown up/better bb?

So here's my unmade up face. I'm not even wearing eyeshadow. Gasp-horror-shock I know. I is smarter to put on your eyeshadow before your bb though. Any shadow fall out sticks to this stuff like mad.

And here I am with the bb on. It knocks out the red in my face reaaaaal well. I'm wearing it a bit heavy here so it also pretty much knocks out my freckles and moles well too (though I like those so whatev). I've done lighter applications also (how thick I wear it varies every day since I'm normally in a hurry and just go with whatever coverage I get once it is even). I like that I can vary how heavy I want to wear it which I haven't had much luck with when using my other ones. You don't really want a heavy layer of make-up when it is 100+ and 90% humidity out. Though this one does pretty well when it comes to staying in place when you're sweating.

Overall I like it a lot, it does make me break out a little bit (like a couple blemishes on my forehead, one or two on my chin and one in the vague area of my nose on average) but it makes me break out the least of all of them, even though I wear it every day. Also if it has a scent I didn't notice. Like I've been putting this on my face for two weeks now so if it had even a light scent I'd have smelled it by now. Maybe it is the scents in others that make me break out?

And here's a comparison of all the ones I have so far. I can't even imagine how pale Missha #13 must be since #21 is almost too pale for me and I'm pretty pale.

Price: $50/45ml from Cosmetics World in Dallas (can be found online for about $30)
Package: 4/5
Easily able to control how much product you get out, the packaging is also sturdy. I just wish it was cuter.
Quality: 4.5/5
It is the only bb I have been able to do light AND heavy coverage with, the color is really great for me and it doesn't make me break out much. It would have a perfect score if it didn't make me break out at all but that would then be a miracle.
Value: 4/5
A bit pricey but it doesn't make me break out much. I'm willing to pay for that. Also since I got the larger one, even with daily wear I imagine it will last me at least a year of sole use.
Overall: 4.16/5
A bit pricey and the packaging is not super cute but otherwise my absolute fav so far.

How-To: Turning Pajama Pants Into Bloomers

I have more pairs of pajama pants than I really need. I only really need a pair of cotton ones for summer, jersey ones for travel/mildly cold and fluffy ones for cold nights. I have like seven pairs though. So in an effort to make space in my closet I'm turning some of them into bloomers. It is actually super simple, though there are three major ways to do it.

I'm doing the third to last one since I like my ruffles backed in the same fabric as the front.

First you'll need to cut off some of the leg. About halfway is about standard bloomer length on me but you can vary it easily. Just remember to add 3" to where you want it to fall so they don't end up too short!

Either iron or baste the rough edge down. Doing this will keep them from fraying. If you were doing the 4th illustration's style then this would be a french seam but since this will be sewn down we don't have to worry about that.

Next fold up the bottom of the leg, You can measure this out or eyeball it. These are bloomers so I just eyeballed it. You'll pin where you want the top row of stitching for the elastic's channel to be.

And remember to check that you've left enough fabric that it will cover the elastic and give you something to stitch down for the bottom row of stitching for the channel.

Once that is sewn start pinning for the bottom stitches of the channel, you'll want to be putting the elastic in as you do this, making sure not to pin the elastic (it needs to be able to move).

Sew the covered end of the elastic down first then sew the row of stitching which is the bottom of the channel. About an inch before you finish the row, pull the elastic to the desired taughtness and hold in place while you trim it then pin it down at the end of the channel. Sew the end of the elastic down, then coax the last but of the channel in place over it and finish stitching it up.

Repeat on the other leg and you have ruffly bloomers! I added some organza ribbon to mine to jazz them up a tad.

Make-Up Monday: Morgana Cryptoria Lipstake Lip Liner in Dragon's Blood

So Morgana released a ton of new stuff. I think I've been most excited about the new lipstakes, I'm always kind of meh on buying lip liners but I need them for my reds. And now I can just toss one in my casket when I'm ordering from her. :D

I got the shade Dragon's Blood since I only really have problems with reds bleeding on me. Also this doubles as an eye liner. Mind=blown. I love how she brings us so many interesting colors. Iwamine Shuu make-up day here I come!

It is a pencil liner, of the same kind of weird black "wood" as the Pixie eyeliners though I've had better luck when it comes to sharpening this one. The liner itself kind of compresses when applying but otherwise applies just as easy as my Chanel Aqua Crayon (I'm going to be comparing this to that one since that one is perfection). I do wish it was an auto liner but can't have everything I guess. What matters is that it works without being a major pain (the only annoyance is having to sharpen it which isn't much of an annoyance at all).

I tested it with two lip products, Nyx's Chaos and Chanel's Lip Laquer in Dragon. And yep, this is a wear test. Cause the reason I use lip liner is to keep feathering at bay, so that is the make or break for liners (for me).

And here we are after about 10 hours, which includes meals and drinks and stuff. It feathered a bit but you don't notice unless you're looking. With the Chanel liner I get no feathering with this lipstick but it is darker so it changes the shade. I plan to keep using Dragon's Blood for this one.

And here we are with Dragon. Chanel's lip lacquers are such a freaking pain in the ass for me. I loooove the color but it is basically a sticky gloss that is super bright and gets all over. You HAVE to use liner and even my super awesome Chanel lip liner that normally keeps everything in place has trouble keeping this stuff from feathering. Here we are at the the beginning of the day.

And here we are after 10 hours. I forgot my tube of lacquer at home so I wasn't able to touch it up after dinner at all which made me sad though it did admirably well for no touch ups. There is feathering. But it is nowhere near as bad as without liner and not much worse than what my Chanel liner normally keeps at bay.

Price: $10 for a pencil
Package: 4/5
Very functional and also classy looking like pretty much all of her packaging. I'd love an automatic liner but I think that might be beyond indie make-up companies and it isn't a huge turn off.
Quality: 4/5
It isn't quite as awesome as the Chanel aqua crayon but it is also not $26 (and they don't even make the aqua crayon in rouge anymore T.T). It applies easy-peasy, sharpens easily and I like the bright color a lot.
Value: 5/5
$10 for a good lip liner is really not much at all. I'll definitely buy this again when I run out.
Overall: 4.3/5
I really like it and like I said again I'll def be buying this again when this one gets all used up.