Kitsch is a Girl's Best Friend

Sod diamonds, give me cute costume jewellery any day. Right now I'm fixated on www.Grindstore.com for having some of the cutest, quirkiest little bits of alternative jewellery.

Check out a few of my favourite picks!

Cherry Necklace £3.99

Hello Kitty Guitar Pick Earrings £7.99



Lime Green Lego Block Earrings £4.99

Green Space Invader Earrings £5.00

Pacman Blue Ghost Earrings £5.00



Legoman Head Earrings £5.99

Crayola Earrings £3.99

Also, I got a new windowblinds skin and made some True Blood desktop wallpaper with an image Alex kindly sourced for me, I like so I thought I'd share it.

Mmm, yum! Click for the full-size.

EOTD: Guild Wars - Kurzick

This is my second game-themed look, and this time I'm doing Kurzick, the rival faction from Guild Wars: Factions, to go with my previous Luxon look.

Danika & The Echovald Forest

In Guild Wars: Factions the Luxons rule of the Jade Sea, and the Kurzicks rule over the Echovald Forest. Kurzick territories are filled with gloomy, creepy looking forests, winding trees and crumbling Gothic architecture. Their outfits look like they all just stepped out of a Tim Burton film, with grey pallor and lots of gothic influence. I wanted to do a gothic look, using purple, grey and black shades.

The Kurzick Look - Step-by-Step

Face

• Pale is the name of the game with this look, so after applying my usual foundation (Estée Lauder Doublewear in Shell) I used a much lighter powder (foundation, powder, whatever you can find) which was an old sample of some uber-pale mineral foundation and piled it on my skin, to get a pallid, chalky white look.
• Use a grey-toned eyeshadow to contour & buff it out with the light powder. Skip the blush!

Eyes

• Apply BftE Moonlight all over lids and right up to the eyebrows wet, using MAC 239 brush.
• Dry the brush and re-apply Moonlight dry over the brow-bone, to ensure there are no streaks or patches.
• With the same brush, apply the purple from Sleek Acid palette over the lid, blending it up over the crease, into the Moonlight. Leave some Moonlight as your highlight. Switch to a blending brush & re-apply any Moonlight to highlight as necessary.
  
• Using a blending/crease brush (MAC 217) liberally apply the black from the Sleek Acid palette over the outer-V and crease, blending towards the middle of the lid and up toward the brow-bone on the outer edge.
• Heavily shade the black powder under the lower-lashline using the same brush.
• Using black liner (I used the UD 24/7 Glide On eye pencil in Zero) line the top and lower lashlines (and waterline). On the bottom, flick the line in the inner-corner down. On the top, continue the line out, up towards the edge of the eyebrow (see above picture) for a definite, defined shape.
• Use the black eyeshadow on your blending brush to fill in from the edge of this line back in towards the nose, shading in the shape and blending into the purple/highlight.
• Apply mascara or false lashes.

Lips

• Apply a layer of Vaseline over the lips, then rub over some concealer/foundation to neutralise lip colour.
• Apply NYX Aphrodite lipstick.
• Add MAC Song & Dance lipglass over the top.

As ever, let me know what you think, and any other game recommendations I could use as inspiration!

Game EOTDs

• Guild Wars - Luxon

MAC Colour Craft Wishlist

Following Temptalia's Amazing Swatches (capitalisation for importance) here's my MAC Colour Craft wishlist:

Lipsticks - Colour Crafted, Trimming Talk
Lipglosses - Eclectic Edge
Mineralised SkinFinish - Smooth Merge Trio, Porcelain Pink (single)

I'm having a hard time choosing between the Porcelain Pink or Smooth Merge from the skin finish. I like the swatch of porcelain a lot, but the description says coral pink, and I want cool pink, like the Smooth Merge description. I might have to test 'em.

None of the eyeshadows seem dramatic enough to appeal to me, although I like the idea of mineralised quads.

I imagine the two lipsticks I want will sell out quite quickly, hopefully they'll last until payday.

After the wonderful T.R. offered to send me her strobe cream, and people have talked me out of buying Aquadisiac, the rest of my MAC wishlist (outside of Colour Craft) is Electric Eel eyeshadow, Luna Colour Cream Base, and the Mutiny pigment which I'll have to source on eBay now that I just missed Rose Romance.

