Fyrinnae Arcane Magic Swatches

What was I thinking, waiting so long to try Fyrinnae's Arcane Magic shadows? The four I chose are all stunning, and the colour change is just the icing on the cake. The effect is hard to capture, but I tried to get a photo closer to(top) and farther from (bottom)  light. Enlarge these pics to see the differences for each.

Dragon Magic, Faerie Glamour, Futuristic Glamrock, Madame & Eve's

Dragon Magic

Dark, almost black, green with bright blue-green shimmer. Colour change is less obvious than others, becomes more green, less blackened.

Faerie Glamour

Vibrant purple base with light blue and pink shimmer. Another less obvious change. Shifts from mostly pink to mostly blue shimmer.

Futuristic Glamrock

Icy blue filled with light blue and sparse pink shimmer. Pink sparkle becomes much more obvious closer to the light.

Madam & Eve's

Dark purple, leaning brown, base with blue-green shimmer. Shifts from purple-brown to turquoise.

Fyrinnae Shadow Swatches

As promised, here are the rest of the swatches for my new Fyrinnae eye shadows. 

Eternal Innocence

Dark shimmery green. I've been looking for a good dark green for a while, and I think I want something just a little brighter than this. So, I'd love to hear any suggestions, whether from Fyrinnae or any mineral makeup company.

Kamikaze

Bright red with red sparkle. On me, anyway, this seems to have slight orange tones.

Meerkat

This is one of the shadows I bought mostly for the name. I think meerkats are one of the cutest animals around. Maybe not the best way to choose eye shadows, but I wasn't at all disappointed with this one. Pink-purple with tons of gold sparkle.

Orangutan

Coppery-peach with an almost metallic look to it. I actually didn't think I would really like this one as much as I do. It's another one I bought for the name. Orangutans are my absolute favourite animals in the whole world. How can you not love a baby this cute?

Hesty the Orangutan (Denver Zoo)

And last but not least,

Tapir

Rich purple-based burgundy. This looked more of a wine red in the jar, but the purple tones came out against my skin. Nearly matte, with only a slight shimmer.

Fyrinnae Haul and Swatches

Those of you who follow me on twitter got a sneak peek at my recent Fyrinnae haul. I'd been planning what to buy for ages, but the site has had a lot of down time lately. So once the site was up again (temporarily) I went all out on samples. And once again, they do not disappoint. Even colours that I was a little iffy about or bought just for the name *Orangutan* are gorgeous. And they're are more than a few that I would buy the full size of if the samples weren't so generous. Anyway, let's get to the haul, shall we?

After reading Phyrra's rave reviews about the Velvet-Gel Silica Primer, I needed to try the dry skin version. I'll have a review up for that after I try it out a bit. Onto the samples: top row is Glow Blushes, then Arcane Magic shadows, and the last three rows are the loose eye shadows. I also got a sample of Pixie Epoxy for my sister. The lashes were a freebie included with my order. I can never get enough false lashes, so these are perfect for me.

For today I have swatches of the loose shadows; Arcane Magics and Glow Blushes should be up later this week. All swatches are patted on over Elf Studio primer. And as always, click on any pic to enlarge it.

Banana Mochi

Light shimmery yellow. Much softer than Bifrost and without the contrasting sparkle.

Biker Chic

Black base filled with aqua sparkle. This looks a little patchy in the photo, but I didn't notice any problems when swatching. You definitely want to enlarge this one to see the sparkle.

Bite Me

Somewhat dark, but still bright red with red shimmer. Fyrinnae describes it as "the hue of fresh blood" and that's entirely true. Darker than Kamikaze and more of a true red.

Chaotic Evil

Bright pink filled with silver shimmer. Actually reminds me quite a bit of the new Revlon, Sublime Strawberry. The base colour isn't identical, but overall they're pretty similar.

Curiouser and Curiouser!

Bright blue filled with blue/turquoise shimmer. This is much lighter and brighter than 1.22 Gigawatts as well as more aqua-leaning.

Damn Paladins

I'm not much of a neutral eye fan, but I saw a swatch of this taupe on a blog and became obsessed with it. The base is a fairly basic medium taupe but it has an amazing light blue hidden shimmer that makes this a must-have.

More shadow swatches coming! What are your favourite Fyrinnae shades?

NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Swatches

HauteLook has NYX on sale this Thursday. You have to sign up to use the site if you aren't already a member, but the deals are worth it. So I thought this would be the perfect time to swatch their loose eye shadows. I also have swatches of NYX Glitter Mania loose glitter.

Here are the Ultra Pearl Mania loose shadows. The top row has no base, middle is Elf Studio Eye Primer, and bottom is a white cream base. Some of these colours work well without any base, but most do need a primer to help them stick. As always, click any picture to enlarge it.

