Fyrinnae Arcane Magic Swatches - Round 2, 3, and 4

I got caught up with finals and then interning and never put the rest of the swatches up. Here are the next three batches which should be all the arcane magic eyeshadows I own. With any luck I'll have a real update and reviews soon.

Fyrinnae Arcane Magic Swatches - Round 1

Finals season is a busy time to be a law student and as such I've barely had time to even throw on concealer much less experiment. Once you add in the fact I've been more broke than usual it's been a slow time for makeup. On the upside, this is a great opportunity to swatch things I had before I started this blog. My first project is swatching all the Fyrinnae eyeshadows I've collected. First a little about Fyrinnae in general and my impressions.

Overall: One of my favorite indie makeup companies. Fyrinnae was one of the first places I ordered from and it's one I'll keep coming back to. They offer a wide range of eyeshadow in addition to other face and lip products. Shipping is free for orders over $40 but very low otherwise. The downside would be the long turn around time. This is not a place to order from if you're in a hurry or impatient but it's always been well worth the wait. 

Eyeshadow: I've ordered from both their regular and Arcane Magic collections. Everything I've gotten has been highly pigmented and easy to apply. One caveat would be that for the more complex or sparkly shadows, their Pixie Epoxy is essential in order to get the best result (at least in my experience). The Arcane Magic collection is my absolute favorite out of all the collections I've bought from anywhere. I have yet to come across any other collection with the same complexity. Another strong selling point for me is that the eyeshadows (and most other products) can be purchased in a mini-size. First off, I hate dealing with sample bags. Secondly, I like having a wide range of colors but it's cost-prohibitive to buy full size jars of things I know I will only use occasionally. The mini size eyeshadows are perfect since they are inexpensive but still respectably sized.

Pixie Epoxy: More of a glue than an eyeshadow primer, Pixie Epoxy has excellent staying power and is the answer to problems with glitter fallout. My only real complaint is that it can make blending a little challenging but it's indispensable when using some of the more complex or glittery shades. It's not my everyday primer but I always use it for swatching or if I want to make sure my eyeshadow isn't going anywhere. There is a learning curve since a little goes a long way but I would recommend this to everyone.

Other Products: I don't have any experiences with the blushes or other primers though I've only heard positive things. I like the Fluff finishing powder and its a lot cheaper than other comparable powders from brand names. I have mixed feelings about the lip lustres but that's mostly because I'm picky about the stickiness of my lipgloss. The few that I have are nicely pigmented and go on smoothly.

And now for swatches. I haven't crosschecked my stash against the site recently but I believe that I have most if not all the Arcane Magic shades currently available. I'll be swatching these in batches, in alphabetical order. These are swatched over Pixie Epoxy and photographed under a natural light bulb with no flash.

Aromaleigh EotD - Shimmery Wood

Only the eyes today since my face has decided it wants to revisit puberty. I've started jarring the colors from the various grab bags I've order from Aromaleigh so today I decided to grab some of them and play. I wanted to a nice look since I was supposed to be out all day and then at journal elections but thanks to an accident this weekend I'm stuck in the apartment. I'll be getting my foot checked out tomorrow but for the time being a mini look post makes a good break from studying. Please excuse the eyebrows, they're due for some TLC.

I feel a little strange posting pictures with my eyes open. Perhaps it's merely a quirk of genetics due to being a half breed but my eyes are differently shaped which present some interesting challenges for eye makeup, particularly eyeliner. It never looks even when my eyes are open. 

For this look I used:
Urban Decay Original Eyeshadow Potion Primer
Aromaleigh Pure Eyes Frost in Glow all over the lid and brow bone
Aromaleigh Pure Eyes Opulent Lustre in Fig on the lid
Aromaleigh Valentine 2009 in Lovelorn on the outer V and crease
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero
Fresh Mascara in Firebird


I am surprisingly really enjoying the Fresh mascaras, I picked up the duo on a whim at Sephora for $10 and I could see buying a full size of Firebird at least. I haven't had any problems with clumping and it still makes me look like I have real lashes which is an accomplishment since mine are so short and light. I still like MAKE UP FOR EVER's Smoky Lash for more drama but Firebird has really become my daily go-to. There's still some other mascara's I'd like to try but I hate to buy too many at a time since you're supposed to get rid of them periodically.

They say patience is a virtue

At long last my Lost in Makeupland order finally arrived. I had heard about this company from a post on Lipsticks and Lightsabers so I put together a small order. I'm not going to lie, the fact that there's an eyeshadow called Bioshock would have been enough for me to buy things. Bioshock is one of my favorite games of all time and the eyeshadow is such a lovely shade of green that captures the feel of it excellently. Since I just got the package, I don't have much to say about how anything wears but I am quite excited to try everything, especially the highlighters, out. For the time being I have some swatches and general impressions.

