Wednesday, September 30, 2020

KBShimmer is back for the October Polish Pickup: Moumantai Nail Polish

 Greetings, dear readers, and happy hump day! It's been a little intense around here between home schooling and monitoring my health as the days pass by this month, but thankfully October starts tomorrow and hopefully I'll have some good news to share. Cross your fingers for me and let's get to today's blog post!


The October Polish Pickup will be opening this upcoming Friday, and I know quite a few people are excited! After voting month after month, the winning theme for October is Animation, and indie brands sure have been strutting their stuff by showing their incredible creations! KBShimmer is one of the brands participating this month with her stunning nail polish, Moumantai.


Press Sample


Here is creator Christy Rose's insight on this beauty:


School can be stressful, even more so when you are finishing up college and working full time. Wanting to be an adult but still clinging to childhood, I woke up on Saturday mornings just to watch cartoons. A cartoon I loved to watch in 2001 was Digimon Tamers. The computers and electronics pumping out data formed a second world, a digital world. Through a computer program and evolution, digital monsters emerged, befriending kids and fighting other Digimon to save both worlds.


Moumantai is a catch phrase used by one of the Digimon meaning "take it easy".




Moumantai starts off with a deepened indigo base that falls between navy and purple depending on the angle and lighting. It is loaded with shifty flakes that run from lush lime green and turquoise into cobalt and gold. The consistency is very similar to my beloved jelly polishes, and it covers to opacity in two coats on my short nails.



I really love the look of this polish and found myself constantly moving my fingers and inspecting how the looked! While there certainly are a lot of flakes to admire, they didn't impede application in the slightest! There may be the occasional flake to push back up onto a nail or remove if it is hanging off, but the nail polish still flowed beautifully off the wide brush. The flakes do give your nails a slight textured finish, and I needed to use two coats of KBShimmer's Clearly On Top top coat to obtain a smooth finish on my nails.


Moumantai will be available for purchase through the Polish Pickup website only from this Friday, October 2nd through Monday, October 5th. It will retail for $10 per bottle, and there is no limit to the number of bottles available for purchase.

Please keep in mind that all Polish Pickup purchases are preorders and to allow three weeks for shipping.

Are you ready for the Polish Pickup? What have you added to your wishlists? I'd love to hear from you!

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

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Saturday, September 19, 2020

Highlights from the Beauty Spotlight Team




After sticking with one eye cream for the past three years,
 Never Say Die Beauty had an opportunity to try City Beauty Advanced Eye Cream when hers was out of stock. Now she may never go back!



Jen from Laugh, Love, Contour has had another themed week, and this past week was Goddess Week. With several palettes that include the name “Goddess”, just decided to not just create a pretty face but turn this into a challenge in which she created the look of a specific goddess inspired by each palette. She kicked off the week by creating the West African Orisha, Oya. Check out her look and learn a little about this fascinating orisha!



Tired muscles? Prime Beauty loves Warfighter CBD Bath Bombs for her sore legs and feet AND she’s giving away a set!


If you are looking for a palette that can transition from summer into the beginning of fall, you may want to try the Viseart Spritz Eyeshadow Palette. You can see swatches and a review over on Southeast by Midwest.



Arcona Wine Oil, which smells like the embodiment of Autumn, is an antioxidant rich anti-aging beauty oil that Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog loves. This sumptuous resveratrol-based formula harnesses the power and potency extracted from grapes, and delivers its nourishing ingredients deep into the skin for long lasting and intensive hydration.



Beauty Info Zone has the answer for all your pedicure woes with the terrific Stedi-Pedi Pro. This will make your life so much easier and you won’t know how you ever did a pedicure with this.



This week the Going Solo Fall Collection from Red Eyed Lacquer released. BeginNails reviewed them and did some fun nail art show-casing the multiple uses of the cremes and topper.



Our necks are often neglected in our skincare routines leading to premature aging. Stacie reviewed a neck cream that she swears by over on The Makeup Obsessed Mom Blog.



