GemGlam! Week 4: Lapis Lazuli, The Water Witch

This is it, guys! The Grand Finale! This is the fourth and last week of Gem Glam April and we're bringing it right back around to avant-garde! First off:

Here's Noon's glowing, space-alien Peridot look!

And Mieke's badass, cheesy poof Jasper look!

My look last week was inspired by Lapis' soft and sweet nature. This week is all about Lapis Lazuli, The Water Witch:

I'm Lapis Lazuli and you can't keep me trapped here anymore!

Let me apologize in advance: my lighting/levels went all crazy the day I took these photos so some are a bit yellow? Bear with me, bros.

This week I wanted to take things a lot further than I had with my Garnet avant-garde look. Despite her strength, Lapis seems to perpetually be the victim and I wanted to represent her wrath when pushed to her breaking point. There were specific colors I wanted to include - silver for the mirror, dark ocean blues and blacks, a touch of teal green for Malachite - but I went in with little other rhyme or reason. I opted for using my fingers as opposed to brushes for almost all of this look because I wanted to keep it really raw. I didn't track the products I used however so I apologize for that. After everything was said and done I added a bit of good ol' H20 for obvious drama.

I'm tired of being everyone's prisoner...

Now you're my prisoner, and I'm never letting you go!

Here's full, dry look at it:

All they care about is the Earth. But I never believed in this place...

For the eyes I knew I had to go with silver for Lapis' eyes in 'Mirror Gem'. The rest just kind of happened but I'm in love with the way the blues and blacks ended up looking like stormy ocean waves.

I actually remembered the products I used here! I erased my lips with MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly. (This worked so well I can't even. Definitely using this trick in the future.) Then I tapped on some of Shiro's Maiden Queen and just a touch of Wandering Wizard along the top. Turned out pretty neat if I do say so myself.

That's the end of it! I don't have too much to say about this look overall - the pictures do a better job than I can. Plus I waited last minute to write this up while I'm at work so I keep getting interrupted. D:<

And with that eloquent conclusion Gem Glam April comes to a close! Working with Mieke and Noon as well as pushing myself outside of my comfort zone has been super fun! That, and being able to combine a couple of my current passions: makeup and Steven Universe! Hopefully we can do some more collaborations in the future but for now we'll make a return to our regular programming. Peace out!

xxx

GemGlam! Week 3: A Soft Look for Lapis Lazuli~

Hey cool kids! It's Friday again and that means another Gem Glam post! For the next two weeks we're moving on from our dear, earth-loving Crystal Gems and on to the currently mysterious Homeworld Gems. OOooooOOooo~ Also this week we're back to everyday, wearable looks!

You can see Noon's super cool Peridot look here!

And Mieke's powerfully fierce Jasper look here!

The inspiration for my look comes from the most adorable and depressing queen of fart jokes gem ever: Lapis Lazuli. She'll break your heart, man. Smash it right into pieces. (That brief glimpse of her as Peridot's ship plummets to earth literally kills me. Every. Single. Time.)

And Dad you might think she's a criminal,
But her friendship comes through subliminal.

There's so much that can be said about Lapis and yet she's is still quite a mystery to everyone. Why was she being held in that mirror? Who was she before the rebellion? I'm really holding out hope that at some point we might get some of her back story. To me she comes across as someone who was a lover and not a fighter - though she's probably one of the baddest ass mother fuckers in the whole series so far so who can really say? She moved an entire ocean for cryin' out loud. And that ending scene in Jail Break, GODDAMN. Honestly, after all that I just want her to come back so I can build her a water garden and give her kittens in ribbons to play with.

To reflect the softer side of Lapis I decided to put together something gentle and feminine. Here's what I came up with:

It's fairly simple. The base is the exact same as my last two looks. Color-wise it's nothing too harsh, I did my best to keep it soft and delicate.

The eye's were my main focus: I mostly stuck with Lapis' all blue motif and made sure to get some soft, subtle wings in there (for obvious reasons). I started with a layer of Maybelline's Color Tattoo in Too Cool - it's really not that great all on it's own but it does provide a nice sheer, shimmery base. Then, after a thin layer of Too Faced Glitter Glue, I started laying down my colors: the inner third of my lid is Femme Fatale's Crystal Guardian, a pale pastel blue with gold shimmer; the center is Hello Waffle's Snowflakes, a cool light blue with silver shimmer; and the outer third is Shiro's Tardis, a medium blue with subtle green/purple shimmer. After some more glitter glue I used a small angled brush to lightly line my eyes and create a small wing with Femme Fatale's Marauders, blending it a bit with Tardis. I buffed Hello Waffle's Danger Zone all along the lower lash line/lid to make everything extra soft. Brow and inner corner highlight are Life's Entropy's Stay Pawsitive, a sheer warm gold. (I got my first order from Life's Entropy not too long ago and I'm really excited to finally getting around to posting a review. Spoiler Alert: I'm in love with Brow Theories.) Lashes are, once again, Covergirl Clump Crusher Extensions.