What are you getting from Colour Craft?
Which permanent MAC items have you been waiting to get?

EOTD: Guild Wars - Luxon

I've decided to start a series of themed EOTDs, since all the cool kids are doing it. My theme will be looks inspired by computer games, and I'm starting with the Luxons of Guild Wars: Factions.

In Guild Wars: Factions there are (shockingly) two factions - the Luxons, and the Kurzicks. Unsurprisingly, they hate one another, and fight a lot. The Kurzicks are Tim-Burton-lookalikes and moody goths, and the Luxons are bizarre tropical-looking turtle-loving pirates.

Monk Elite Luxon Armor & The Aurios Mines in Guild Wars: Factions

The Luxons rule over the Jade Sea, and their areas are full of the most gorgeous rich turquoises, greens and sunny golden sands. I've picked the colours I've used from their landscape, and in particular the turquoise and blue swirls in their armor, as well as the sunny yellow sand colours.

The Luxon Look - Step-by-Step

Eyes

• Cover lids up to crease in MAC Rollickin' Paint Pot, to serve as a base.
• Using MAC 239 brush, apply BftE (Beauty from the Earth) Caribbean all over lid, up to crease.
• Next, sweep MAC Going Bananas* eyeshadow over the inner-corner and along the crease, blending up towards the brow-bone, using a MAC 217 (or 224, 226) brush.
• With another crease/blending brush, apply BftE Cornflower around the outer-V and above the crease from the middle of the eye outward, toward the outer-V. Blend out Cornflower with Caribbean and Going Bananas.
• Re-apply Caribbean along the outer-V and along the crease to dark a little, and blend with Cornflower.
• Highlight beneath the brow-bone with any highlight (MAC Shroom, etc), I used the highlight from my MAC Malt/Auburn brow shader duo. Blend it out with the Going Bananas.
  
• Line the upper lash-line, I used Urban Decay's liquid liner in Acid Rain (and then swept more Caribbean over it) but any silver or yellowy-gold liquid liner would work better - I didn't have any =[
• Line the lower-water line with black (alternatively, white), and apply mascara.
  
• Using a very thin brush, brush a little Caribbean, Cornflower and Going Bananas under the lashline in that order, from outer-V working toward the inner-corner.
• Touch up as necessary and you're done.

Lips

• Apply MAC Blankety all over lips for a smooth base.
• Dab a little concealer or liquid foundation over the lips to lighten to a more natural nude. (That might not be all that safe, I have no idea.)

Cheeks

• MAC Cute blush powder.

I've highlighted the products I used the first time in bold, so quick skim-through will tell you the colours used, and my EOTD layouts has changed a bit so I'd love to know what you think of it and the new step-by-step thing, whether it's clear, etc. I'd also love to hear (as ever) your comments on the look, the theme, any suggestions for other games I should draw inspiration from?

*This look could be done entirely with Beauty From The Earth products, except for this colour. I've tested a lot of yellows and haven't found anything which will dupe for Going Bananas, nor another yellow which works as well in this combination.

Various Parts of my Anatomy

Not quite as dirty as the title suggests. I've been raving about my new favourite mascara combination for a while, and have finally gotten around to chronicling its effects for you.

There's a before-and-after, so you can see how quite nonexistent my stubby lil' lashes are.

Estée Lauder lash primer +
Bourjois Liner Effect mascara +
Lancome Virtuose mascara =


No make-up on there aside from the lashes, sorry for the scare.

This is my favourite combination to date. It doesn't look like much there, but it looks really nice in person, all the lashes are really fanned out, black black and have good curl - without curling - that lasts all day, whereas some mascaras make my lashes droop after a while.

The title said various, so the other bit is my lips. A close-up of the lips from the previous look, just to show off my lip-ring, because I haven't, yet.
(Colour is MAC Romancin', NYX Aphrodite, MAC Little Vi Lustreglass)

Don't mind the messiness, I don't do lip-liner so it got a bit smudgy!
(Plus, the ring's hard to work around)

I've had the piercing for about three months, now, and love it to death. I got it done on a whim, and whilst I don't regret it at all, it was terribly unpleasant to have done, so I'm very glad I got it over with! A lot of people have asked me how I put lipstick on (just wiggle it about a bit) and whether it feels weird, but you get used to it really quickly. The only annoyance is when the ball pops out on its own and it still takes me ages to try and pry the damn thing back in again.

