Two things!

First off, I'd like to mention Phyrra's Lost in Makeupland giveaway. Check it out here; up to eight chances to win!

Second, I'll have more looks, swatches, etc. by the end of the week. Swear. I've been crazy-busy because I started two new jobs within a month but I have my schedule all sorted out now so things will relax a bit and I can get some new things up for you guys to look at.

I have new things from Shiro, Aromaleigh, Sugarpill, and Meow, so lots and lots of stuff!

Ciani's Giveaway at the Crow and the Powder Puff!!!

Check it out here!

Lots of really cool stuff, including tons of MAC and Sugarpill goodies! Now go forth and enter, all four of my readers!

Hey, guess what?

Phyrra is having a Face Candy Couture giveaway! Check it out here!

Shiro Kawaii shadow set giveaway!

Ana of Lipsticks and Lightsabers is giving away the entire set and they're adorable and work-safe colors so HELL YES I want them.

Check it out here!

Old look!

Sorry I haven't posted many looks- I got the pictures back and most of them looked terrible but hey, picture CDs are $2 at Walgreens. I have to use discs because I don't have a webcam and I lost the USB cord for my camera. Fail.

This was just before my interview at Victoria's Secret. My hair isn't even dry yet in these pictures.

Eyes
Naked- Desert Sunset rose with gold sparkle (outer lid), Sierra Nevada sparkly peach-nude (browbone)
Aromaleigh- Strawberry Despair (inner lid)
Maybelline Colossal Volume Express mascara in Glam Black
MAC black gel liner (lower lash line) in Black

Kat Von D Autograph liquid eyeliner in Love Metal

Lips- Max Factor lipgloss in Cloud 9 (discontinued! ARRGGHHH!!!)

Face- L'Oreal True Match compact foundation in Level 1 Neutral

I couldn't tell you what brushes I used (if I used them at all, save for the eyeliners). Sorry.

Did you guys know?

Doe Deere, so-called "creator" of Lime Crime, has her own page on Encyclopaedia Dramatica!


http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Doe_Deere

Entertaining! Check it out!

prettybottles givaway!

http://prettybottles.blogspot.com/2010/11/1st-ever-mini-giveaway.html

She's got a nice little Wet N' Wild palette up for grabs and you should check out the blog anyway because her looks are always gorgeous.

First look post! "State of Emergency"

DISCLAIMER: I know these are messy. I can't wear my glasses while I'm putting makeup on and I have astigmatism. So everything's a bit lopsided. Plus, my eyes have been running off and on for days and something about my eye makeup remover makes my eyes water even more, so while I did a couple of these applications my eyes were all runny and everything so... Bear with me.

This first one was inspired by Bjork's album Homogenic, so it was all silvers and warm blues and deep, bloody reds. Here we go!

 Eyes:

Aromaleigh- Pool of Tears (inner lid), Bleeding Poppy (outer lid), and Jolie (outer corner, outer lower lid) (mixed with a dark burnt red with clear sparkles by Naked Cosmetics)
MicaBella- Daydream (That amazing red-orange frost on my browbone)
Wet N' Wild- dark silver liquid liner
Maybelline- Colossal Volume Express waterproof mascara

Face:

L'Oreal- True Match compact foundation (the lightest neutral available- the warm was yellow and the fair was too pink)

Lips:

Revlon Midnight Swirl lipgloss, Sassy Sangria


 And yes, that IS a wig.

Glamour Doll Eyes haul!

I got my order today and I'm very impressed.

I'd heard some other bloggers talking about how great this line is and decided, since I had an unexpected windfall in the form of a very, VERY late birthday present from my aunt, I would try it. I settled on "Mind Reader", but since they had an $8 minimum, I got a sample of "Radioactive" and a sample of the "Monster Mash" glitter.

Can't wait to use them!

First Aromaleigh Haul! (Pics coming when 2nd arrives!)

