2 Concert makeup looks featuring Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge #11

While cleaning up some of my pictures I realized I never posted two looks from last year that I really, really liked.

Because they were looks for concerts, I was in a rush and did not get to take as many pictures as I normally would. One of the days I even only had my phone camera. I didn't take note of which products I used (what I can remember I will note below)

In both of these looks I'm wearing Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge lip color in #11, Dark Raspberry.

These are actually from September of last year. Whoops! As you can see I still have dark hair in these pictures.
In fact, looking at these made me miss my dark hair!! What do you think?

In this first look I wore a blue/green smokey eye to see Fall Out Boy in September. I had to apply my makeup in the car and my only camera was on my phone.
Not the most ideal for documenting but I still really loved how the look pulled together so I felt it was worth sharing!

The only things I remembered using are the Elf little black beauty book (I talked about it here, and to answer my own question, no, no I would not call it Holy Grail) and MUFE aqua rouge in 11.

Any discoloration you see is due to my crappy cell phone camera NOT a real reflection of my skin. My camera does this sometimes.

I like the general sharp winged shape I had here. It could have been blended a bit more but because this is such an old look, I didn't know as much back then.

My second look is from when I went to see my favorite band, Yellowcard.
I remember being so flattered because a few people complimented my makeup that night and of course that made my day.

For this look I used MAC pigment Bright Fuchsia which is the bright pink you see on the eyelid that ended up staying on all night through the concert AND sleep. Pretty impressive!

 A worse phone quality but you get the picture. I also really like my key clock necklace which I got for less than $5 on Amazon.

If you notice there is a part of my lips which are discolored...the MUFE Aqua Rouge didn't seem to stick to it.
I honestly have no idea why or how this happened...I didn't realize it until later when going through my pictures. It could have been a dry/chapped spot of lips or it could have been because I tried on a few different lipsticks before settling on this one. I don't know!

As you can see I smoked the pink out with a dark purple in the crease/outer V.

I had just dyed my hair again so it's extra dark so I was trying something different with my eyebrows here. I think they look a bit off but it's all apart of the brows journey!

So there are 2 looks that I put together back in September and needed to last all night.

I didn't think they were worth throwing away so I hope you've enjoyed them. The truth is the MUFE Aqau Rouge is my go-to lipstick. It lasts FOREVER and is waterproof, smudgeproof, etc and MATTE (if you don't apply the 2nd side which is how I usually wear it). This meets all my basic needs because I rarely re-apply lip products through the day. I need something to last me all day.

The MUFE Aqua Rouge is my go-to for any big events, anything where I will be eating/drinking, and really a majority of my full face looks! I really love it and I'm so glad I got it.

My First Cut Crease

Part of being obsessed interested in makeup means constantly trying to challenge yourself and improve your skill. I had used much of the same techniques for 95% of my life. It wasn't until recently that I found the thrill of challenging myself to try new things. 

I find inspiration on youtube, pinterest, and instagram. There are two ladies that live near me, @jemapellebree and @janeenersss on instagram (seriously- check them out) that always created such beautifully blended perfect cut creases. Seeing their work and knowing they were self-taught gave me the inspiration to attempt a cut crease myself.

For my first time trying something I was pretty pleased with the results. I have a LOT of room for improvement! But I've got to say, I am still happy with how it came out. 

All constructive criticism is appreciated! However if you don't have anything nice or constructive to say, then keep it to yourself. Don't have time for any hate!

For the sake of full transparency, I must say that some of these pictures have been edited by way of attempting to color correct. These pictures were taken on my cell phone so the quality and color were not great. I did the best I could to correct. 

E.l.f. Little black beauty book (cool edition) swatches & review: Is it worthy of being Holy Grail?

Let me start off by saying I'm a fan of Elf cosmetics in general. While a lot of their inventory is hit or miss, it is so cheap that you can afford some trial and error.

So when I saw the Elf little black beauty book -cool edition- at my local target for only $6, there was no way I was passing it up.

Now, I'm ever so glad that I snatched it up! There is such a wide range of colors, they are pretty pigmented, and the price cannot be beat.

