Sunday, October 30, 2016

Ever After: Lip Glosses, Lipsticks, and Eyeshadows

Greetings, dear readers! I hope you have been enjoying your weekend thus far! The rain keeps coming down here in Northern California, and it's looking like it's going to rain tomorrow for Halloween as well. I'm not sure what that's going to mean for us for taking the boys out trick or treating, and now that my oldest is sick yet again, this may not be the most festive Halloween for us. I guess it isn't the end of the world giving out candy to other trick or treaters and maybe eating a few pieces myself, right?

In a post earlier this week, I shared the Ever After October Subscription box which included an eyeshadow. If you aren't familiar with this indie brand, Ever After has been offering nail polishes and assorted bath products for quite some time, and recently they have expanded there line to include lip glosses, eyeshadows, and now lipsticks! I got to see Miranda and Rachel, the lovely ladies behind the brand, while at Polish Con in Chicago last month. I bought their full lippie lineup and a few eyeshadows while there, and I've been holding back on writing up this post until it got closer to the official lipstick launch online. Let's check out what I picked up!
I adore lip glosses for when I want shine, a touch of colour, and a delicious flavor on my lips, so I naturally had to pick these up these babies! There are currently three shades that have been available for purchase both at at Polish Con and online.
Blackberry Bordeaux - Bubble Gum - Cherry Kiss

Blackberry Bordeaux is a dark berry gloss that is also flavored with blackberry bordeaux.

Bubble Gum is a baby pink with subtle shimmer that is flavored with bubble gum.

Cherry Kiss which is a soft red with heavy shimmer that is flavored with sweet red cherry, of course!

I really like these glosses! The colours are subtle for when you want a tint to your lips or to top over your favorite lipsticks. They are glosses so they will kiss off or transfer to your coffee mug and will need to be reapplied. The best thing about these glosses is that aren't sticky. That's definitely an added bonus to these beauties!

Now to the lipsticks!
Seductive - Goddess - First Kiss

Seductive
Seductive is a deep burgundy and flavored with blackberry bordeaux. While it looks darker in the tube, it isn't overly-pigmented so you end up having a beautiful wine colour on your lips after application. The lipstick texture is perfectly smooth and applies beautifully to the lips.

Goddess
Goddess is a caramel gold shimmer and flavored with blackberry bordeaux. I've really been feeling these types of colours for lipsticks recently, and I am thrilled to see it as one of the introductory shades to the Ever After lipstick lineup! It glides on easily, imparting a golden sheen on your lips that can be built up with subsequent coats for a more intense look.

First Kiss
First Kiss a cherry red lightly pigmented semi sheer lipstick that is flavored with blackberry bordeaux. Even though it is described as a semi sheer, and it certainly does start out that way, I was impressed with how much it built up with two or three quick swipes over my lips.

Seductive - Goddess - First Kiss

I really enjoyed these lipsticks! The application on all three shades was smooth and not the least bit drying to the lips, and they had quite good staying power with touchups needed periodically after eating, drinking, and stealing toddler kisses. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have already seen the sneak peak photo I shared of these at Polish Con in the slim black tubes. While these are the tubes I picked up at the event, the lipsticks are going to be officially released in November in a traditional lipstick tube.

On to some eye shadows!
Colors Of The Wind - Whole New World

Colors Of The Wind is a brown with bronze copper and gold sparkle.

Whole New World is a frosty green with silver shimmer.

There are more than two eyeshadow colours in the Ever After line-up, but my budget didn't permit me to pick up all the shades I wanted. I chose Colors Of The Wind because it is a gorgeous brown shade that I can wear any day or night, and let me tell you, I have been wearing it a lot since picking it up! It is also a shade that would pair perfectly with just about any colour of your choosing, certainly all the shades offered by Ever After! My other choice was Whole New World because I loved the colour and have been adding greens in particular to my eye makeup routine recently. I am in love with this particular combination, both when applied softly for a touch of colour and layered for a more intense look!
And because I'm trying to remember to take more selfies when I wear my makeup, here is the final look I created one day last week. I kept the application pretty light on my eyes and incorporated some matte shades from my NYX Adorable palette so it wasn't too sparkled. I am also wearing Ever After lipstick in Goddess here.