I ordered some of the new shadows that Aromaleigh had to offer:

From Wonderstruck: Pink Portent, Pool of Tears, and Curiouser and Curiouser!

From Spells: Expelliarmus

I also got a bunch of samples: pure rouge in Lily, and three shades (two of which I turned around and ordered full sizes of cos they were so pretty!) from the Valentine 09 collection: Bliss, Be Mine, and Intrigued.

Bliss, I just HAD to have another of because it's such a gorgeous color- highly metallic rose gold with blue sparkles- which is going to make my eyes look VERY blue. I got two to give one to a friend for her birthday. Intrigued is a dark antique gold with very subtle blue and green sparkles- not glitter, but tiny little sparks you have to really examine to see. Be Mine is a yellow-white that has a pinkish-orange shimmer.

The blush, Lily, is a bit too dark for me so I'll probably just pass it on to someone else. I'm neon-white, I have to wear VERY light colors if I use blush at all.

Will post looks and swatches later, after everything I've ordered comes in. Right now, I have errands to run. Later!

Super-Fantastic Giveaway at Glitter is My Crack!

Two collections from Morgana Cryptoria and some really awesome jewelry made by the Moon Maiden herself (Victorian Zombie Cameos!) are up for grabs. You should totally check it out. (clicky-link!)

Will have stuff later this week!

I promise! I have new product coming from Aromaleigh, Meow Cosmetics, and Glamour Doll Eyes. I'm so excited!

If I'd had more than $50 to play with, I'd have gotten something from Shiro and Archetype as well, but oh well. Christmas is coming up, I should get some cash then. And hopefully I'll have a job soon and some walkin-around money!

I think I'll lie to my dad about going to look for another place to apply (I've almost exhausted everything I'm qualified for anyway) and do the stuff I've sketched out, and go put the pictures on a disc.

Later!

I made SUCH a mess.

I'm literally covered in eyeshadow.

I decided it would be a good idea to combine a few shadows. For example:

1. Supermurgatroid and Brazen and Bitter from Aromaleigh, and the orange with pink shimmer from Naked Cosmetics' "Harvest Moon" collection. It made the color a bit more multi-layered and rich, and I'm really happy with it.

2. Radioactive and Mayhem's Trilogy from Aromaleigh, and a pale metallic golden green, also from Naked's "Harvest Moon" set.

3. Aromaleigh's Ruthless Indulgence and a super-sparkly black from Naked's "Ebony" collection.

4. Aromaeigh's Jolie and a deep, very dark burgundy with subtle clear sparkle, also from Naked's "Ebony" set.

5. Aromaeigh's Splintered and a dark, blue-toned green, also from Naked's "Ebony" set.

6. Two shimmery turquoise shadows from Naked's "Tropical Indulgence" collection. They were so similar it was almost stupid not to.

7. Aromaeigh's Mourning's Whimsy and a bright fuschia with blue shimmer from Naked's "Tropical Indulgence" set.

8. A pale gold from Naked's "Desert Sunset" collection and a sheer white with gold shimmer from Naked's "Harvest Moon" set.

I bought most of my Naked Cosmetics a year ago at Premier Birmingham and I use them quite a bit. They're good stuff, you ought to check them out. Here.

I paid $165 for six shadow towers, six shades per tower. So I got 36 eyeshadows, a roll of brushes, shadow primer, a bottle of clear nail polish, and a little pink metal and lucite carrying case. Apparently it's worth somewhere in the neighbourhood of $432, based on the site's pricing. I got a DEAL!

But in addition the the re-stocking I need to do with the Naked stuff, there's about $790 worth of various eyeshadows and lip products I've picked out online, and I've found out about a Smashbox set, put together with Florence Welch, that I want (because who DOESN'T always need more eyeliner and mascara? Plus, the blush is a nice color and the lipstick is red) and a new Urban Decay palette. I don't really need the UD set, but it's good to have that sort of thing around for travel. It's much easier than having a ton of loose shadows rattling around in your suitcase. I got the one they released last Christmas and I've really loved having it. Oh, and I need more brushes, too. For my professional kit.

