By Terry French Riviera Summer Collection 2014 +

Now I know I said I was going to take a break, but that clearly doesn't mean that I would forget about my favorite makeup line…


It will be quick since I got the items about an hour ago, and I'm ready to fall asleep :)

The collection consists of:

six new cream (Aqua-Print) eyeshadows (they're not Ombre Blackstars). These are in retractable pencil type of design. Why did she made them like this? I have no idea. Word is that they're limited edition, but who really knows? First impressions of these eyeshadows: the shimmery ones are lovely, glide on and set pretty quickly. They're not super sparkly like some of the Ombre Blackstars, which is a bit of a change. I will say the matte ones (purple and blue) do fade and flake a bit on my arm after a while. I don't know if that will be the case once applied to the lids, but I wasn't really a fan of that aspect of those particular shades. They're supposed to be water proof, but I didn't test that since I just happened to see them while running errands all day.

What's interesting about the liquid blush and bronzer aside from them being in bottle dropper type of packaging is that if the bottles are sitting on a flat surface, if you get a bit of product, the finish of the blush and bronzer are matte. If you shake the bottles, the shimmer that has settled on the bottom of the jar will mix and then you have the option of having a soft shimmery blush or bronzer. A bit odd if you ask me, but I love it. I didn't like the idea of it at first, but once seeing the items in store, I had to get both of them. 

As for the cheek to cheek blush in Cherry Cruise: this goes on like a cheek stain. It's GORGEOUS. 

As for the bronzer in Bronze Bay: it's brilliant because there's no orange to the color, it's definitely more brown which to me is a more natural bronze effect. The bronzer and cheek item do set pretty fast, so you have to be quick when it comes to applying and blending.

The Tint to Lip colors: There are two shades and although I didn't try the testers on my lips, the formula of these SEEM better than the lip stains from years past…I may get the pink one, but I'm still undecided since I hardly use lip stains and I purchased some other stuff today. I will report back if I get the lip stain. It's the same premise with the lip stain (if you shake it, it's a luminous lip stain, versus if you let the shimmer settle and decide to use the lip stain, it's a matte finish).

Swatches: 

L to R: Aqua-Print eyeshadow shades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, bronzer in Bronze Bay, Cheek to Cheek in Cherry Cruise

Tint to Lip in Pink Palace, Beach Game

Cherry Cruise, Bronze Bay

By Terry Holiday 2013

Hi all!

It has been a while, and this will be a quick post since I am in the middle of errands…look at what I got a few hours ago. 

Terry Holiday consists of:

Two eyeliners (a black and gold one)

Two ombre backstars

Nail polish (a topcoat and I think a couple of shades)

**Four glosses (I don't know if this is part of holiday, or just an addition to her existing gloss lineup), but it all arrived at the same time.

I decided to pass on the black eyeliner, but when applied it looks like a wet and shiny black eyeliner. The other eyeliner which is called "Festive Gold", is sold out at one location and Barneys doesn't have it in (yet). Festive Gold looks more like an amber than an actual gold shade. Once that arrives I will definitely pick it up, swatch and post it on here.

As for the 4th gloss shade, it's a dark purple type shade…Since there were no testers of the glosses at either location, I passed on it until the counters have testers of them. 

As for the other items…well here ya go:

Blue Obsession (14), Ombre Mercure (15),  Be Nude (6), Bitten Splash (9), Flamenco Desire (10) (taken with flash)

Closeup of Blue Obsesssion so you can see the sparkle.

Blue Obsession: a gorgeous velvet finish, navy cream eyeshadow with pink-red, blue, and silver sparkle. The pinky-red sparkle is definitely apparent, even in dim lighting. It's not a super sparkly shade, but the sparkle definitely makes this shade something to truly obsess over. This is probably the star of the collection. I don't wear much blue, but I just couldn't pass it up.

Ombre Mercure: It's a gorgeous gold pewter shade…I'll have to rummage through my stash to see what shade it's most similar to, but I do know her Beyond Gold cream eyeshadow shade is definitely more yellow, vibrant, and a true gold in comparison. I don't think I have anything similar to this. It's like the perfect wash of color for those days you just want to slap one shade on your lids. 