I've no more piercings planned, as, personally, I don't like more than one facial piercing, but I am mulling over a tattoo...

EOTD: Anastasia On Acid

Did a quick look with my Sleek Acid palette today, although, as is typical, it photographed badly.

Anastasia On Acid: Step-by-Step


Icky full-face because Jen requested it. Now you can see my hair properly, although my eyes are so hooded my eyeshadow vanished.



Here's what they look like, sort of.


Here are the colours I have to work with in the palette

Super-simple, this one.

• Coat lids in primer, I used UDPP for this. Grab your favourite eyeshadow brush (MAC 239) and apply the neon pink from the Sleek Acid palette all over the lid.
• Switch to a crease brush (MAC 217) and apply the purple shadow over the crease and outer-V, blending it with the pink and over, above the crease.
• Using another (or the same, wiped) blending/crease brush, apply the black onto it and tap off excess. Carefully shade in around the outer-V and crease, in between the purple and pink.
• Apply purple under lower lashline.
• Highlight over brow-bone and blend out any harsh lines left from the purple.
• Line & mascara (in my case, UD Zero pencil and Bourjois Liner Effect + Lancome Virtuose mascara).

Lips were MAC Romancin', covered with NYX Aphrodite and MAC Little Vi lustreglass.

Trivia: My t-shirt says "Schrodinger's cat is dead" on the front and "Schrodinger's cat is not dead" on the back.

If Wishes Were Horses We'd All Be Eating Steak

My extremely short make-up wishlist has been multiplying behind my back. I often find that's the product of browsing the beauty blog circuit, you end up wanting stuff everyone else has. It's pretty peevish, really.

So, without further ado, July's wishlist.

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things.

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch £21.50
Word on the grapevine suggests this primer is great at giving you a really flawless make-up base, stops make-up from falling into any pores, wrinkles, et cetera and provides a smooth, perfect canvas to work on. We could all do with more of that, right?


Make Up For Ever HI Translucent Powder $30
I've been after the perfect finishing powder to give me a silky, matte finish for a while, and was weighing this up versus its MAC counterpart. After much deliberation (mostly asking other people for their opinion) I'm going with the MUFE version, as it apparently makes you a bit paler, has a nicer finish and looks better in photographs. This could potentially mean more full-faces of me on my blog?

Make Up For Ever Concealer Palette 01 $36
I'm not completely sure about this, because it's a lot of money and I already have my completely-perfect-there-is-no-better Bobbi Brown Corrector, and chances are the "light" in this palette is still too dark, which would leave me with 3 redundant shades. If anyone has alternative good-quality orange/green correcting concealers, I'd love to hear about them.


MAC Strobe Cream £20.50
I'm curious about this. I've heard some good things but am still not sure exactly what it does, since I wasn't aware moisturiser had much role beyond making your skin soft. So, my interest is piqued, and I'm almost out of my Lancome Hydra-Zen gel-creme moisturiser.


Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque £16
My Holy Grail concealer, regular readers know I absolutely love this stuff. Unfortunately it's gone up in a price a bit, just like MAC have raised theirs. I still haven't replaced the one I lost, thankfully my skin's been pretty clear lately, but I do miss it so...


MAC Pigment in Mutiny £15
I'm going to have to grab this soon, or it'll be gone. I was glad Rose Romance re-promoted it, because I recall being miffed about getting into MAC after Naughty Naughticals had passed. I recently discovered how beautifully MAC pigments apply wet, and as such, my collection needs this pretty sky blue.


MAC Eyeshadow in Electric Eel and Aquadisiac £11 each
I think it's very restrained of me to only desperately want two colours from the permanent collection. I also want Shroom pretty badly, but not badly enough. Another few months of restraint will probably see me dreaming about that one, too.


MAC Paintpot in Bare Study or Painterly £12.50
I've heard that the infamous Painterly pot is better as an eyeshadow base than UDPP, so I'm curious to try it. I'm considering Bare Study too, since that's lighter and closer to my skin tone whereas Painterly looks conspicuously dark, but it has a shimmery pearl finish which might be restricting as a base.