So...

Somebody hire me. Seriously. I need money. I can pay for all this stuff in about three months, four maybe, if I just have a paycheck coming in. And a ton of it is on the list of stuff I gave my mom for Christmas, so maybe that'll knock a few bucks off that number.

Giveaway at Ciani's the Crow and the Powder Puff!

Lots of cool stuff up for grabs! Check it out!

http://ladycrowx.blogspot.com/2010/10/crows-first-giveaway.html

God, I hate unemployment.

With all the new collections being released (Legends of Zelda, Alice in Wonderland, Greek mythology, and Harry Potter as inspiration!? SIGN ME UP!!!) and the shadows and etcetera I've found that I just want, I really could use an income soon before all this stuff is snatched up. Aromaleigh won't be open much longer, I really need to jump on that shit, right? and I've been just DYING to try Fyrinnae, everybody seems so crazy for it, along with a few others. Sugarpill looks AMAZING. I read about them in Gothic Beauty magazine and I checked out the website and the colors, you guys... The sparkles and the colors...

But hope is on the horizon! That final piece of paper I need to send in for my Florida cosmetology license should be here tomorrow or the next day, and I have an interview at Victoria's Secret tomorrow afternoon so everybody cross your fingers for me! I need all the luck I can get, because I pretty much have none.

My day started out pretty shitty, though. I got a call from Toys R Us while I was in the shower that basically told me not to bother them anymore because my application was rejected. Which I find so confusing, because I feel like since I graduated high school and I've held two retail jobs (which I won't pretend is impressive, but still) I probably could stock toys and run a register, right? So I was upset after hearing that voicemail. I went back to the job recruiting center and put in a couple of applications, picked up some junk food on my way home, and just crashed for while.

I did some sketches while I watched Sin City earlier, even coming up with a preliminary design for a Sin City-inspired look, all black, white and red. I WILL do some looks soon, I swear it, but I haven't been doing anything too complicated because it'll just smear off, even with primer- it's so hot in this house. It must be ninety degrees in my room, and I have a window open to let air in. But once the temperature goes down I'll just sit at home and do some looks because I have some great stuff lined up.

I know I keep saying that, but it's true! It's just been hard, trying to find a job and everything. I'll at the very least be able to get something done when my mom and my stepdad leave for New England next... Friday, I think it is. So look out, here some cool stuff comes! In a week or so!

Well, I've thought about it, and...

... I've finally come up with a solution for my ugly-ass hair FAIL I've got going on right now.

Let me begin by setting up why I'm in this position. I've developed an allergy to certain types of permanent hair color, so I got the bright idea to impulsively bleach out all the black dye and try to make my hair white. Since my hair is so coarse and I haven't had too many disasters in the past, I went ahead and slapped about ten pounds of TIGI Colour Lights bleach (with the blue toner) on my head over about three weeks. I got my hair to the color of butter, but it started splitting off so I decided to cover it with Manic Panic, a great shade of green called "Enchanted Forest". I had it that color for about two weeks and began to panic because that may have been keeping me from getting a job, so I lifted a small section in front (with the pink-red toner, to get rid of the green) and dyed the rest black. Like Sweeney Todd's hair. But now I have the lovely problem of black dye leaking onto the white sections so they're more like bluish-gray.

And to top it all off, I've got a huge section of hair on the TOP OF MY HEAD that's just... split off. It's only an inch and a half long. I ordered a $40 wig off the internet just in case I can't deal with it, but I think I have a solution.

A few simple steps will get me back on the right track:

1. I will wait until I have about 3/4 of an inch of new growth. Probably another month.
2. I'll go have finally have someone else do my hair.
3. The back and sides will be cut VERY short, and the top will be left as it is, maybe trimmed a little.
4. The short parts will be bleached to platinum (i.e. white, not hard since I'm a natural dirty blonde)
5. The top will be touched up and those God-awful white sections will be covered.
6. I will grow my hair out and keep this color scheme.