My order was neatly packaged in an organza bag along with a business card and a little slip of paper apologizing for the longer than usual turn around time. Belen actually contacted me before my package arrived apologizing for the delay in turnaround time. It did take about a month for my package to get to the States but I can hardly blame her for that. The communication and customer service were fantastic, I never worried about whether or not I'd receive my order.

I ordered full size eyeshadows in Purrrple and Bioshock along with an assortment of eyeshadow, highlighter, and blush samples. The goal was to try a little bit of everything.


For these swatches I departed from my usual primer and used Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy. Pictures without flash and a daylight bulb as usual.

I love these colors! I found them all very pigmented and the pixie epoxy really made them pop. I definitely need full sizes of Psychedelic Mushroom and Bruised. I'm excited to try some of Belen's other offerings but I haven't been purchasing brighter colors as much lately. My day to day look is so neutral it's been a slow process branching out.

I also picked up a sample set from the Rock My Look collection. I would say they look darker in person than they photographed. These colors are almost aggressively pigmented and I adore them. They're intense yet wearable. I may have to pick up a full size set of these since I can't choose a favorite.

Onto highlighters and blushes! The highlighters were a bit stubborn to photograph. Over the next few days I'm hoping to try out Faerie, English Rose, and Glow to find our which one is my favorite but right now I'm gravitating towards Faerie. Whipped and Snow you'll actually find in the eyeshadow section but I anticipate these will become my new go-tos for highlighting the brow bone or adding a little light to the inside corner of my eye. While they may look similar, Whipped is a creamier shade while Snow is a bright white.

When I ordered there were only three blushes available but now it seems Belen has released more shades that look just as exciting. Enough is a darker pink but both seem to be very buildable. Shy is absolutely beautiful, I love the soft shimmery pink....we'll just have to see how it looks on me.


Overall, I would rate Lost in Makeupland highly and I will definitely be shopping there again. The only real complaint I have is the shipping time but that's just one of the dangers of shipping internationally. That said, Belen's shipping rates are so low I don't even mind if every order will take a month to get to me.

Aromaleigh's 2011 Limited Edition Valentine Collection

Despite all the sadness of Aromaleigh closing before I got a chance to try more of their products, there has been plenty of excitement between the grab bags and the LE Valentine's eyeshadows. The collection itself is called "<3" and contains 8 colors which are both romantic and versatile. I've been able to use these in my more day to day looks but it would be easier to create something more dramatic. The swatches I have don't do the colors justice but hopefully they'll give a better idea of what these colors look like. As usual, these eyeshadows have been swatched dry over Urban Decay's Original Eyeshadow Potion Primer and photographed without flash under a daylight bulb.


The only different between these two pictures is that I titled my hand under the light in an attempt to fully capture the complexity of these colors.


My impressions of the colors are as follows:

Spark of Romance: A lovely bronze but not bronze color. While it is a shimmery color it's not a metallic, it almost reminds me of a light leather. Throws off a nice but not overwhelming sparkle.

loved and lost...: Beautiful warm shimmer purple, perhaps more of a plum shade that also brings to mind chocolate as well.

love's easy tears: Light sparkly green that makes me think of young leaves.

cupid's arrow: Silvery pale pink, it reflects light beautiful with a pink sparkle. It looks like it would be great to build on to create a soft, shimmery, daytime look.

when time stops: Deep blackened plum and mocha, it's a dark shade but complex. It would probably make a beautiful liner or that little bit extra oomph to add drama to a look.

rose colored glasses: It looks like a sheer purple laid on top of a dusky rose color. Provides a nice balance between dramatic and romantic as the color still pops while remaining demure.

starry-eyed: Like taking the purple away from loved and lost, leaving you with a beautiful light shimmering coffee color.

shy blush: Delightful pale pink with a sparkle to give it depth great for softer looks.


I'm still deciding on if I should order backups of any of these colors. For those interested in these colors or the other lovely collections still left for sale they can be found at the Aromaleigh Blog. I may have to lift my moratorium on buying eyeshadow to scoop up a few more things.

Tokidoki Sodashop Palette Swatches

Finally getting around to posting swatches of something. For Valentine's Day one of my surprise presents was the tokidoki sodashop palette. I liked the Robbery print a little better but the Sodashop print is super adorable. Unlike the Robbery palette, this incarnation does not include blush/bronzer nor do any of the colors pop out as smaller palettes. Instead you get a Perfetto Eyeliner in Carina which will be swatched later and a Sandy shaped nail file. This version as includes a sheet of magnets of various characters instead of the one larger magnet.

The first look with the plastic box which only enhances the cute:



Without the plastic box, the little red flag on top is also a magnet:



Inside the tin with a view of all the goodies inside. I love the plastic overlay which gives you the name of the eyeshadow and a picture of the character it's named for:



And now for the swatches! All the eyeshadows were swatched over Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Potion Primer in original and the pictures were taken without flash under a daylight bulb.



My impressions of the eyeshadows are that they are fairly pigmented and easy to apply. When I wore them over primer the staying power was comparable to other brands. The colors in this set are fairly versatile and could be used both for more neutral day wear and more exciting colorful looks.

