Mini Haul

Last weeek I ventured out to buy a hair dye and ended up spending over three hours at the mall because I had to touch everything. Twice. 

What came home with me, left to right (sort of):

• Remington Anywhere Curls 25mm barrel curling iron   17,99 €   (my first heat styling tool ever, extremely tiny, portable and practical)
• Dermacol Neon Hair Powder in Violet   3,79 €   (no idea if this works yet, but it better had because Dermacol is awesome)
• Catrice Waterproof Eyeliner Pen   3,49 €   (great formula, terrible applicator)
• S-he Stylezone Quick Eye Liner in 004 Violet   2,69 €   (does not work as a fancy coloured liner, looks like a realistic bruise though)
• Syoss Professional Performance hair dye in 3-3 Dark Violet   3,99 €   (my second repurchase, review coming up next!)
• Essence Eyeshadow Brush   1,39 €   (so.damn.CUTE.)
• Essence PureSkin Anti-Spot Toner & Powder   2,79 €    (fourth repurchase I think, a very cool product that actually contains dispersed mineral powder)

Wow that is one blurry picture. The heat and light intensity was absolutely insane on that day and my camera was not handling that well. 

An attempted closer shot of the brush, eyeliner pens and what the hair chalk itself looks like.


Have you tried any of these products? Have a lovely day!

Review: Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipstick in Depraved and Make It Right

So much for concise post titles.

I dug up some old pictures of the Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipsticks (left to right: Make Me Magnificent, Depraved and Make It Right) back from when I first got them. Since I reviewed Make Me Magnificent in my previous post, I thought I'd round my tiny collection (I usually just buy all they have in purple when trying a new product, can you tell :) ).

The comparison doesn't truly show the different finishes. Make Me Magnificent is a frost, Depraved is a pure creme and Make It Right has a nearly metallic quality.

Depraved is a blue-based medium purple creme. I LOVE how it was one of the first lipsticks (before every company came out with a liquid-to-matte range) that was like, hell yeah, have som lavender lipstick that also incidentally isn't totally shit.

I have to say wearing Depraved makes me slightly uncomfortable. I still wear it out because I love the idea of bam! in your face (literally) neon purple lips but I prefer it applied sheerly, mixed in with some lipbalm and paired with a silver or a neutral smokey eye.

Make It Right is a very dark metallic eggplant (extremely true to colour of eggplant the vegetable). It has a lot more blue in it than your average dark purple lipstick and glistens with an almost mirror-like, highly reflective finish, It doesn't photograph too well, but it looks even and opaque in person, from a distance at which other people normally would approach you. 

I should note that Make It Right is part of the Atomic Collection (together with Make Me Magnificent and three other vampy colours) while Depraved was released in the Scandalous Collection among other unusual brights.

I'd rate these two lipsticks 7/10. 

I am not fond of the Atomic Lipstick formula (it feels downright plastic and hard to control around the liplines) , but these are true purple lipsticks and this fact alone makes me extremely happy. The staying power is great as well, especially with Make It Right, which has survived a four hour walk in a snowstorm (long story short: the public transport system collapsed) completely untouched.

Which shade do you like better?

Review: Makeup Revolution Atomic Lipstick in Make Me Magnificent

On the rare occasion of wearing Make Me Magnificent I thought I might share my thoughts on it as well. I also have five other purple lipsticks coming in the mail (yeah) and I am hoping to trick myself into actually reviewing those as well by beginning right away. 

The Makeup Revolution Atomic Lipstick in Make Me Magnificent is a medium lilac with a frosty finish. 

The official swatches on the Makeup Revolution shop site were a bit deceiving (I honestly still have this issue even after they changed the swatch style on newer products and I always check out beauty blogs before ordering a product of theirs) and I was expecting a shimmery true purple. Well, for under two euros I wasn't particularly sorry to go wrong. 

In the photos I am wearing two or three swipes of Make Me Magnificent  over a medium berry lipliner. On its own it doesn't suit me at all, sheer lipsticks and glosses make me look feverish/post-vomit.

Overall I'd rate this lipstick 5/10.