Be Nude: This is a light peach shade on my lips. Peach lip products are not my friend. Big reason due to my pigmented lips…or maybe part of it has to do with my darker hair. Some peach gloss just doesn't show up either. Another gripe I have with peach glosses is they tend to have a white base (yuck). 

Anyway, Be Nude is a great peach that I can wear with a dark eye, the downside is that I can't wear this by itself (as in when I'm not wearing makeup). This shade may show up is a peachy pink on some people, especially those with lighter skin tones or maybe less pigmented lips. 

Bitten Splash: A mauve when applied. It has pink in it when swatched, but on my actual lips it's definitely mauve. This color may not be for everyone either, since mauve is a hard color to pull off in my opinion. When I first applied this, I wasn't won over, but the more I stare at myself in the mirror with this on, the more I'm warming up to this shade. 

Flamenco Desire: This shade when swatched looks like a gorgeous coral, but when applied it looks like a cross between a coral and strawberry pink. Her discontinued shade Pomegranate Flash has more red and more opaque in comparison. My only semi issue with Flamenco Desire is the same semi issue I had with Pomegranate Flash -- if I didn't wear a lipliner, the gloss doesn't adhere to the top part of my lip. As I've stated in the past, I have this issue with random lip items (not just with By Terry, but even with other random brands, even with some lipsticks). 

By Terry Ombre Blackstar "Color-Fix" Cream Eyeshadow Swatches +

I told y'all that there will be some By Terry reviews... I remember doing a post of my swatches of these, but I think I accidentally deleted the post. 

Moving on...these are eyeshadows that don't need a primer, that glide on like butter, not to mention they wear like IRON. These items don't need much of a review because they are one of her (many) standouts from her line.

It's probably easier to have all of the swatches in one post, especially if you want to see color and finish comparisons.

Here's what I personally own, all of them were purchased by me, except shade #13 Brown Perfection which was a gift. :)

Picture taken with flash, to see the finish. The color representation is pretty accurate. 

Black Pearl (1), Blond Opal (3), Bronze Moon (4), Misty Rock (5), Frozen Quartz (6), Velvet Orchid (9), Beyond Gold (11), Black Matte (12), Brown Perfection (13)

*Black Pearl and Misty Rock are the ones with the most sparkle. 

*Bronze Moon, Blond Opal and Brown Perfection are probably my favorites. 

*Velvet Orchid is the most unique due to it's finish and color. 

Price and Size: $43 for 1.64 grams, or 0.058 oz

By Terry Brown Perfection (13) Ombre Blackstar +

Hi all!

As some of you have noticed, I was on a bit of a makeup break. Summer collections did not catch my attention and even though fall collections are my favorite in terms of colors...none of them wowed me. Sad to say it, but not even Suqqu, Armani, and other collections called out to me. It was okay, it was a break that I needed (I think). From time to time, I definitely feel we go through phases of makeup overload. You know those times where nothing is catching your attention...

Today I wanted to show you what I got as a present (yes I got it for free, not sponsored, but as a gift). One of the By Terry fall Ombre Blackstar eyeshadows. Sadly it's not in stores yet, but I figure that you guys would appreciate the quick swatch. :)

L to R: Bronze Moon, Misty Rock, Velvet Orchid, Brown Perfection, Bronze Moon (with flash)

I'll keep it short and sweet: Brown Perfection is definitely a velvet finish (very fine small shimmer), it's cooler in undertone than Bronze Moon, and definitely a deeper color. It's such a beautiful chocolate type of brown color. It's like the typical By Terry cream eyeshadows, it sets quickly, doesn't budge, and  it's a dream to apply. 

I'll report back on the new eyebrow mascara in terms of usage/application. I have shade 4, which is Dark Brown. 

Addiction Eyeshadows ++

As some of you may or may not know, my future wife friend Shameless Fripperies made a trip to Japan...like as a random thing. Can I just say how jealous I am (in a loving way) that she can just pack her bags and go on a moments notice? 

I basically told her to buy all the makeup and brushes. I was wanting to see what she would buy, because if you haven't seen her stash already -- it's basically perfect. She offered me to pick up some items from Japan. I was a bit surprised to say the least because it's extra items she has to carry back, but I took her up on it. (Can you blame me? Knowing I have makeup that went to Japan, then Australia, to it's final destination, my home). 

