Broke but workin’ it!

All right darlings time for a review.

Up today two companies:

Electric Cosmetics

&

Fyrinnae

First up Electric Cosmetics. This is a relatively new company headed by a 19 year old entrepreneur with a love of make up. I purchased a sample size of the lovely hot pink shade “bashful” (see pics here. Straight away I was very impressed with the color. Bright true blue based pink with a just right amount of shimmer.

I swatched the color on the back of my hand and sans primer it shwoed up beautifully. Fantastic color payoff on par with more expensive brands. I am wearing it today on my lower lids with a bit of MAC French Violet in the crease and as a liner. All together a great combination.

Next up Fyrinnae. Another small company that produces quality hand made cosmetics I have to admit that since first purchasing a few of their products this past January I have been hooked.

First up their Silken Eyeshadow base. I have been using this product regularly for about the past five months and it has become an absolute staple. Whether your skin is normal, oily or dry this product provides an excellent sheer to opaque (depending on how much and how you apply it) base for all your shadow needs.

My extremely oily skin generally speaking eats eyeshadow alive. Without primer I get at most a couple of hours of wear. With this base I get all day wear with minimal fading and creasing. this is absolutely a recommended product. The packaging can be a little tricky if you’re at all clumsy and it does take a few tries before you find just the right amount to use.

A tip: if your skin is oilier or you want your colors to really pop I suggest powdering your lids, then adding the base with your fingertip until it’s semi-opague then powdering again. Let it set and you are off to the races.

Next up from Fyrinnae as well their shadow called Bubble Tea admittedly at first glance I didn’t love this color. However once on it is a fantastic shade. Described on the site as “Medium lilac-mauve topped with a green highlight shimmer and a scattering of silver sparkles.” that is very apt. This color looks amazing on my medium milk chocolate skin. Very good color for a highlight or as a monochromatic all around the eye.

All in all two thumbs up for both companies. Not only are they quality small business but, both have highly economical pricing and the all important sample sizes. I love sample sizes because I can try a greater array of colors without investing more money than needed. And if a color doesn’t work out for me I’m only out 5-10$ instead of more.

Go forth and enjoy!!

Coming up soon deals of the month, my adventure in stretching my relaxer, straightening with a flat iron and other assorted madness.

Until next time, stay fabulous.

If you look at the bottom of the page you’ll see a little banner at the bottom of the page you’ll find a link to Dream View Farm I have myself some Goat Milk and Oatmeal Soap and ladies and gents this is good stuff.

I use it on my face which as I’ve mentioned before is very oily and sensitive. This soap leaves my skin feeling smooth and clean without peeling, tightness etc. Very good price as well I will be ordering more.

All in all this product gets a big A+ from me. It also worked to sooth some hives I had on my body that everything else irritated.

Dream View is made of WIN!

I ladies and gents am a huge mascara lover. I want big, bold super dark and maybe look fake kind of lashes. And I believe I have found my saviour. Benefit BadGal Mascara has it all. For years I have been searching various mascaras for that perfect blend of ease of application, thick dark formula and vaVOOM eyelashes.

I have two tests for mascara to determine how much I like them. Two very simple looks that will tell me all I need to know.

The first is a classic cat eye done with liquid liner close to the lashes on top with a flick of wings at the outer corner of my eye. That is finished off with a matte face and if I am working a nice gloss or if I am going out a fabulous red or darker berry shade of lipstick. Classic and simple.

My want in a mascara with this look is to not have my eyelashes disappear into my eyeliner. I want big spikey WOW lashes. Bad Gal delivers.

The second test is actually a simpler look, I will use a sheer shimmer color on my entire eyelid and go bananas with the mascara. I like a good sheer sparkly white or cream and/or lately I’ve been getting into pinkish shades. I want lashes that make my eyes pop despite the sheer lay of color. Bad Gal gets another A+.

I’ve tried and tested many brands here’s a sampling.

Lancome’s Flextencils. C. I was unimpressed with the brush, it seemed on the small side. Also the mascara itself at first seemed very thin and after about a month of use got quite dry. Also this product alone did not provide me with the promised 30 degree curl or any noticible length. However I will say if you are looking for a mascara to get a more feathery type look this one is a good pick. That is just not my taste in particular.

Maybelline Intense XXL. Absolutely one of my favorites. A two step design that delivers the promise. The white layer provides a primer and extends your lashes and the colored second layer is fantastic. The black is very very black even over the white primer and gives you big dark bold lashes. Well worth the effort of applying essentially two products. Also a fantastic value. Most drug stores carry this for less than 10$. This one is a winner folks.

Another Maybelline classic, Great Lash. Your Mom probably used this one, it has been a staple in many make up cases and drawers for a long time. Another one of my favorites. Why? Not because it’s insanely fabulous but it is reliable. The black is very dark, with enough of it you get giant lashes and what more do you need? This one is one to keep around just in case you lose your primary tube of mascara.

This next one absolutely broke my heart.

Chanel Extracils Super Curl Lengthening Mascara . I was absolutely not impressed. I know, you’re thinking “but Shannon COME on woman it’s Chanel, Chanel. Is. Fabulous. End of story.” And it wasn’t. I gave it a try but, given that it was Chanel I had very high expectations. It was a nice mascara. I wasn’t wowed and it broke my heart. I didn’t find it to be worth the money honestly. If you want fabulous I highly suggest getting the Maybelling mentioned above and hell while you’re at it buy yourself a lipstick for that price.

So that’s all for today.

Tomorrow, beauty staples for everyone. Not just beauty freaks like me. Also coming up this week I’ll discuss my own battle with dark pigmentation on my face and what I’m doing about it and how that’s working out.

Until then stay fabulous my people.

All right back to the show.

Many of us ladies use one methor or another to remove the dreaded moustache. I do it too. In the last lets say decade I’ve probably used everything. From those hair removal mitts, (OW sandpapering your face is not fun), wax hot and cold, sugaring, I tried threading once and ran screaming.

Which brings us to the creams.

There are a ton of depilatory creams on the market and no matter what the hype says they do the same basic thing. They use chemicals to dissolve the hair on your skin. Many will claim to last longer etc but, how quickly your hair grows back depends on your body. However, there are some products that contain hair growth inhibiting agents check the packaging on your preferred brand.

My favorite of the bunch is made by Sally Hansen. The hair removal cream for face is my absolute favorite. Now, none of these creams smell good. Most smell like butt. The Sally Hansen cream to my mind is one of the least offensive and the tube lasts a fairly long time.

I’ve noticed that, the finer hair between upper lip and nose usually melts first so I take that off first. Also make sure you do a patch test if not every time you want to use the product at least every other time. Hormonal changes, dietary changes etc can effect your skin and how the product works and nobody wants you to burn your pretty face.

If you’re anything like me there are at least two or three stubborn hairs that don’t want to go with the rest. Don’t make the mistake of reapplying the cream right away. While the hair is still soft from the cream use a pair of slanted tweezers to pull it out in the direction of hair growth. Yes, that hurts but over time the hair may come back finer and easier to remove.

When looking for a hair removal product especially for your face keep a few things in mind. Never use products designed for the body on your face. Do not use them on your eyebrows, follow the instructions and if you are getting ready for an event, use the products a few days to a week ahead of time just in case you experience some irritation.

If it is your first time using a depilatory cream check for a product for sensitive skin and be patient. It will take a few uses to get down your timing and application. And as with anything chemical (or otherwise) if you experience serious burning, itching, redness see your doctor.

So to wrap it up Sally Hansen gets my recommendation for a consistantly good and effective product. Also highly cost effective.