Pros:

• good lasting power
• very affordable 
• a unique, pretty colour
• moisturising formula
• a transparent sample jar on the lid allows easy identification among multiple lipsticks
• doesn't bleed or feather out of lines
• comfortable to wear

Cons: 

• sheer pigmentation (not cute on its own)
• the bullet shape is incompatible with my lip shape (which is obviously a personal thing but the Atomic lipsticks have a very classic bullet with a single slanted surface that I cannot do my cupid's bow with no matter what)
• the taste gives me minor acid reflux
• the consistency is plain weird, like liquid plastic that floats above your skin (I only get this sensation upon initial application, you get used to it quickly)

Although the colour and finish were far from what I expected I warmed up to it, especially now in the summer, paired with a neutral grey smokey eye and dark blue clothing. It manages to be weird enough to compensate the grandma vibes.

How do you like Make Me Magnificent? 

How to Wear Colour: A Pop of Blue on the Waterline

Before discovering waterproof liquid liner the main focus of my makeup used to be colourful eyeshadow. A terrifying concept for many, surely :)

I still like to incorporate colour in my looks but some just don't work in a monochrome smokey eye situations.

Blue lower lash liner is quite a common feature in the myriads of makeup tutorials floating around the internet but something I've never done before.

I've recently bought an unreasonable number of eyeliner pencils and to justify that purchase I decided to give it a go today.

I tightlined my upper lashline with a black kohl pencil and did a basic three-shade silver-and-black smokey eye. Then I lined my waterline with Catrice Kohl Kajal in 190 Cleopetrol and pressed some Makeup Revolution eyeshadow in Ash from the Give them Nightmares Palette, finishing off with Dermacol Precise Black Black Sensation liner pen and some mascara.

To keep the petrol blues from looking too non-human I used my contour powder (a caramel brown) as a transition shade (adds warmth) and a very blue-toned grey shadows (unifies undertones).

How do you feel about blue eyemakeup, is it a no-no or a staple for you?
Have a lovely week!

AnimeShow 2015 Day Two Outfit & Makeup

On Saturday my dopamine levels took a major plunge and, well, I spend more time getting ready than actually present at the con. Nevertheless my efforts have been documented :)

The phone camera couldn't handle the stripes, sorry about the picture.

 I wore a New Yorker skater dress, an off-brand 'Beetlejuice' jacket, a neck corset and lace gloves purchased online (probably resold eBay items) and grey tights with velour skulls which to my great disappointment ripped majorly and had to go to a better place.

I wear green eyeshadow and brown lips with all-black or b/w outfits a lot for some reason. 

Spiderweb eyeliner thingie? Check. Because I can.

How do you cope on super bad days?

AnimeShow 2015 Day One Outfit & Makeup

I am attending a con this weekend! I know extremely little about anime but there are fantasy&sci-fi sections as well, which are more my thing, and obviously all the wonderful attendees in their spectacular costumes.

Today I wore black on black: a thrifted ruffled shirt, a thrifted H&M waistcoat, a brocade patterned circle skirt I got for Christmas and some fancy tights. 

I wish I had some more extravagant winter shoes but my regular heeled boots will have to do.

I did my makeup using the Makeup Revolution Salvation Eyeshadow Palette in Give them Nightmares (since the day it arrived in the mail I haven't touched another palette, it has virtually every colour/finish combination I need and is essential to my m akeup routine, though I do wish it had one or two very light shimmers) and my lipstick is a combination of MUR Depraved in the bullet formula on top of the lip lacquer (sadly the liquid lipstick is too drying to wear on its own for extended periods of time).

Closeup eyeshadow pictures were simply not happening today, sorry about that.

Have a lovely weekend! xo

What is your most versatile beauty product?

Makeup Revolution Haul

At the beginning of this year I received my order from Makeup Revolution after hearing lots of positive feedback regarding this newly established UK-based brand. 

The package contained:

• Makeup Revolution Salvation Palette in Give Them Nightmares
• Makeup Revolution Amazing Eyeliner (Waterproof) in Black
• Makeup Revolution Salvation Velvet Lip Lacquer in Keep Lying for You and Depravity
• Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipstick in Make It Right, Make Me Magnificent and Depraved

All of this for 30 euros overall including (sort of) international shipping. 