The Farmacy Very Cherry Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm is back but for only a limited time. If you missed it, the first time around or want to restock your stash, now is the time to jump on it. Erika at Notes from My Dressing Table has the details.



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Friday, September 18, 2020

Goddess Week: Lunar Beauty, Greek Goddess Palette, and Nemesis

 Happy Friday, dear readers! This post is coming later in the week than I had hoped, but after a few nights with not enough sleep, I've mostly been going through the basic motions the past few days. I'm feeling a little more proficient with words at the moment, so I'm running with it while I can. Now on to today's post!



Earlier this week, I shared that this week was going to be a celebration of goddesses. While rummaging through my makeup, I noticed I had several palettes that somehow included "Goddess" in the name, and I thought it would make for a fun theme.


Instead of just creating a "pretty face" and calling it a goddess, I wanted to challenge myself with this project. I selected a specific goddess to create and pay tribute based on the nuances of each specific palette. For today's post, I opted to use the Greek Goddess palette by Lunar Beauty. I am of Greek descent on my father's side, and as a result, Greek mythology has played a rather substantial part of my life for as long as I could remember. When Manny designed this palette, he picked some fantastic Greek goddesses; for the purpose of today's post, I opted to pay tribute to one that is not as widely known here: Nemesis!


Nemesis is the Greek goddess of retribution and balance. Should a human show any arrogance towards the gods, it was Nemesis that would inflict punishment upon them.


As with many myths, there are conflicting stories when it comes to the Goddess Nemesis. Many believed she was the daughter of Nyx, the Goddess of Night, and why I opted to stick with the appropriately named dark blue hue in this palette.


Her names relates to a Greek work that means to give what is due, and she certainly did just that! Nemesis sought to bring balance to the world, and that also included taking away things that were gained unjustly. 



Unless you have had a particular interest in Greek mythology, Nemesis most likely would have fallen off your radar. While she herself may not be known to you, many are at least briefly familiar with the myth of Narcissus who loved with his reflection. Narcissus was an attractive man that cruelly scorned the nymph Echo whom had fallen in love with him. Harshly rejected, Echo wilted away in despair. When Nemesis learned of Narcissus' behavior, she decided to punish him by leading him to a pond and make him fall in love with himself. In some versions, Narcissus cannot bear to part from his reflection and dies a slow death due to starvation while another claims that he committed suicide upon realizing he loved his reflection and could never have that love requited.


One of the key features I think about when it comes to the Goddess Nemesis is balance. As a result, I designed my earrings to look like a scale, placed on each side of the balance.


I also wanted to bring balance to this look by embracing both dark and light. Much like the African Orisha Oya in my previous Goddess post, Nemesis is a goddess that is willing to make the difficult decisions even is some might consider her actions harsh. Nemesis' actions are less about vengeance but a redistribution on a cosmic level to give one what they are actually due. 


I hope you have enjoyed today's post, from the look I have designed for Nemesis as well as hopefully learning something about this fascinating goddess!


While the week may be coming to a close, I'm going to call my own goddess powers into question (as the writer of this blog) and continue Goddess Week in to next week! This week hasn't gone exactly as planned, I've got another goddess in store to share with you!


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

XO!


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Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Goddess Week: Lovinah Beauty, Goddess Glow Eyeshadow Palette, and Oya

 Greetings, dear readers, and happy Tuesday! I had the pleasure of "attending" the first ever Virtual The Makeup Show this past weekend and yesterday. I'll have a follow up post with some of the details going up soon, but I wanted to do something special this week. I really enjoyed my Festival Week a couple weeks ago, and after a poll on IG, it seems like several people liked the idea of another themed week, so that's where we are today! While I would looking through some of my eyeshadow palettes, I realized I had a couple "goddess" palettes. As a result, I decided to make this week Goddess Week! I didn't want to just pull my palettes with a goddess-type name and put together a pretty look. Instead, I wanted this week to include a challenge of selecting a specific goddess inspired by each of the palettes, and creating a look that suited each goddess in particular based on their personalities and stories. As you will see in just a moment, I am limited based on my own features including my skin tone, but I still wanted to pay tribute to each of these goddesses to the best of my abilities. I hope you enjoy this week's theme!