I am really excited to see cosmetics added to the Ever After lineup although my bank account is already hating me for it. While there are three lip glosses shown here, a little birdie has informed me that Ever After will be introducing two more to their line-up later this month! I haven't even seen them yet, but I suspect they'll be going on my Christmas wishlist with the remaining Ever After eyeshadows I need!

And now this is when you call me a tease because these are temporarily off the Ever After website while Miranda is out of town. If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area next Saturday, you'll be able to meet up with Miranda at the Ever After booth at The Indie Shop event to pick up some of these beauties in person! If you cannot make it to Torrance, rest assured, the lip glosses and eyeshadows will be returning to the website upon Miranda's return, and the lipsticks should be making their debut on the site Black Friday.

Have you tried any of the cosmetics from Ever After? If so, what are your favorites? Is there anything you want to try? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day and enjoy the rest of the weekend!
XO!


Friday, October 28, 2016

Dancing Skeletons with Colors by Llarowe

Happy Friday, dear readers! It has been such a busy week since I've been solo parenting, and I am go glad the hubby got home last night! This poor momma needs a nap! Of course I have some catching up to do as I didn't have the help I had originally planned on this week so.....I'll sleep when I'm dead? It took me far longer than usual with having to work in tiny intervals, but I did manage to create a cute nail art look for Halloween. Let's check it out!
I've been putting on kid-friendly Halloween shows and cartoons the past week or so to get my boys in the spirit of gimmefreecandy Halloween. One of the cartoons I shared was Disney's 1929 short, The Skeleton Dance, and I knew I needed to have dancing skeletons for a nail art look! Of course the short is in black and white, and while I'm sure it would have been cute for nail art in just those shades, I needed more colour!
I wanted something colourful with a slightly different-than-normal Halloween palette, and I am loving this look!
My skulls were a little too plain so I had to make little bows for them. They definitely increased the cuteness factor ten fold!
I used the following nail polishes and products to create this look:

Sweet Nectar (Hypnotic Polish Exclusive)
Miss Grey
Fire Down Below
A Galaxy Far, Far Away (August 2016 POTM)

Skeletons (used as both stencil and decal)

Stamping
EJB-04

Celestial Cosmetics and Colors4Nails Stamping Line
Pearl

Purple (#8) Stamping Polish

Black Stamping Polish

Bronze Goddess Stamping Polish

I enjoyed creating this look, and I'm in the middle of painting a new design now!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Ever After Polish: October Sub Box "Fall Flavors"

Happy hump day, dear readers! It's been a little slow on the blog front as I've been solo parenting while the hubby is out of town for work. I have so much respect for all the single parents out there! I had hoped to get some things done in the evenings once the boys went to bed, but my oldest has been refusing to go to bed as long as I am awake and have even taken over the husband's side of the bed. I'm hoping this is just a temporary situation and life will go back to normal once the hubby is home later this week. They are thankfully content watching construction songs on youtube right now so I could sneak up a post. I'm not sure how long it will last so let's jump on in!
I knew I needed to pick up the Ever After Fall Flavors themed October subscription box as soon as I say a few sneak peak photos, and I am so glad I got it! While the theme may be "Fall Flavors", the "Trick or Treat" on the enclosed card was all it took to convince me to stage a Halloween themed photograph. Let's check out the contents closer....

Spiced Rum Nail Polish
Two coats plus top coat

Auburn holo with copper sparkle

I don't know if I can find the words that express just how much I love this polish! It's my kind of colour in general anyway, and it is so perfect for this time of year. It is also a great shade for those that aren't 100% confident on wearing an orange polish but is still has that slight burnt orange touch. The formula of the beauty was perfection. While I used two coats here, you might be able to get away with a single coat if you tend to paint with thicker coats.