I would like to review individual items in depth in the future, but, without giving too much away, I absolutely LOVE all the products except the liner. 

Until next time, take a peek at two looks I created mostly with the products pictured above.

Have you struck gold with a new brand recently?

Christmas Eve makeup

Hello!

I apologize for the odd shadows but I am visiting my 'proper' home for the holidays and I could not find a spot with decent light conditions.
I do love to look all fancy up for Christmas Eve dinner (I get my presents on the 24th, ha!) even if I'm wearing slippers under the table :) I've been feeling cool purples a lot lately and all my brushes are dirty with purple shadow  . The matted magenta lip was a bit out of my comfort zone but I warmed up to it.

I hope that your December has been great. I ate tons of things I shudder to think about (while binge-watching seasons 3 & 4 of Once Upon a Time) and that is absolutely fine since I had fun times and pleasantly slow days. I've also read a bit into Die Herren von Winterfell (Game of Thrones) in German and I am extremely proud of myself for that.

Have you tried something new and scary this year?

Devil costume makeup

I volunteered to play a she-devil for my department's St Nicholas Day's party. (Allegedly St Nicholas comes to children while they sleep accompanied by an angel and a devil and leaves them treats if they behaved well in that particular year. We were doing this as a goof for the first year students.)

I only have group photos where my costume is visible but it featured a very cheap red wig and a horned headband :) 

Makeup-wise I went for heavy red facial contouring, some painted-on undereye circles, a few inconspicuous pairs of facial horns and a gradient lip. I never ever wear red lipstick as I feel it should match an article of clothing and I have no red clothes (except this one blouse) becase that would clash with my hair.. oh well.

While I felt quite extravagant and out-there creating this look, most people didn't even realize I was in costume from afar ;)

Buy a paisley shirt they said, it will be fun they said

Very little can be seen of my awesome 70s-type burgundy-and-grey paisley shirt here, but oh boy is it HARD to incorporate in outfits.

I used to wear this silver and black eyeshadow combo daily for absolutely years and then abandoned it in favour of more colourful looks. Wearing it again made me regret not doing it more often, it seems quite sophisticated considering how little effort goes into its creation.
(Retrospectively I haven't the slightest idea what I wore on my lips that day. I have cca 15 lipsticks in this tone anyway :D )

Have you rediscovered a past staple look recently?

Lavender FOTD

Since I still haven't found a way around my facial asymmetry and any attempts at close -up makeup pictures turn out reaaally skewed and horribly angled, have a full face shot :-) I was ridiculously pleased with how well the lid shade matched my new (I mean second-hand-acquired but new for me) lavender shirt which I see myself wearing often in the future.

I tried to mute my look somewhat for the occasion as I was celebrating my cousin's electoral victory as the mayor of our city district. The family gathering was adequately traumatizing.

I am wearing two of the eyeshadows I bought in the trio that you can see swatched in my previous post, and the lightest lipstick from that haul, which makes me slightly uncomfortable by how 'normal' it is :-)

How do you feel about family parties? 

Simple makeup (yeaaah right)

Understably this would be considered a/an 'evening/goth/overdone/heavy/holiday' makeup in the real world but we pay that no mind over on this blog :)

This was one of my favourite and fully satisfying in-a-rush (or possibly can't-be-arsed) looks. As a historical moment I used no more than three eyeshadows on that day! That is, a matte white to highlight, a shimmery pink all over the lid and a dark grey matte to define the crease and the lower lashline. 

On my lips is the Dermacol Seduction lipstick in 06 which I will cherish until my dying breath as the perfect corpsey nude.

Locally Available Beauty Products Haul

I splurged a little today, combining a trip to a DM drugstore with collecting a webshop delivery. See below for results.