L to R: White, Pearl, Nude, Baby Blue, Baby Pink, Lilac, Fanta, Grass

White is actually a true white, even though it looks more cream here. Pearl is a very soft pink-beige. All the others are colour accurate.

L to R: Lime, Very Pink, Yellow, Orange, Mink, Sky Pink, Yellow Gold

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?

Review: Rimmel Colour Rush Trio Eyeshadow

Rimmel Colour Rush Trio Eyeshadow in Maritime. Photo is with flash. Swatches on the left with primer; on the right, without.

Overall, I didn't like this eye shadow. Although the colours look really nice in the pan, they aren't well pigmented. Even with primer, these shadows are too sheer for anything but a very subtle shimmer. That said, they do blend well. I prefer brighter, more pigmented colours, but if you're just looking for a hint of colour it might be for you.

I also bought Spices, a neutral trio. None of the colours even showed up on my (very pale) skin.

Would I buy again? No.

Fyrinnae Swatches

I finally got some decent swatch photos done of my new Fyrinnae shades. These loose shadows go on well, blend smoothly, and last long over a primer. I only bought a few shades since it was my first order and I wanted to try just a couple before committing to a lot of shadows I might not wear. Well, I'm already planning my next order. And I have a feeling it will be considerably larger than this one.


Parental Advisory. With flash.Left to right: Primer; Primer + Pixie Epoxy; Pixie Epoxy; no baseParental Advisory. No flash. Left to right: Primer; Primer + Pixie Epoxy; Pixie Epoxy; no base

Parental Advisory is somewhere between the two photos. More purple than the pic with flash, not quite as dark as the no flash, and very sparkly. The second from left in the no flash photo shows it best, but again, it has a lot of shimmer that isn't showing up. This colour really needs a primer and (if you have it) pixie epoxy.

1.22 Gigawatts. With flash. Left to right: Primer; Primer + Pixie Epoxy; Pixie Epoxy; no base
1.22 Gigawatts. No flash. Left to right: Primer; Primer + Pixie Epoxy; Pixie Epoxy; no base

The no flash photo is much closer, but it's a bit brighter than this. And this shadow has tons of sparkle. Fyrinnae's swatch photo is pretty accurate for this shade. I've had bright blue eye shadow on my wish list for a while, and 1.22 Gigawatts definitely fills the role.


Bifrost. Left to right: Primer; Primer + Pixie Epoxy; Pixie Epoxy; no base

This colour actually photographed amazingly well. Bifrost is a pure, bright, vibrant, glittery yellow. The kind of yellow that is nearly impossible to find. I used it in an EOTD recently and got tons of compliments. Even if you think you'll never wear yellow eyeshadow, buy this colour because you will love it.

Edit: I just realized looking at these pics that the difference between using pixie epoxy/primer or no base isn't very obvious. But when actually applying the shadow, you really will notice it. The primer stops it from creasing and makes the colour more vibrant and the pixie epoxy really holds sparkle/shimmer in place.

Wish List

Everyone has their wish list: the beauty products they absolutely love and must buy. Usually, they're a bit pricier or hard to find. I've been slowing working toward mine. And this week, I was lucky enough to find one of my must-haves: China Glaze Dorothy Who. I missed this colour when it was (re-)released and I've been searching for it for a while. I'll have a review (slash love-fest) up in the next couple days.

As for the rest of my list:

• The perfect lilac creme nail polish
  
• Matte top coat
• Make Up For Ever eye shadow #92
• Bright blue eye shadow (I have a hard time with blues; they always seem grayed out on my skin) I found the perfect bright blue! (1.22 Gigawatts from Fyrinnae)
  
• Dark pink nail polish (I have tons of pinks but none of them are quite right)

So those are my top five right now. There are others, but those are the ones I constantly find myself on the lookout for.

What's on your wish list?

Elf Haul

My elf haul came this week! I'll try to get detailed reviews up for each item but here's some swatches and first impressions for the eye stuff for now.

Duo Eye Shadow Cream in Black Licorice
Brightening Eye Color in Rocker(Left to right:) Silvery-white; peachy-gold; nearly matte purple (a bit darker than it looks here); sparkly black. Over primer, no flash.

Brightening Eye Color in Teal Dream(Left to right:) Cream; shimmery taupe; medium bright blue (a bit brighter than here); teal. Over primer, no flash.

Studio Cream Eye Liner in Black
This is amazing. I put it on my waterline and it lasted through two forty minute bike rides and a five hour shift in a hot, busy kitchen. No running or smudging even with my eyes watering all day from allergies. At the end of the day, just the outer corner was wearing a bit. I can't wait to get every colour.

elf swatches

Pretty n' Pink Brightening Eye Color Quad ($1)The colour on the right is a really gorgeous pink-ish plum. The second from the left is my favourite of this quad. It's a medium warm, almost coral pink. I'm looking for a dupe so I don't have to buy the whole quad when this colour runs out (soon). Adorned with Grace Minerals has a blush that seems close (review and swatches coming).