Could the formula use some work? Yes. But I am pretty sure that these are some of  the best drug store eyeshadows I have ever encountered. What they lack in formula they make up for in pigmentation and color range. There is a mix of both matte and shimmer finishes. As is expected, the shimmer shades are much easier to work with than the matte shades, as you will see in the swatches. 

See swatches and my full review after the jump- 

Big Lots & Dollar Tree Haul

When nouveaucheap posted that there were sightings of China Glaze, Zoya, and OPI and even Essie at Big Lots, I knew I had to hightail it over there ASAP. There is only one big lots around me (a few more if I'm willing to travel a bit) and I had never even thought of looking there for makeup! I didn't realize that they have actual brands, not knockoffs or cheap no-names. They have nice brands there! For CHEAP! 

Unfortunately in my venture I did not find any Zoya, China Glaze, or Essie. But the trip was not a bust! I still got all these great products!

First I found this lovely emerald shade of nail polish by Julie G cosmetics called *****. I have also seen this brand be called Jesse's girl so I really don't know which to call it. The packaging says Julie G, though, so we'll go with that.I have seen lots of bloggers talk about this brand but since it is only sold in Rite Aid and online, I figured I would not be seeing it anytime soon. There are no Rite Aids around me and I am not one to order online very often (this is usually because I am broke) . When I saw this shade for only a dollar I couldn't pass it up! 

I have since used it on my nails and can definitely say that I am pleased with the formula so far!

 

I have never tried any magnetic nail polishes before. But for $1.60 who can resist? I figured it was worth trying!

 

I have had one experience with "shatter" or "crackle" nails and let me just say, it was not a good one. I was not impressed at all. However when I saw this OPI Nicki Minaj **** polish for only $1.80 I had to snatch it! I am a sucker for a good deal. I am hoping the effect works, and it's cool to have a novelty polish like a Nicki Minaj one.

I got another magnetic polish, this time from Sinful Colors. Mostly what drew me to this was the pattern it has...unfortunately, I didn't realize until I got home that it didn't come with the magnet! I am still going to try using the Sally Hanson magnet, but it won't give it the same pattern it has on the tag :(

So that was my haul from Big Lots. 

Luckily (unluckily for my wallet) there is a Dollar Tree right next to my Big Lots...so of course I had to stop in! and I found more goodies there!

This is my favorite find. It's a gorgeous purple with gold shimmering purple glitter in it. It's beautiful, and it looks great on the nails! It is Milani brand which I have never tried and it is the shade totally cool . That it is, Milani. That it is.

 

I'll admit this was a little of a goofy buy. I don't have any hope whatsoever for the polish in there, but I couldn't pass up those cute little stencils, for only a dollar. 

This is another fun color called Treasure Island by LA colors. Another brand I've never tried but I really liked the color so I hope the formula is nice!

I picked up Elf's shimmering facial whip in lilac petals and I think it might be a little to pinky to work as a highlighter for me. I haven't tried it on my face yet though!

That's it for my dollar tree haul but I have ONE more item that I found at CVS on clearance. I know that most people don't like or prefer black lipstick of any kind but I am really into the vamp-y kind of look.  I got this lipgloss for only 1 dollar and some change!

Rimmel Stay glossy in black

Ignore the extreme closeup of my lips. But here is the gloss on my lips alone, without anything underneath. 

This is layered on top of Urban Decay's sellout. As you can tell I layered the product a bit more this time. It tends to pool at the edges so maybe a lipliner would help prevent this?

This is the gloss layered on top of CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain in Saucy Plum 450

I layered it over this because it's darker and I felt would accent the black more. It's still spotty in places as you can tell on my upper lip.

The 3 lip products next to each other for comparison (sans flash)

I am still searching for a true black lipstick or gloss. They all seem to be spotty and sheer at best. The search continues! But for a buck and some change, I'm not complaining.

I advise everyone to go to their nearest Big Lots and see if they can score any high-end polishes for the low! Let me know in the comments if you found anything good at your local one!

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling

Family Birthday party look!