A breakdown of pricing of what the prices of the eyeshadows are in Japan versus online -- 

Ichibankao (where I've purchased my other Addiction items) does sell it for a markup, but let's see how much of a different price points are: 

Ichibankao: Eyeshadows are approximately $30 each. Shipping with EMS (includes faster shipping and insurance on your package) is about $7. 

Total is approx $187. ($30 * 6 eyeshadows = 180) 
$180 + $7 for shipping. 

In Japan, eyeshadows are about approximately $20, but I did pay bit more for shipping since it was sent out from Australia, which was about $20 USD (shipping includes tracking). 

Total = $140 
($20 * 6 eyeshadows =  120) 
$120 + $20 shipping  

Okay, a decent price difference, but I feel like the markup from Ichibankao to some degree offsets the price of shipping (which I find pretty cheap). I've ordered items on a Monday for it to arrive on a Friday. 

Enough about the boring math, let's get to see some pretties :D

My first Addiction eyeshadow was Fudge and needless to say I was totally won over by the brand. I do have some items from them, which you will see at a later date.


BUT NOW....

Top Row: Pink Python, Keshi, Dolce Vita
Bottom Row: Bagdad Cafe, Joker, Chocolat

L to R: Pink Python, Keshi, Dolce Vita, Bagdad Cafe, Joker, Chocolat

same shades, overexposed lighting to see the shimmer factor.

Depotting Makeup:

Over the years, as I've amassed makeup, I came to the inevitable crossroads. The ideal size of my stash in terms of physical dimensions (drawers) started to overflow. I love all of my makeup, but I needed to be creative in terms of storing it.

It got to a point where it became overwhelming and having a hard time finding eyeshadows, palettes, etc. It's even harder when you have multiple palettes of the same brand, and none of them have clear packaging to easily determine which one you are looking for. It got to a point of being so overwhelmed that I didn't even want to wear makeup anymore, because it started to be more of an annoyance/burden than a pleasure.

I figured since my makeup was in storage for quite some time now and I got a makeup drawer solution recently, this would be the time to start purging makeup I hardly used, depot the makeup I wanted to use more often, that I never got to use due to reasons stated above. 

Does anyone else feel like this? Just being overwhelmed by the amount of makeup you personally own?

Finally, I feel like I've reached a breakthrough. I did a round of purging (I have a small-medium sized bag filled with makeup i plan on giving away to friends). There are some more I want to get rid of (but it's a few items at this point). Having all of my items easily seen, just makes it so much easier. 

when i was 70% done depotting. I had thrown more plastic packaging in the trash.

I just need to add the magnets below the eyeshadows. Left are yaby palettes, right are Z-palettes

My e/s drawer. It has a few more items in there since the photo, like lashes, brow items, etc

The casualties: D&G rosebud, two Hourglass duos (thanks to the boyfriend for that mistake). I overcomplicated trying to remove the D&G blush. If you want to depot the blushes, don't separate the packaging like the Burberry method. Just let it sit there on top of an open flame long enough for the packaging to warp. 

For those of you who are curious about the eyeshadow names in the z-palettes, I don't know at the moment either, since I rearranged them a bit since that picture. Maybe another post I'll do swatches for you.

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief now that I can actually enjoy/appreciate what I own. :) 

Addiction Tuxedo Moon and Sugar Rusk Palettes (Jean-Michel Basquiat)

Hi all!

I hope everyone is well this morning. As of yesterday I received a lovely package from Japan!

Addiction Sugar Rusk on the left, Tuxedo Moon on the right

This is the summer collection I've been waiting for this year. I will give you a quick first impression and swatches since I'm literally running behind already and it's only 10 am :(

From the promo photos, Sugar Rusk's shades looked deeper and darker than what you actually have. I was a bit taken aback since I wanted to see some rich, deeper colors. 

Packaging: I stood there staring at my palettes for several minutes, oooh-ing and aaah-ing over the packaging. It's sleek, black packaging, square in shape, with neat graffiti type designs that Jean-Michel Basquiat was known for. Sadly from what it seems, that Ichibankao is sold out of the limited edition packaging. It's really a winner for me, especially since it hits close to my home (NYC) :).