There. My hair grows very quickly so this time next year my hair will be at least two inches past my shoulders, with trims and everything. It's gonna suck not being able to get my hair done for free- a friend of mine used to do my color and cuts on slow nights at the salon she worked at. I just had to provide the color.

So hopefully by the time this is set in motion, that short section will LAY the fuck DOWN because I'm tired of having to pin it down so it doesn't stick 90 degrees off my skull.

Well, since I haven't had any time...

Here's a picture of me from a couple of years ago that I took to document my wicked-awesome green hair and the makeup I had on that day.

The pink cream eyeshadow is Morbid Cosmetics, and the glitter is neon-pink body glitter.

And it's kind of hard to tell, but Melissa and I both had glittery eyeliner on. This was Premier Birmingham 2008.

Mine was a gorgeous silvery blue-green, and hers was light pink. Courtesy of the Eye Candy stall. Of course, the $25 kits they were hocking (a tiny <less than 1g> pot of glitter, a tiny bottle of their Sugar Sealant, and a little brush) were NOT WORTH THE MONEY. And now that new Hard Candy line at Wal-Mart has the same-quality stuff, twice the amount, for $10 altogether. Guess which one I'd go for first.

More to come later! I promise!

Seriously. Screw "Normal".

Well, after all my ramblings about how I wouldn't care what people thought about me, here I sit with color on my hair. All so I can get a job working at fucking Radio Shack or something.

I think it's so sad that, in 2010, people are still so offended by unnatural haircolors that companies have policies against it. My green hair wouldn't have had a thing to do with how I did my job. And I'm worried about what's going to happen to my hair, because it's so weak, but I'm having to bleach out the green before I can color over it (I have black dye but I'll be damned if I have monotone hair that isn't a real color) or at least tone it- which hopefully this red-pink toner is going to save me the trouble of doing.

I realise that it's kind of ridiculous to tie my identity up in my hair so much, but you have to understand- the color was the only thing I liked about it. I hate the cut (too damn short), I hate the damage, I hate all of it. Except that wonderful blue-green. And the fact that I'm having to hide part of who I am in order to find work is sickening.

I tried to cover it with a black semi-permanent, but it always turned a dark bluish-gray and then rinsed out in three days. So I'm having to use permanent dye, which I am allergic to now (why do you hate me so, Universe?), in order to cover it.

On top of that, I probably won't be able to at least comfort myself by using my more bright and/or dramatic eyeshadows because that frightens the punters as well. It's not like I'm asking them to wear it, it's just something that makes me happy. Is that so wrong?

I've never been what others would consider "normal". Every since I formed my own personality (sometime around the fifth grade), I started getting treated like a freak. And that was before all the haircolors and the makeup. That didn't start until my senior year of high school.

Last week, my mom and I got into an argument. I was trying to get out of the house to talk to some people about a job, and she started bringing up everything I've ever done wrong in my life. Things I still feel terribly about. And she mentioned my first job, at Publix, and I said I'd rather kill myself than put myself in that situation again. That she probably didn't remember or care about how much that job really messed with my head and killed what little confidence I'd had. Then, out of nowhere, she made a very cutting remark about how I've "always refused to fit in" and that, basically, it's all my fault when people look at me differently.

Now, I'll admit that bright colors catch people's attention. But that's not why I wear them. They make me happy when absolutely everything else is killing me inside. So do my piercings and my tattoo. They make me feel like myself. My natural haircolor is so ugly, like dirty dishwater. And my eyes are blue and gray, and I'm pale. I look muted, almost faded without something to cut down all the boring. God forbid I shouldn't want to look at a 50% gray image.

If blonde highlights and an Orange Julius-colored fake tan make you happy, great, but that's not me. Never has been, never will be. And I shouldn't have to apologise for that.

UPDATE! Some of the black dye bled onto my little blonde streaks in front, giving them a sort of grayish-purple tone. Damn it.