Hey lovelies I know it seems like I'm slackin' on the posting and I DEEPLY apologize! I have been trying to make my camera work with videos and it's been a stressful process.

VIDEO REVIEWS COMING SOON! :)

But for now let's get on to the makeup and outfit I wore!

It was my brother's birthday this past week so the family got together for some Publix subs and margaritas (as it was also Cinco de Mayo)

I had a rose gold and burgandy look goin' on. I know it's hard to tell the burgandy part but I'm about to post a picture of the makeup I used, and you can tell! 

Now I know I've talked about my Profusion Palette a lot, as I use it in almost all of my looks! (because I can't say it enough: a review video is coming!!) but here's a sneak peak at what the actual palette looks like.

ooh, pretty colors! 

As demonstrated by the arrows, these are the colors I used!

Here's the rest of the makeup used to get this look:

Face:

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation in nude beige

Physician's Formula multi-colored pressed palette in Buff

for contouring: Elf contouring blush & bronzing powder in St Lucia

unknown concealer (I hate containers that fade so you can't even tell what product it is!)

Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer potion in original

the eyeshadows demonstrated above

Maybelline eyestudio gel eyeliner in blackest black

Covergirl lashblast volume waterproof in black

Nyx Eyeshadow trio in honeycomb for highlighting and eyebrows

eyelash curler from Forever 21 (how cute is that- purple + rhinestones = <3 )

As always when I'm looking forward to a long day, I topped it off with Urban Decay all nighter setting spray to make my makeup last! Not pictured is some lip color that I threw on and did not write down what it was 

:(

Last but not least, you can peep my OOTD here:

everything I'm wearing is from Target! In fact the skirt was on clearance for less than $10. Now that is a steal!

Follow your bliss, 

Ember Darling

Ulta & Dollar Tree Haul!

If you're addicted to beauty products *ahem, CHEAP beauty products* and haven't been down to your local Dollar Tree lately...you're messin' up!!

I used to think that Dollar Tree makeup had to be trashy and cheap, right? WRONG! They now have brands that might sound mighty familiar to you! such as Sally Hanson, Sinful Colors, NYC, ELF, Revlon, and Milani!

Here's some pictures of what I picked up on my latest trip to Clearwater Mall, which has an Ulta and Dollar Tree right next door to each other! The best part about the Dollar Tree is that since everything is so cheap, you can buy shades that you might not normally purchase or try. That's what I did! 

 First up, Ulta haul

I finally got my hands on the Nyx Jumbo eye pencil in Milk. This is a product that most consider a mainstay in their collection. It's versatile, it's cheap, it's high quality- what more could you ask for?

I got two shades of the Nyx matte lip creams. I have heard many good things about these so I was so excited to snap them up! The one on the left is Amsterdam. I unfortunately don't know the name of the one on the right. I tried it on and it was more nude than I expected, and I gave it away to a friend.

From the dollar store: One weird thing about the dollar store is that all the makeup is packaged- even the makeup that isn't normally in a package. It's strange but what can ya do?

elf brightening eye color

baby wipes! No, I don't have a baby. These things are vastly underrated as far as makeup removing/touchups go. And for only a buck, I couldn't resist.

from L to R: Rose in Your Nose, Bonjour, My Day

Can't wait to try these out! Reviews coming soon! :)

Blue By, Orange Impulse

Gone Platinum, Ciao Bella, Cream Pink

I am SO pleased with Ciao Bella. I hate buying dark sapphire colors because they almost always turn out black. But this one is definitely blue on the nail! I highly recommend it.

My two favorite finds were the Sinful Colors nail art polishes. These were discontinued and I've never seen them anywhere else before! But for only a buck you definitely can't go wrong. The other favorite find is Sally Hanson Insta-dri polishes. Word on the street is that these nail polishes ALWAYS work with stamping kits (which a friend of mine has that I use frequently) so I snatched up a few to use for that purpose!

I can't wait to use these products! 

What about you guys, have you found any gems at your local Dollar Tree lately? Are you going to go searching for some bargains now? Because you should! 

Follow your bliss,

Ember Darling