FOTD: Anna Sui-Inspired

I was in the mood for some bright colours after seeing the promo for the new Anna Sui Kaleidoscope of Color collection on Chic Profile.

I switched the colours around a bit on the lids and this is what I finished with:

Face:

Elf  Studio Concealer Pencil & Brush in Fair

Elf Studio Complexion Perfection

Elf Shimmering Facial Whip in Pink Lemonade

Lips:

Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Visual Kei (love this colour!)

Eyes:

Elf Studio Eye Primer & Liner Sealer

Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Sleek Circus Palette light purple shade (crease to brow bone); light pink shade (under eyes)

Fyrinnae 1.22 Gigawatts (lid)

Fyrinnae Parental Advisory (crease)

Joe Fresh Fine Tip Liquid Eyeliner in Teal Blue (I'm not 100% sure of the name and I can't find it but it's something like that)

I also used a pale shimmery blue over 1.22 Gigawatts and a pale shimmery pink under eyes. They're both discontinued but you don't need either. I just wanted it extra shimmery. 

Finished the eyes with a matte white brow hightlight, shimmery white in the inner corner, and black mascara.

Sleek Circus

A while back I won the Sleek Circus palette from Simone. Thanks Simone! These shadows go on easily, blend well, and are super pigmented.

In each photo the top row is over primer and the bottom row is over bare skin.

With flash:

Without flash:

The first shadow is a pale matte lilac, slightly lighter than these photos show, but closest to the flash pic. Then there is a bright, matte yellow (which goes amazingly with Fyrinnae's Bifrost to add some glitter); a matte white that doesn't show up in these pictures, but is somewhat visible in real life; and, a matte black that is incredibly pigmented and has amazing staying power (even on the waterline!). There is also a bright matte red that has some pink-orange undertones, but nowhere near as pink as the top photo or orange as the bottom.

With flash:

Without flash:

This green is gorgeous. It's a light, pearlescent chartruese green that almost looks foiled when you brush it on. I'm not generally a green eyeshadow fan (although I loved it with my auburn hair) but this colour is an exception. Then we have a matte sky blue, nearly matte fuchsia, and matte bright orange. 

With flash:

Without flash:

The no-flash pic is super blurry but is does show the colours accurately (though not the finish). The blue is actually a bit darker and it is shimmery, and foil-y and another standout in this palette. The dark purple has that same finish. Last, but not least, matte medium pink.

The pearlescent green, dark blue, and dark purple are definitely my favourites in this palette. I always find myself saying I need more matte shadows but the shimmers, glitters, and metallics are always the ones that catch my attention.

Yesterday, I showed you one of my dogs and I don't want to play favourites, so here is the other. This is Sergeant (aka Sarge or, affectionately, Sargie Muffin). Yeah, I like giving my dogs cute (or annoying) nicknames.

Sarge is a four-year old boxer but still acts like a puppy. It can be tough to get a picture of him not looking goofy. Want proof?

Make-up Coupon ... and a bonus pic

I just want to share this quickly with any of you who live near a Superstore. I know these are all over Ontario, and I think Canada. They have a $2 off coupon for any Joe Fresh eye or lip product. I absolutely love their lip stains (regular $6). The price is great, even without a coupon. But when I saw these coupons yesterday (just when you walk into the store, they have a board with a bunch of manufacturer and store coupons), I decided to try something new.

Their eyeshadows are $4 regular price so I picked up one of those. And then I saw their liquid eye liner pens. I've always struggled with eyeliner so when I got my Elf pen, I fell in love with it. It looks like a felt tip pen and makes lining your eyes super easy because it's just like drawing with a pen. So I got two of the Joe Fresh pens--brown and teal blue. With the coupon, these were $4 each. I used the brown today and it went on so easily. I've heard of some brands being too dry or hard to use, but this was a dream.

So, if you do live near a Superstore (or maybe even Fortino's because they carry this brand too, the coupon might be there as well), and have trouble with liquid liner, or just want to check out some affordable, good quality stuff, definitely stop by this week.

Ok, enough shameless promotion for Joe Fresh. This was pretty wordy so I'll end it with a photo in no way make-up related.

This is one of my dogs, a black Labrador retriever named Bonnie. She's an absolute sweetheart and I love her to pieces. Yes, she's wearing a hat, and, yes, I'm one of those people that likes to dress up their dogs. Though it's tough to find outfits for a hundred pound lab.

Lace Nails

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been busy with work and everything else. But I have been taking pictures of my nails every day and make-up most days so I can share them with all of you now. 

We had a James Bond themed party at work the other week, so I really wanted to something special on my nails. And I've been meaning to try out the lace nails I've seen so much lately. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to do them.

Of course, this is the one time I forgot to take a photo before I changed my mani. So I decided to recreate the look with a falsie. Here's the finished look:

I know most of you have seen lace nails a million times before but for those who haven't I did a step-by-step tutorial. It's surprisingly easy but looks super complicated and intricate so it's perfect when you really want look-at-me nails in a short time.

Start off by painting nails with your base colour and letting it dry. You can either go neutral for a more elegant finish or to make the lace really pop, try hot pink or another bright colour. I used Elf's Champagne.

For the lace, you can check out dollar stores or fabric stores. Since you'll just be using small pieces, you can often find scraps or ends of the rolls for cheap. Or, inch-wide lace ribbon works really well and is fairly inexpensive. Cut pieces of lace to roughly fit each nail. It doesn't have to be exact since you'll be trimming the excess later.

For the rest of the steps, I prefer doing one hand completely, letting it dry, and then doing the other.

Working on one nail at a time, paint on a coat of clear polish and before it dries, lay a piece of lace onto the nail, being sure to press the lace down around the edges. Then seal the lace with a layer of top coat.

Once all of your nails are dry, simply trim off the extra lace, stand back, and admire.