Colors and Textures: Sugar Rusk was a bit of a surprise, but overall I am always won over by the complexity, smoothness of the non-matte shades. The mattes are easy to work with, apply and blend as well. Tuxedo Moon consists of three matte shades, and one satin type finish eyeshadow. The black isn't as intense as the pan makes it seem, but it has a small silver shimmer, and the other colors are quite lovely too. Both pictures are taken with natural lighting, no flash.

Sugar Rusk

Tuxedo Moon

Overall I'm really happy with my purchases, and I got them from Ichibankao for 8100 Yen, plus shipping.

Random Post +

Hi everyone!

I hope things are going well for everyone now that January is seemingly coming to a quick close...

My end makeup-wise, nothing much is happening, so you may not see many posts. Reason being a lot of the new items that are being released aren't that interesting (to me). Spring and Summer collections are the ones that I buy the least from, since I tend to favor dark, deeper colors. 

For those of you who are like me and don't tend to buy stuff from Spring/Summer collections, this would be a good time to either buy items you normally don't buy...such as makeup brushes, lashes, blushes you never had the opportunity of getting.

What I have been watching are a lot of youtube videos :D

Faves of the moment:

I've been reading more CafeMakeup and her blog has been inspiring me to think about having more variety when it comes to posts. Instead of just reviews, just writing about things that I like in general. A good example is her Taupe Blush post.

I recently have spoken to IcegirlVentura on twitter, and OMG WHERE HAS SHE BEEN ALL MY LIFE !?!?!? Granted some of you may not speak/read spanish, her videos are so fun to watch. Or, you can see what she has to say on her blog here.

I've been watching brush videos (not surprising), but at the same time, I'm not really in the market to buy a lot of brushes at the moment. Odd, I know.

Then there's my future wife, er, friend Karima with her lovely Rouge Bunny Rouge tutorial.

Then we have MakeupMLC giving her first impressions of her newest Suqqu brush pretties:

Then there's always my fellow luxury makeupjunkie friend Debbick1 with her first Haul of 2013 :D

and my small haul:

A backup of Suqqu #4

Suqqu Cheek Brush (I know some of you may be surprised I didn't have this before). It's a brush I've avoided buying since I already have Chikuhodo Z4, but it was only a matter of time that I was curious enough to see how this brush compares.

Suqqu eyeliner brush

Suqqu loose powder

:)

Dolce and Gabbana Contrasts Palette +

And so it continues with my reviews on Dolce and Gabbana makeup ...

My favorite eyeshadow palette thus far has to be Contrasts, I don't know if it's because it also happens to be my first palette from the line. Anyway ... 

Packaging: It's gold with Dolce and Gabbana lasered on the center. As I've stated my issues with the packaging in other reviews, it scratches really quickly and easily. It's a bit annoying since scratches easily ruin the look of the casing. 

Texture/Formula: Contrasts is definitely less powdery than Desert. They blend easily and has as nice buttery consistency, although not as buttery as Burberry single eyeshadows. They feel nicer than Tom Ford eyeshadows since TF's are dry in comparison. All of the colors in Contrasts are pretty consistent when it comes to the texture. I can't say the same for some of the other Dolce palettes though (as they are a hit or miss). 

What makes this palette a win for me -- one of the shades is a plummy brown, which tends to be a hard color for me to wear. When combined with the other shades it's totally easy for me to wear. I like the overall effect and look of the palette, since it compliments my skintone really well. I will say the color's aren't specifically unique, but the colors are nice to have in your bag for a fool-proof look.

Price and Size: $59 for 4.8g or 0.16 oz. 

daylight, cloudy lighting

Tom Ford Enchanted Eye Color Quad +

Tom Ford is a line...that for the longest time I couldn't get into. For a few reasons:

I own one of his original private blend lipsticks...Didn't care for the formula or wear time. When you're paying over $40 for a lipstick, it has to be special. Tom Fords lipstick formula isn't special to begin with, let alone the price point for what you were getting. His current lipsticks now are worse formula-wise. It accentuates flakies, the color only lasts an hour or so. It doesn't hydrate your lips, which is fine...but it isn't long lasting either. The only good thing about Tom Ford lipsticks is that he has a few nice nude shades. 