Left to right, top to bottom: 

• Brische Lux hydrating lipstick in the shade 9
• Brische Barra del Labios Liquida liquid lipstick in No 12
• Paese Manifesto liquid lisptick in 910
• Six Jewelry earrings
• Paese Kashmir Eyeshadow Trio in 682
• Avon Care 3in1 Oil Control Cleanser, Toner and Moisturizer
• Balea Dusche & Shampoo for Kids in Pferde
• Dontodent sensitive intensive-Schutz Mundspuelung mouthwash
• Essence All about Matt! blotting sheets
• BrushArt Eye Brush
• Essence Powder Brush
• BrushArt Eyebrow Brush
• Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder in 001 Transparent
• Monster High wet wipes
• Das Gesunde Plus Halsbonbons (sore throat remedy) in the litchi & green tea flavour

I haven't tried all of the products yet although some are repeated purchases. I loosely grouped the goodies up for more close-up pictures.

The sore throat hard candies were quite disappointing. At 0.99 cents I have no significant regrets over buying them, however, given my current state of health I would have liked something that actually worked. They seem to contain no menthol/eucalyptus or any symptom-relieving ingredients I could identify. They taste pretty off-putting so they won't double as candy either.

On to the Balea kid's shampoo: I LOVE this stuff and this could easily be my twentieth bottle. It is one of the most readily available SLS-free shampoos in Slovakia, costs 0.99 cents AND has fun animal facts in German on the back. My hair trouble would be enough to fill a whole anotherpost, so to keep things brief, this shampoo provides the best cleansing action vs colour protection balance. The primary surfactants listed are Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Coco-Sulfate and Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine. This particular edition is horse-themed and for once actually smells pleasant.

I have absolutely no experience with the facial wash and the mouthwash yet. Both were under two euros.

 Next I grabbed some blotting papers after discovering that the handy package contains 50 pieces. I used to think there were about three or five per package for some reason. I yet have to put them to a difficult test against the oily monstrosity that is my nose.

The Rimmel Stay Matte powder is pulverized gold and the ultimate solution to the aforementioned nose problem. It is not entirely transparet, however, I am happy to report that it is actually lighter than my skin and slightly yellow-toned. I prefer to combine it with a higher coverage pink-toned powder to create an almost neutral colour balance. 

Obviously I got the wet wipes primarily because of the brand. I spend excessive amounts of time in the children's cosmetics aisle in DM; I want everything! (Btw the Monster High shampoo is a very good SLS-free shampoo too.) I like to carry these in my bag for all sorts of emergency clean-up. 

 I badly needed a replacement for my disgusting shabby handle-less powder brush and I thought that upping my eyeshadow game is a life-long process waiting to be aided by some more eye brushes.

 Quite randomly I popped into a Six Jewelry shop and saw these earrings for two euros! I've had this exact same pair before and worn them almost daily for about nine months until the metal parts oxidized into oblivion. They feel very lightweight and are the ideal length for my preference.

The rather well-colour-coordinated picture above captures my 'colour' makeup aquisitons. I would not have bought any of the lipsticks in an actual shop: the online swatches depicted them as true purples. At least I'll  have something to challenge my comfort zone :) It must be nevertheless noted that the quality of the liquids ( in terms of opacity, pigmentation, precision of application, scent and taste etc) is superb.

The eyeshadows feel extremely luxurious considering the ludicrous 1.39 euros I paid for the whole trio. Despite their heavenly smooth, velvet-like textures, they did give me impressions of the chalky kind. 

Above: a swatch of the lip products under natural daylight.
Below: eyeshadow swatch under natural daylight.

 

Would you like to try any of these products?:)

Love,
Maggie.

IstroCon makeup

Last weekend I went to IstroCon & ComicSalon 2014 in Bratislava, Slovakia ^^

The event was fantastic with over 12 000 guests from all over the country and some seriously amazing cosplay artists. Sadly the official pictures haven't been published yet and I wouldn't have felt comfortable asking people to pose for me. Everyone was incredibly nice, polite and beautiful and lots of time was spent exchanging compliments.

I wenť as myself :)

The confusion of the uninformed civilians' faces as several hundred people donning face- and bodypaint, DIY armour, green wigs, prosthetic horns and wings and brandishing giant (although harmless) battleaxes stormed to the nearby mall for a quick lunch was almost as spectacular as the attendees themselves :)