I am cross stitcher, hear me roar

Victory! My first cross stitch project has been successfully completed. Some mistakes were made but overall I'm very pleased with how well it turned out considering I've never done it before. I really hope the intended recipients like them even if they're not that exciting. I already ordered my next project (a personalized counted cross stitch stocking for my "son" as I like to think of him). If that goes well, I'll make a set for his parents as well. Every family should have coordinating personalized stockings for Christmas. I have hopes it'll get here today but who knows since USPS apparently doesn't want to actually track my package -.-

And now it's time for some pictures so I can show off my accomplishment.
Monkey and Giraffe hanging out in jungle! I like how the giraffe came out better but that's probably because I did that one after learning from a lot of mistakes. A closer look....


So cute!

Eric and I went to the Ultimate Cocktails, Spirits & Wine Blast in midtown last night. It was so exciting to try all the different liquors and cocktails they had available. My favorite of the night was probably RumChata which is a sort of creamy rum. Absolutely divine with espresso vodka to make a Tiramisu Martini.

Still working on a good makeup post, the world is conspiring against me getting decent pictures of the eyeshadows. It's especially hard to take sunlight pictures being on the 30th floor with no balcony. It also seems like every time I think about doing it the sun is blocked by the office building across from us. Eventually I will prevail.

Monkey Madness

With any luck I'll have a post ready with swatches from Aromaleigh's farewell collections (Spells, Wonderstruck, and Mythos) ready to go sometime soon but the camera is not cooperating with me today. I have pictures of Spells but they don't do the colors justice at all. I need to figure out how to be a better photographer.

That said, I've been working on another project lately. I randomly decided I wanted to learn how to cross stitch so I got two stamped bibs to learn on. It's actually been going pretty well and it's very relaxing. Now that I've got the hang of the stitches I'm going to try counted cross stitch next. I just finished the monkey bib this afternoon so it's still drying but here's a preview picture from when I just started.


Isn't that just adorable? Tonight I'll start work on the giraffe. My eventual goal is to make personalized stockings since I saw some nice looking kits. I am indeed an old lady on the inside.

Blog Fail

Like many things in my life, I have been neglecting this for lack of direction. Now that I'm stuck on the couch recovering from surgery I find myself with time to ponder this.

One of the reasons I wanted to start a blog was to collect my thoughts and interests once again. Naturally, this backfired horribly and made me realize I am all over the place. I find myself wanting to do make up reviews, cooking and crafting posts, pet posts, etc and getting too overwhelmed to do any. I think the first step is going to be making peace with the fact that I'm too all over the place to ever have a truly focused blog.

On the cooking note, I have been improving there. Still using a lot of packets but the boy's parents gave me some spices for my birthday that have really expanded what I can do. The deep fryer has also helped with this. My goals continue to be making more things from scratch and working on presentation. Last year I tried to take a cake decorating class but that fell through. I should really try to find one here or suck it up and try to learn on my own.

As far as crafting goes, it's time to break out the sewing machine again. We just got a new slipcover for the sofa and I'm getting really tired of the complete lack of style in this apartment. I found some fabric online that reminds me of the dishtowels a friend just gave me so I'm going to make some new pillow covers to jazz up the couch. I've also had this weird desire to learn how to cross stitch.

Makeup has been on the backburner since I haven't been feeling as well. Aromaleigh is closing which is sad and until now I've been able to resist the sparkly. I did cave and order sample sets of Ciao Italia, Spells, Mythos, and Wonderstruck though. I have a feeling I'll be ordering full sizes of Spells because I'm a dork and can't resist the Harry Potter.

Mixers, Food Processors, and Spices! Oh my!

One of my current goals/hobbies is to become a respectable cook. I've only been really cooking for myself since the summer so I still have a lot to learn. I like to think that for a beginner I'm doing pretty well though I really want to start making more things from scratch and as well as more elaborate dishes. Right now we eat a lot of meals that start life as seasoning packets or boxes which is fine but I know we can do better. However, it's been harder than I expected to try to new recipes due to food prices and a lack of time on my part. After shopping in Knoxville it's been quite a shock adapting to the prices and selection at the stores here.

I think one of my goals for this semester is to trim our food budget while increasing the variety and quality of our meals. This might be overambitious but I think it can be done. One way we're planning to improve our diet is to make more things from scratch. Hummus, bread, and other things will be a lot easier to make with a processor/mixer. Not only is it cheaper for us to make these things ourselves but will give us greater control over the ingredients. The boy used to make bread at a bakery so I'm looking forward to some of his creations. Hopefully these ambitions will be facilitated by the toys that should be coming in the mail soon.

A food processor

and a hand mixer.

I think one of the first things I'm going to do with my new toy is either make a cake and frosting or hummus.

Cooking goals for the next month:

Make bread at least once
Make at least one of the "usual" dishes from scratch.
Add two new spices to the spice rack and use them