When I went to the counter years ago, I swatched Golden Mink quad, his concealer, his foundation...all of which are horrible. The concealer doesn't conceal, the foundation transfers far more than Chantecaille Future Skin. Don't even get me started about the Golden Mink quad -- it's patchy, dry, and the glitter falls out everywhere. I thought to myself, "How can people love this? It's far worse in quality than the worst YSL products."

Okay, then I was suggested to try his blushes...the texture isn't special. If anything they are a bit powdery and subpar in smoothness than other blushes offered by other lines for the same price point. Some of the shades are dupable.

Then you have Tom Ford himself. Yes I do think he makes amazing attire, but at the same time, I had this high expectation that if he makes the most amazing clothes, that the makeup would be on the same level. Sadly, it's not. Not to mention Tom Ford make these kinds of comments. Um. OK.

Of course a lot of people discuss how much they love Tom Ford makeup, but then you would find out said people would get it for free. *eyeroll*

Over time I think something happened, because then we now have Enchanted quad and Narcissist blush. Maybe it's a fluke that these items are just that awesome, or maybe it's a trend of what may happen in the future -- better quality items. 

Now that I finally had the opportunity to write how I truly feel about the makeup line...I still think his products are not even that great...but I do love some Enchanted !

Packaging: Signature Burgundy/Maroon colored packaging with gold accents. I'm sure all of you are familar with the appearance of TF packaging. I like it because it's sturdy, and a little 70's looking to me. It doesn't seem to scratch easily, which I really enjoy. The quads come with an eyeshadow applicator (double ended), but it also has a small brush. I tried using it and I personally find it useless (eyeshadow doe foot applicator), but maybe it's helpful to someone. Can we discuss the small brush, the white hair side is slighting fraying already? I haven't even used it because I personally am not a fan of the few brushes I've tried. 

Texture/Formula: Enchanted is a beautiful cool-toned quad. Pinks that flashes a bit of purple in some lighting once applied. It's a bit dry in terms of texture, but it glides on smoothly, not powdery, nor chalky. It's not as emollient or has that silk feeling like RBR or Burberry, for those who are wondering. I do like a dry eyeshadow formula because some super silky eyeshadows sometimes crease. These definitely do not.  I really adore this quad as it is by itself dry. Haven't used it wet (I'm generally not a fan of using eyeshadows wet...I don't know why). My favorite eyeshadow in terms of texture is the darkest one. It's a satin finish, and it's straight up beautiful. Some small sparkle, and it's so easy to work with, unlike some other satin finish formulas.

Price and Size: $75 for 6 grams or 0.21 oz.

with flash so you can see the shimmer

indoor natural lighting, no flash

with flash

indoor lighting, no flash

Dolce and Gabbana Desert Palette:

Hi all!

Happy late Thanksgiving everyone <3 I hope everyone had a great day with loved ones. My turkey day was on Saturday at my friends house. I got to eat fried turkey leftovers. mmmmm delicious.

A bit of a random aside...I'm still here with the new boyfriends place with a fraction of my stash. How I've managed to stay here living out of a bag for like a month is beyond me. I've been busy doing the domestic housewife kind of thing: cooking, cleaning, doing his laundry. Yes, I know, even my mom is surprised. 

Moving along, me being here has made me realize what are the items I truly use often, and what's necessary for me. Most of my makeup is currently living in a Tom Ford shopping bag. I need to think of a better storage solution in the meantime.

I'm in a happy place in my life right now. I think I need to come out of my closet and admit to him I blog as a hobby. He has no idea the extent of my stash and how obsessed I am with makeup. I think he's still a bit weirded out by being with someone who is in deep into something so girly. 

Back to the purpose of the review:

Dolce and Gabbana Desert !

Packaging: It's gold with Dolce and Gabbana lasered on the center. I love the look of the packaging since it's unique and definitely glam. The major downside -- it scratches SO EASILY. Not a makeup bag friendly packaging, because it definitely harms the appearance once you see a small scratch. oh well. By Terry has this same issue too, so it's not that big of a surprise.

Texture/Formula: Here's the deal with Dolce eyeshadows ... I still think their quads are hit or miss. I've noticed a pattern that their matte shades tend to be a nicer formula than their shimmer or non-matte shades. A bit odd especially because matte shades are usually the formula that is so hard to work with. I swatched Vulcano and Elegance quads and hated the texture. Desert is a lot nicer in comparison. The eyeshadows in Desert are buttery, although a bit powdery. Once you use a brush to blend, the powdery texture goes away and blends really well. 