Let's get to our first Goddess-themed palette!


Lovinah Goddess Glow Palette

First up for Goddess Week is the Goddess Glow Palette by Lovinah Beauty. While the colours in this palette are certainly beautiful and there are so many looks that can be created, I really wanted to embrace the qualities of a specific goddess that fit the palette. The Lovinah brand revolves around ancient traditions of Africa, and it was my responsibility to select an African goddess to highlight with this particular palette. It would have been easy to go with one of the many well known ancient Egyptian goddesses, but I felt that would be a disservice to the rest of the continent, particularly since there are many African goddesses celebrated to this day. I found myself drawn to the Yoruba people of southern Nigeria and delved into the world of the Orisha, or minor gods and goddesses. The slave trade to the Americas brought the Orisha across the Atlantic to the new world where names and stories may have been modified, but I have worked to parse out the details between what is African and what is Latin American for this post.

Lovinah Goddess Glow Palette

The Orisha I selected for this post is Oya. Oya is the orisha of winds, lightening, violent storms, death, and rebirth. She is the embodiment of change, and given the current climate in the US, systemic change is certainly something that is sorely needed. Oya is a fierce warrior who brings about change with strong winds, and there is a story where she brought a devastating tornado to destroy the enemies of one who called for her aid. In Nigeria she is connected to the masquerade and would appear masked; some even say that humans have never seen the true face of Oya. I opted to go maskless for the purpose of this post. I suppose if no person has ever truly beheld her, then any take on Oya would be subject to interpretation. I hope you enjoy.

Lovinah Goddess Glow palette




Given Oya's ties to tornadoes, hurricanes, and what some may perceive as a severe form of justice, I envisioned her to be dark and brooding. As she is so frequently tied with the shades burgundy and purple (although I must also note a tie to a rainbow of color due to bearing 9 children), I felt this look would suit the aesthetic I had in mind for Oya. I would expect Oya to have a fair bit darker skin tone than I have, but this post in an hommage to Oya, and I do not wish to disrespect her or the Yoruba by painting black face.



In addition to my cosmetic choices, I wanted to pay attention to other details. My hair, for example, I kept a little more wild and wind swept. I also created these earrings with cowrie shells as Oya, alongside the other Orishas, use cowrie shells to create patterns that answer questions asked by priests during divination.


I thoroughly enjoyed creating this look, but in truth, my favorite part of this particular challenge was learning about Oya and other orishas. While my knowledge in goddesses is limited in general, I admit I never truly realized until this project just how limited it was when it came to African goddesses. I've since picked up a book by Lilith Dorsey to help remedy this deficiency, but if you have any other suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below!

I hope you have enjoyed today's post and perhaps learned a little about the powerful Orisha Oya!

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



















Friday, September 11, 2020

Highlights from the Beauty Spotlight Team



Greetings, dear readers! It's been quite a week around here between virtual schooling and multiple curriculum meetings, and blah blah blah. Needless to say, I didn't get to spend as much time on the blog as I hoped this week. I'm not sure that I'll get much done this weekend either as I'll be busy with The Virtual Makeup Show. Woohoo! I'm so excited about it! Even though it starts tomorrow, there is still time to get tickets. This particular event is open to everyone regardless of professional makeup artist status, and I recommend everyone check it out if they are able! There is always so much to learn, and who better than some amazing makeup artists? Anyway, here are the highlights from the Beauty Spotlight Team to keep you entertained this weekend as well!


Patchology Flashpatch Rejuvenating Eye Gels, which are cruelty-free and vegan, effectively cool and de-puff the delicate area below the eyes. Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog loves them because they also moisturize, soothe, refresh, minimize the appearance of dark circles and fine lines, and they leave skin luminous.