Luxe Brightening Eye Color Quad ($1)

The red on the left is amazing. It's deep and rusty and a bit metallic. I really only bought this quad for the one colour but the others are good for a more neutral eye. Check out my Luxe EOTD.

Silver Lining Brightening Eye Color Quad ($1)

The lightest colour is a silvery purple, which looks amazing on the inner corner of the eye. The darkest is pretty much black, nothing special. I especially like the pale lilac and the deep grape shades.

EOTD: Luxe

Here's another eye look using just elf products. I wasn't going to buy the luxe quad because it looked too neutral but my sister bought it and I fell in love with the red. So I ordered it and I'm so glad I did. Even if I only use that one colour, it's completely worth it.

Products Used:
studio eye primer & liner sealer
brightening eye color in luxe
brightening eye colour in drama
studio mineral infused mascara
brightening eye liner in black

Prime your eyelid up to the brow bone, then apply the lightest colour in the luxe quad from lash line to brow bone. Then apply the red shade on your lid and blend into the crease. Smudge the same red under your lower lashes and in inner corner. Blend the black shade in the drama quad into your crease and use it to line your lower lash line. Use the white shade as a highlight and to blend out the black. To finish up, just use the black eyeliner on your waterline, curl your lashes, and apply two coats of mascara.

EOTD: xsparkage cheshire cat inspired

I love xsparkage's youtube tutorials. So I decided to recreate one of her looks but change it up just a little bit. This is done entirely with elf products (except brows--just because I am faithful to my brow powder). And the entire look costs about $15 (another thing I love about elf!). I'll try to do a video for this look, but for now here's some pics.

Products Used:
Shimmering Facial Whip in Persimmon
Studio Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter in Fair/Glow
Studio Eye Primer & Liner Sealer
Studio Mineral Infused Mascara
Brightening Eye Color in Punk Funk
Studio High Definition Powder
Liquid Liner in Midnight

I used the concealer under my eyes (obviously) and above my brows, just to give them some definition and set that with HD powder. Then, primed my eyelids and used persimmon as a cream colour base to make the shadows really pop. (Writing that reminded of that NSYNC song from way back in the day..now it's gonna be stuck in my head.)

Anyway, getting back to this, use the pink from the punk funk quad from the lash line up to the brow bone and the purple over that just to the crease. Then, I used the studio highlighter just under my brow and the lightest shadow to set that and blend out the pink. Line top and bottom (and inner corner) using midnight on an angled brush and set it with the blue shadow. Smudge a bit of purple and pink under your eye, add a couple coats of mascara and you're done.

elf swatches

Sugar Kiss Shimmer Eye Dust
Blue and green are Dance; black and pink are Ice Skate. This is with no primer--they really don't need it. (edit: I should've mentioned that these were applied with the rollerball included. If you brush them on, they are way less sparkly.)


Studio Eye Transformer
Over black shadow, using studio eye primer and liner sealer. Top is without flash, artificial light. Bottom is with flash. Left to right: green, orange, pink, lavender. I'll try to post a pic without a black base, but they show up so sheer it's hard to get a good photo.


Brightening Eye Colour (Drama)
Over studio primer. With flash. The white is actually a true matte white even though it looks a little gray here. The leftmost black is nearly matte and the rightmost is super sparkly not-quite black.


Brightening Eye Colour (Glam)
Over studio primer. Top is without flash, bottom with flash. The black colour is pretty similar to the sparkly gray in the drama quad, with a bit less sparkle. I haven't been able to get a photo yet that does justice to the colour on the left; it's a gorgeous sandy pink.


Brightening Eye Colour (Nouveau Neutrals)
Over studio primer. Colour on the right is a very pale shimmery blue-green. Not really sure why I bought this quad since I rarely wear neutrals. But they're nice colours if you like earth tones.


Liquid Liner
With flash. Right to left: Black, Midnight, Coffee, Silver, Copper, Stardust, and Stardust over black shadow. Midnight looks pretty much like if you've ever had a pen leak on you. It goes on really dark but dries a bit lighter. Copper and Stardust are just glitter with no base colour. I love Stardust over black; it gives a really cool iridescent effect.


Duo Eyeshadow (Blueberry)
Over studio primer. Left is without flash; right with flash. The darker shade is a shimmery gray with a blue undertone. Lighter shade is pale silvery blue.


Duo Eyeshadow (Berry Mix)
Over primer, no flash. Lighter shade is shimmery barely-there pink. Darker shade is a burgundy with a pinkish-purple-y shimmer.