A D&G associate said yesterday that their eyeshadows contain silicone, so they don't need a primer. Sadly I threw away the boxes so I can't confirm this. I have worn them without primer and they definitely are longer lasting than a standard eyeshadow. 

Price and Size: $59 for 4.8g or 0.16 oz. The eyeshadows seem a bit small, but I don't really mind since I never finish eyeshadows anyway.

Worth having: I do like the quad because all 4 shades I do use, and it's great to carry with you (besides my packaging scratching gripe). It's my favorite Dolce quad aside from Contrasts, which I'll discuss at a later date.  

a distance shot. That pint may or may not be finished in one sitting :x

By Terry Fall 2012 Collection and Swatches:

I'm literally falling asleep on myself since yours truly has been running on 2 hours of sleep on average a night. I'll do comparison swatches later with other brands, but considering I took the wrong train home, I can't think of finding similar shades and swatching them.

Red Ceremony (402): It's a red that doesn't seem cool toned like my other red lipsticks. If anything it's almost slightly warm in color. I haven't worn this on my lips to say how it actually looks when applied. 

Bare Instinct (403): This one...goodness. It looks borderline ugly in the tube, even swatched it looks somewhat ugly. It's a mauve/brown/rose color. When applied it's the most beautiful shade I've ever seen. It's not warm like Pink Sepia (Burberry). The color when applied reminds me of what inside a fig looks like, except a bit more muted (as in not as bright). The skies parted and angels were singing when I wore this color. I seriously ask myself the process/inspiration that Terry has when she makes these shades, because I don't have a dupe of this color. AT ALL. 

Carnal Attraction (404): It's a vibrant plum color, with less pink/fuschia than some of the other plums I own. I have to pull out my comparison shades when I'm not at work. This one wowed me at the counter too, but I have a feeling this one isn't as unique, but I can't say for sure until I start swatching.

Velvet Orchid (9): Be still, my beating heart. It's the first time that Terry makes her cream eyeshadows a velvet/matte finish (that I know of).  It's a blackened purple maroon shade. It has a very tiny sparkle that's hard to see unless you look up close. As usual with her cream eyeshadows, they don't budge at all, have awesome lasting power and they glide on like a dream.

Beyond Gold (11): a gold cream eyeshadow, and it's not a super sparkly one like say, Misty Rock. 

There's a peach and orange lipstick that I didn't get, and a velvet dark green cream eyeshadow that are a part of the collection, but I didn't get them.

in essence, I wish Terry would adopt me. I would be the happiest person alive. 

Red Ceremony (402), Bare Instinct (403), Carnal Attraction (404) || Velvet Orchid (9):, Beyond Gold (11) (flash)

Red Ceremony (402), Bare Instinct (403), Carnal Attraction (404) || Velvet Orchid (9):, Beyond Gold (11)

Red Ceremony (402), Bare Instinct (403), Carnal Attraction (404)

Velvet Orchid (9):, Beyond Gold (11)

Tsukiakari EX-07 comparison swatches:

Sorry for being late with my post! I've been home visiting family trying to get stuff figured out in my personal life. It's been a busy weekend and I want to write a good review on the blush, so I'll do that if I have the energy once I return back to NYC tonight. 

But I do have some photos for comparison purposes to those who are wondering if EX-07 is worth buying. 

Quick note about the dark blue cream eyeshadow: I recommend wearing it with a primer. It will stay on your eyes if there's no primer used, but the vibrancy of the blue eyeshadow quickly goes away if you don't use a primer. 

Comparison photos below:

the first 2 shades are the shades on the upper left hand corner of each quad respectively. The other swatches are the upper right hand corner of their respective quads.

The pictures were taken with a point and shoot camera. The camera isn't mine since I forgot to bring it along with me, but hopefully the photos are useful.