Never Say Die Beauty is bucking the no lipstick trend by buying a new affordable, lightweight cream lipstick in deep pink. Nothing like lipstick to boost the spirit!


Have you wanted some “Breakfast Wine” in the last few months? Rogue Lacquer has created the F**K 2020 Trio to document some of the feelings we all have had. BeginNails reviews the trio that is available for pre-order for the next week.


In case you missed it, Erika took a look at two popular, hydrating facial mists by Pixi and Tatcha, one affordable, the other spendy. Head over to Notes from My Dressing Table to see if you should save or spend on your next bottle.


If you like keeping up with the latest in fashion trends, head over to The Makeup Obsessed Mom Blog to see what to look for this Fall.


What do you dislike about getting a pedicure? Prime Beauty has a surprise for you that makes pedicures easier and your feet will appreciate this.


Are you in need of plans for this weekend? Jen from Laugh, Love, Contour will be attending the first ever Virtual Makeup Show and you should too! You don’t have to be a professional makeup artist to attend this event, but you can get all the education and discounts like a pro this weekend! More details are on Jen’s post so check out the details there!


Now that you’ve read all these interesting posts it’s time to win some money. Beauty Info Zone has a Fashion Flash giveaway that is open worldwide. You can win a $50 Amazon egiftcard along with an ebook from Jenna Jaxon that will keep you entertained. Who doesn’t love to win?


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Tuesday, September 8, 2020

The Virtual Experience You Actually WANT to attend this year: The Virtual Makeup Show!

 It is no surprise that many conferences and events have been cancelled this year due to COVID-19, and our lives have predominantly been happening in front of our computer screens. I'm sure I'm not the only one tired of this all-too-common-yet-necessary approach to our work lives, and I tend to avoid Zoom calls unless necessary. That being said, do I have a virtual experience to share with you that you're actually going to WANT to attend- the first ever Virtual Makeup Show!




This is the very first ever virtual show, and it is a great way for makeup artists and the beauty community to come together during these crazy times! The show starts this Saturday, September 12th and runs until Monday, September 14th. While The Makeup Show events are often limited to professionals in the beauty industry, this Virtual Show is open anyone interested in learning from their favorite artists, chatting with your preferred brands, and saving a little bit of money on purchases.


Tickets can be purchased for $35 from The Virtual Makeup Show website here.


Hold on because here is the breakdown of what all comes with that ticket:

- 3 days of LIVE Sessions
- More than 50 beauty brands all offering pro-discounts
- 10-day access to online shopping participating brands
- LIVE demos for 2 hours each day by the brands to chat
- More than 35 pre-recorded brand seminars available 24/7 so they can be watched at YOUR preferred time
- 7 LIVE Main Stage presentations with top artists in the industry including Miss Fame, Mimi Choi, James Molloy, Damone Roberts, Danessa Myricks, James Vincent, Marie Dausell, Isabelle DeVries and MORE!


There is so much to gain from this event, and the fact it is virtual opens the opportunity for many to attend that have not been to The Makeup Show events at select destinations!


If you are unsure if you should attend (virtually), here is a glimpse at the upcoming LIVE Main Stage speakers and subject matters.

With the added flexibility of pre-recorded shows that you can watch at your leisure paired with the live demos and Main Stage presentations, you'd be hard pressed to find a good reason not to attend!


While The Virtual Makeup Show grew out of necessity this year, I actually love the idea of a virtual event where beauty professionals can check in regardless of where they live! As much as I love traveling into New York City to attend the show in May, this would be convenient for those who aren't able to fit the travel times into their busy schedules. This particular show is very well organized and the layout of the website intuitive and easy to use, so I expect to be a success!


Will you be "attending" The Virtual Makeup Show this weekend? What presentations interest you the most? Are there any brands in particular you are interested in "visiting"?

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





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