Cinnamon Sugar Eye Shadow
I am really excited to see Ever After has branched out to add cosmetics to their fabulous line up! Cinnamon Sugar is another gorgeous fall shade, and I love the sparkle! It stayed in place all day long with just my normal primer and setting spray routine, and I had very minimal settling into by creases by the end of the day. This has become my go-to shade for the season!

Each box also comes with a wax melt as shown in the staged photo. Mine barely made it in the staged photo before it got melted, it smelled that good! Shaped as the cutest little leaf, mine was scented as Pumpkin Pie. The other possible scent that was included in this box was cranberry, so I knew I would be happy either way. There was also a caramel apple lollipop, but the poor thing didn't stand a chance as my toddler saw it was I was opening up my mail. I'm sure it was quite delicious given his refusal to share....

The Fall Flavors October Subscription Box is currently available for purchase at the Ever After website located here. You could opt to purchase just this box or sign up for the actual subscription plan and receive an invoice each month. The box retails for $15, and it is well worth it! If you want the October box, you better grab it now before it sells out!

In quasi-related news, if you already picked up this box or just want the wax melts, a little birdie informed me that there will be a limited supply of cranberry and pumpkin wax melts available on their own for purchase!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful evening!
XO!



Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Press Release: China Glaze Seas and Greetings

WARMEST WISHES FROM CHINA GLAZE®

China Glaze® Celebrates the Holidays Seaside
#LiveInColour

‘Tis the sea-sun for holiday cheer!  This year China Glaze® takes you on a tropical escape away from the traditional snowy winter climate and wishes you Seas and Greetings.  The chill vibe of this collection has nothing to do with weather and everything to do with attitude.  Winter gets warmed up as faded ocean blues and weathered seashell pinks capture the relaxed feel of a day at the beach, while sparkling glitters and shimmers add a classic holiday touch.

China Glaze® Seas and Greetings includes:
Snow Way!* – Iridescent white shimmer
Sand in My Mistletoes* РPeachy nude cr̬me
·      
Eat, Pink, Be Merry – Sweet rose pink shimmer

·      
Warm Wishes* РWatermelon cr̬me

·      
Tis the Sea-Sun РCoral cr̬me

·      
The More the Berrier – Metallic magenta

·      
Seas and Greetings – Iridescent amethyst

·      
Let’s Shell-ebrate – Purple and gold confetti glitter

·      
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Starfish* – Holographic gold green glitter

·    
Partridge in a Palm Tree – Aqua green

·      
Joy to the Wave – Shimmering serene blue

·     
Good Tide-ings – Cool blue lavender


(*Also available in Gelaze® Gel-n-Base in One™ formula exclusively at Sally Beauty Supply stores nationwide)


China Glaze® Seas and Greetings also features two holiday gift sets perfect for gifting the manicure addict in your life:


 Seas the Holiday – She won’t miss her suitcase on the carousel again with this blindingly bright China Glaze® luggage tag paired with three hot neon shades – Flip Flop Fantasy, Too Yacht to Handle and That’s Shore Bright.  (MSRP $14.99)

shell-ebration Time! – Micro mini bottles of Eat, Pink and Be Merry, Let’s Shell-ebrate, The More the Berrier, Seas and Greetings, Good Tide-ings, and Partridge in a Palm Tree. (MSRP $13.49)


Have yourself a merry coastal Christmas with the China Glaze® Seas and Greetings collection, available in November 2016 at Sally Beauty Supply and www.sallybeauty.com.  MSRP $7.50 for individual shades.

For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Facebook (@ChinaGlazeOfficial), Instagram (@ChinaGlazeOfficial), Twitter (@ChinaGlaze) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/chinaglaze).

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Adventures at Cosmoprof North America: Make-up Designory

Press Sample

Greetings, dear readers! The weekend is quickly coming to an end, and we have another week upon us! I feel like fall has been flying by in just the blink of an eye; how is Halloween a week away? I better jump in on today's post while I can!