L to R: EX-07, Suqqu 11 highlighter shades || Suqqu: #9, 10, 11, EX-07, and #1 (d/c) to compare the taupe/brown shades. (flash)

L to R: EX-07, Suqqu 11 highlighter shades || Suqqu: #9, 10, 11, EX-07, and #1 (d/c) to compare the taupe shades. (no flash, but artificial lighting)

L to R: EX-07, Suqqu 11 highlighter shades || Suqqu: #9, 10, 11, EX-07, and #1 (d/c) to compare the taupe/brown shades. (no flash, indoor bedroom lighting)

sorry for the brief review, but my mom is busy nagging me to do stuff. i'll see you later once i'm back in the city. ;)

Quick Preview of Suqqu Fall 2012 (Tsukiakari & Mizumomo) +

I'm literally running to work and as I'm ordering food, I've decided to take a quick snapshot of what I've gotten from Suqqu Fall. Enjoy!

I'll write a review by the end of the week when I'm not at work.

EX-07 || Tsukiakari

EX-07 || Tsukiakari (with flash)

EX-07 || Tsukiakari without flash

EX-02 Mizumomo

Depotting Project (edited) +

Hi all!

I figured this would be something you all may be interested in knowing...I've slowly started depotting my eyeshadows. it's a process i've debated on doing for a long time. main reason is to start being space efficient in my eyeshadow drawer. what i didn't realize is how quickly my eyeshadow drawer has changed (purging/adding) over the span of one year alone. 

i'm at a point where i have a hard time picking out what i want to wear since the packaging is usually black, so it's a bit of an annoyance to rummage through and figuring out what item is what. here's what i've started doing earlier this morning:

top part from top to bottom: suqqu 9, 10, 11. bottom is my custom shu 2nd gen e/s. palette itself is a shu 2nd gen palette.

and here's my eyeshadow drawer once my boutique palette was all done. i got some empty space and re-arranged my eyeshadows (again). here is what it looks like now:

bottom is a mix of burberry singles, suqqu, and an hourglass palette.

middle is le metier de beaute, a couple of becca and shu 3rd gen eyeshadow palettes. this section wont be depotted, since it's premade palettes. i think dustin (2 out of the three were made by him) would probably have a heart attack if i depotted them LOL

top clear section is becca, by terry, RBR eyeshadows and some shu 3rd gen eyeshadows. i know my sister likes what i own, and i think most of the shu 3rd gen may be gifted to her...maybe for christmas? who knows.

far top is a mix of shu 3rd gen, LMdB singles, and the new RBR singles. the middle is like cream e/s, eyeliners, etc.

not pictured: my addiction eyeshadows. they're in my makeup bag for the moment, and i think i plan on buying their empty palettes. we'll see. 

and this is what i bought so i can start putting stuff in: 

Yaby empty magnetic palette: image courtesy of: https://www.yabycosmetics.com

since they have free US shipping when you spend over $75, i bought three palettes and a pack of eyeshadow adhesives. it's probably not enough to hold all of my eyeshadows, but it's a start. plus i have a couple of smaller 2nd gen shu palettes just in case i over depot. lol.

i figured out thanks to some awesome people:

RBR eyeshadows are depotted the heat method way.

Le Metier's eyeshadows have a pinhole in the back, and they just pop right out

Hourglass eyeshadow duos: *edit* you remove the swivel top. then take apart the top layer from the bottom layer when you look at the duo from the side with a knife. be VERY careful in removing the 2 layers. don't be afraid in taking your time. the hardest part is physically removing the pans since the adhesive is really strong. i tried the no heat, just using a flat blade...and that failed. so just use the heat method. i doubt much heat is needed since u have easier access to the rest of the pan to wiggle around

random fact about Hourglass eyeshadows: they're the same length as suqqu pans, but the hourglass pans are a bit taller. just for those who were wondering/interested in knowing.

Burberry: I tried and failed miserably. 1 casuality, and i won't try it again unless someone has a tutorial or can explain their method of depotting it. any ideas...?

Becca and Terry: no idea how to do these either.

*casualties: burberry midnight brown and hourglass gypsy. i'll replace them later today.

any help would be appreciated in knowing how to depot eyeshadows and what methods have worked for you.

Suqqu for those who are interested: the back of the palettes have little holes, and the best tool is using a stud earring. seriously, it works better than cuticle scissors or whatever. just remove the stud backing and just stick the earring post in the hole. the eyeshadows easily come out since the adhesive they use is like a gummy residue. 

i hope this helps and maybe i'll show how my eyeshadows look once most of them are depotted. :)