Oh, my God you guys.

I got more ideas. This is getting flippin' RIDICULOUS.



Damn you, inspiration. And you, too, lack of time. Gahhh....

About my lack of posts...

I'll get around to it, one day, I promise. I've been so busy, trying to get settled in and finding a job and whatnot... But I've been doing it up every day and taking pictures, so I'll have a lot to show you at once!

I've worked out a few little designs, including one inspired by the Queen of Hearts and one inspired by Bjork's look on the cover of her album Homogenic, and maybe a couple with more of a Bat For Lashes feel to it.

I dunno. I'll post soon!

Painted Giveaway!

Lots of cool things up for grabs! Check it out!

A few of my favorite things!

I thought to get things rolling I would post about some brands I've tried, what I've got, and what I like about all of them, along with some lines I'd like to try.

1. MAC

I know, I know, everybody and her grandma has at least one MAC thing they Can't Live Without, but I've fallen so in love with the few things I have that I actually want to work for this company. I'm trying to put together a portfolio to give them along with my resume. I have three eyeshadows: Beauty Marked, a brownish coal black with red sparkles, Idol Eyes, a silver with gold and violet shimmer, and, my favorite, Creme de Violet, a bright pinkish violet with gold sparkles. I also have Cyber, an extremely deep purple lipstick, and two Super Dazzleglass lip glosses in Cherry Electric, a bright pink with multicolored sparkles, and Fab Frenzy, a deep purple with multicolored sparkles. I haven't worn Cyber or Fab Frenzy yet, since they're not really good colors for summer and I bought them in June, but everything else I've worn with pride and I've been very happy with them.

Edit: I just bought the Viva Glam lipstick in Gaga and I LOVE it! It's such a pretty pink and it looks nice with my skin. I also got to look at the Fabulous Felines collection and saw a Dazzle lipstick that I liked (it was clear-ish and had iridescent glitter), and I'm signed up for a little Villainous Vixens demo!

2. Urban Decay

I'm a huge Urban Decay fan. The color payoff is always so great and they have some amazing products. My favorite thing is probably the Deluxe Eyeshadow in Graffiti- green is my favorite color next to black so you'll see a lot of it. Just a warning. Anyway, I've used their shadow primer and it was good, but the wand would get sort of grayish after a while (I don't always manage to get all my makeup off, but mostly what gets left is eyeliner and mascara smudges). The pallete, complete with a mini tube of primer and two half-sized eyeliner pencils, that I bought around Christmas was great to have- if I'm just going somewhere for one night (don't get any ideas), I'll just bring that, along with mascara, eyeliner, and a couple different kinds of lip things. Convenience is awesome.

3. Too Faced

I'll admit, I haven't used too much of this. The first time I ever tried it, I was in Birmingham with a friend for the hair show a year ago. She had their Glamour Revolution pallete and when we checked in, I took a shower and asked if she'd let me try on some of the colors because I was in love with it but I didn't have any money- I was unemployed and don't have a rich family like her. So she hands me the box, and I tried (and, eventually, bought) Label Whore, brown with blue and green shimmer and iridescent sparkles, with Neptune, shimmery bright teal, on top of it. I can't remember what I used on my brow bone, but it was a shimmery nude. Looked great with my Led Zeppelin shirt.

Since then, I've also tried their eyeshadow primer, which I love. I don't put on eyeshadow without it. It gives you a bit more control because it's in a squeeze tube and you can just spread it on your eyelids. I plan on trying more things later on- I almost bought some Lava Liner but didn't have $18 to spend (hooray, unemployment!) so I bought some at Target instead.

4. Mica Bella

For those who don't know, mostly these guys sell out of kiosks in the mall. I've bought four shadows- Daydream, my favorite, a sheer white with red, gold, pink, and orange shimmer, Royal, a deep, intense blue with purple shimmer, Patience, a plum with pinkish-purple and gold shimmer, and Indulgence, a super-sparkly silver. I also, at one time, had their foundation, but it was WAY too dark, even being their lightest shade, and their blush. So I passed those on to someone who could wear them and kept the eyeshadows.