I wanted to continue on with showcasing some of the brands and products I stumbled across at Cosmoprof North America this year, and this is perfect timing for this post! I had the pleasure of stopping by the Make-Up Designory (MUD) booth and learn what the brand was all about. Tested by makeup professionals, MUD promises quality long-lasting wearability and flawless application. This line includes makeup and precision tools supported by expert tips and tested in real-life situations.

I had the opportunity to test out a few of MUD's eyeshadow products. I received a refillable eye colour compact and eyeshadow refills in Sedona and Pyramid.
The eye palette refills easily pop into the compact and sits securely until you remove it to swap out another colour.
Pyramid: A rich, intense, metallic gold eye color

Sedona: A matte, soft burnt orange

These colours are lovely and play together so perfectly, and let's not forget just how perfect these shades are for the fall season! The velvety consistency of these shadows allows them to glide on smoothly and evenly regardless of whether or not you use them wet or dry. I wanted a more natural look so I opted to wear them dry here. I have yet to test them out wet, but I am eager to play around with Pyramid in particular and use it as an eyeliner!

Here is my final look of the day!

These and other MUD cosmetic items and tools can be purchased from the Make-Up Designatory website located here. I'm eyeing some of their satin lipsticks and several of their other eyeshadow refills. While it may work for others, I prefer to travel with more than a single eyeshadow, so I've added the 8-pan refillable palette to my wishlist. This particular palette holds six different eyeshadows and two cheek colour refills; their Pumpkin refill cheek colour needs to be mine!

Have you used any cosmetic products or tools from Make-Up Designatory? If you, what are your favorites? If not, what sort of products would you want to try? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful evening!
XO!




Saturday, October 22, 2016

PRESS RELEASE: Pretty & Polished Winter 2016 Collection

Pretty & Polished Winter 2016 Collection



Our 2016 Winter Collection features 12 brand new and exciting shades!
Collection release date: November 20, 2016
Full Collection Price: $90 (also qualifies for free domestic shipping, Value $101.50)
We will also be starting our Black Friday Sale on the 20th of November so you WILL be able to get the new Collection at a discount if you order that first week it is available. We will be releasing more information about our Black Friday Sale closer to that time. 
We will be sending freebies with every order! Nail art, mani melts, and other cuticle care products!




Throw Some Glitter On It 
$8.50
A full coverage glitter bomb packed with pinks, purples, blues, oranges, coppers, and a scattering of color shifting flakes.
Sleighing It!
$9.00
A Red to Orange Multi-chrome polish with a strong linear holo effect.
 
I Busted My Glass
$8.50
A glitter topper packed with metallic and holographic glitters in different shapes and sizes. 
Rocks in my Snowballs
$8.50
A white crelly polish packed with white, gray, and black glitters.
Yule Thank Me Later
$9.00
A Blue to Green Multi-chrome polish packed with golden shimmer and color shifting flakes.
 
Obligatory Christmas Polish
$8.50
A white Crelly Polish packed with red and green metallic glitter and golden holographic glitter.
That's Just Plum Dandy!
$7.50
A dark plum purple Dusty Creme.

 
Blue Balls
$8.50
A light blue crelly packed with round blue glitters in different sizes.
Spike My Cider
$8.50
A light brown holographic polish packed with brown holographic glitter.
 
Brisky Business
$9.00
A dark Blue to Purple Multi-chrome polish with color shifting flakes.
 
I Need a Taupe-ical Vacation
$7.50
A soft Taupe Dusty Creme.
 
Shameless Sugarplum
$8.50
A light pink crelly with a soft gold and pink shimmer packed with blue, pink, and purple glitters.


This 12 piece Winter Collection is fun and light-hearted. A shade and finish for everyone! We hope that you will enjoy these shades as much as we enjoyed making them.

On Instagram

© Laugh, Love, Contour. Made with love by The Dutch Lady Designs.