5. NARS

Too expensive to buy all that often, but GORGEOUS. I have their Angel Heart blush and highlighter set, because it's light and I'm pale so I don't look like I got shot in the face with a paint gun when I wear it, their Rated R (chartreuse with gold shimmer and indigo with light blue shimmer) shadow set, and the Tropic (teal with intense, chunky sparkle) single. I've tried more in stores, but haven't been able to pony up the cash.

6. Stila

I have their Flashlight foundation, because it's the only thing Sephora had pale enough for me that didn't cost like $50. I also tried their Jewel Lip Glaze collection and the coordinating eyeshadow, and may try to coerce my mom into getting it for me as a Christmas present.

7. Naked

I first bought a set (Harvest Moon) at Premiere Birmingham 2008, and I loved it. I mostly got it because $15 for six colors is pretty great when it costs $50 on the website, and I didn't have any muted (sort of) greens, but there also was a bright copper with pink shimmer, sheer white with gold shimmer, and bright gold with bright green shimmer.

The next year, I bought SIX sets for my kit (about 80% is now in my personal collection). I also got a set of fifteen brushes in a roll-up, shadow primer, clear nail polish, and a pink lucite and metal case with a mirror inside. Well worth the money- the color payoff is great and it's lasting forever. I would certainly buy again, and I plan to.

8. Aromaleigh

I came to this brand late, and it's a shame that they're going out of business because I LOVE all the stuff I ordered. Most of it came from their Victoria's Revenge collection- Ruthless Indulgence, my favorite, a brownish-coal with silvery-pink and copper sparkles, Mayhem's Trilogy, green with green and platinum (not quite silver and not quite gold) sparkle, the perfect zombie green, Mourning's Whimsy, a neon purple with blue sparkles, Frigid Gloom, a beautiful sky blue with pink and silver sparkles, Oleander Vapor, a pale, mauve-ish pink with pink and purple sparkles, Bleeding Poppy, a dark, bloody red with green, blue, and silver sparkles, Apocalypse Pansy, basically the same as Bleeding Poppy but a deep plum, Brazen and Bitter, a pinkish-orange with pink, orange, green, and gold sparkles, and Splintered, a dark, silvery forest green with green and silver sparkles. I also ordered two of their Goth Lolita collection- Aqua Nightmare, a vibrant turquoise with blue sparkles, and Strawberry Despair, a muted, reddish, dusky pink with shimmer and faint pink sparkles. I have two shades from their Bete Noire collection- Jolie, a cool, dusky red with tons of sparkle that pairs well with Beauty Marked by MAC, and Darcelle, a golden olive with lots of blue and green sparkle. I wasn't as in love with their Retro-Futuristic matte shadows I got samples of, Radioactive, a cool, bright green, and Supermurgatroid, a bright orange, because the color payoff wasn't as good. But they're still lovely.

I know I wrote a novel, here, and there's a lot more makeup I haven't gotten to yet that I want very much to try, but there you go!

Evil Angel's Giveaway!

Some way-cool Goth and Steampunk-style accessories up for grabs! Check it out NOW!

Glitter is My Crack Giveaway!

http://themoonmaiden-blix.blogspot.com/2010/08/huge-giveaway.html

You should totally check out her blog, by the way. Lots of cool stuff on there.

First Post

Hello all!

I've decided, since makeup is one of my greatest passions these days, that I would start a blog celebrating all the things that I love, from new styles I've developed to new products I'm trying to, possibly, a misguided foray into mixing my own cosmetics.

I will start by warning you- this is not makeup for the faint of heart. I love bright colors and sparkles and pretty things.

Later, I will post about the brands I like, the things I like about them, and guides to some looks I've worked out.

For now, though, I probably ought to get ready for bed, as it's past 2 A.M. Later!