The rest of the face I kept pretty simple, opting for natural shades with subtle gold details.

Cheeks are Blackbird Cosmetics' Briar Rose, a "muted light pink with subtle gold sheen" included as one of the guest indies in Hello Waffle's February Visage Box. I topped that off with Hello Waffle's Golden Veil highlighter for some more golden goodness. For lips I used Covergirl's Colorlicious Lipgloss in Give Me Guava - a sheer, neutral pink with lovely gold shimmer throughout.

And that wraps up this look's details! Next week we'll be swinging back around to avant-garde. It's also the last week of Gem Glam so I'm hoping to go out with a bang! Keep your peepers peeped until then!

xxx

GemGlam! Week Two: Avant-Garde Garnet!

First! If you don't want to read the whole post that's cool but please make sure to at least scroll to the bottom for a SUPER GLAM SURPRISE.

Second! Check these cool kids' posts!

Noon's rad as fuck, grungy Amethyst look!

Mieke's adorably ethereal Pearl look!

Third! On to my actual post:

Guysguysguys. It's week two of Gem Glam April and today I'm bringing you another Garnet look! Where lasts week's look was more wearable, this week's is supposed to be more artsy & avant-garde. Now, I've never actually done a serious avant-garde look before and since this week was jam packed with all sorts of other life-happenings I really only got an opportunity to just dip my toes a bit. I did play around with some other ideas for looks but, ah, only one ended up being during peak lighting hours... Here's the silly, cartoony nonsense I managed to come up with:

"That's a lie. Your middle name is cutie pie."

I was attempting to go for more dynamic lines and bold blocks of color for Garnet's cool, powerhouse side buutttt, this is what I ended up with. Derp. That purple bit is supposed to be for Garnet's third eye (which is purple) but it ended up looking pretty silly. I also failed to take any product shots because I am the worst. I'll break down most of what I used for you anyway.

The base for this look was the same as last week's - very general stuff. No contouring or highlighting, I wanted the bold colors to be the main focus. I just used a light layer of Shiro's You Can McLean On Me on my cheeks to keep myself from looking too dead and flat. Brows are actually Urban Decay's Snakebite for something a bit more over the top and alien but not quite. Ironic, as this used to be my everyday brow product. :I

For eyes I used a layer of NYX Milk for a brightening base along with Siren Song Cosmetics' Disgraced Monk (the red) and Loyal Lionheart (the blue).  The third eye fiasco is a combination of Milk and Siren Song's Summoner. The liner is L'oreal's The Blackbuster liquid liner - not my favorite liner but I like that for a liquid liner it doesn't have an oddly shiny finish. The gold glitter is definitely my favorite bit - if I could get away with wearing it to work like this I would. It's MAC's Gold glitter which make's me sound like an asshole but I promise - the name's actually that boring.

The lips turned out really fun and I think they're the most Garnet-esque aspect of this look. Top lip is NYX Black Bean and the bottom lip is Covergirl's Lip Lava in Mauva Lava. I just grabbed a couple of these Lip Lava's to try not too long ago and I'm really liking them so far! They're super pigmented and have a long, thin brush which make getting a nice, clean edge super easy.

Also, I really wish I had some sweet shades to go along with this look but I'm a lame nerd so here's me in my regular ol' spectacles:

"I drink coffee for breakfast."

To sum things up: I kind of dropped the ball this week and for that I apologize. I have set aside/planned some time to really work on the next couple of posts and I'm really looking forward to working on those for you! (Plus, I'm doing a little planning ahead product-wise so I don't end up floundering too much!) Until next time, you lovely lumps~

xxx

ALSO HERE IS IMPORTANT ART I MADE. MY GIFT TO YOU. AS AN APOLOGY.

Three Gems And A Baby.

P.S. - If this joke's already been made I'm so sorry but also super angry.

GemGlam! Week One: Everyday Garnet!

Welcome one, welcome all! Today's post marks the start of GemGlam! - a collaborative effort between Noon of peachy noon, Mieke of Miekeup! and myself! Through the month of April we will each be posting weekly blogs (and instagram posts!) showcasing makeup looks inspired by Steven Universe. More specifically - the Crystal Gems as well as the Homeworld Gems! We'll be doing wearble looks along with some more avant-garde stuff. This week specifically is Wearable Looks inspired by the Crystal Gems!

Noon's Amethyst Makeup can be found here!
Mieke's Pearl Makeup can be found here!

My look today is based on the best square mom a kid could ask for:

"Oh no. They are dead."

That's right. Mutha' fuckin' GARNET. If you don't absolutely love Garnet then you probably just haven't seen Jailbreak yet. Go watch it now (if only because I'll probably let some spoilers slip) and get your ass back here.

Garnet is a bold, confident space babe. She's strong and frank and endearingly, if at times awkwardly, maternal. I mean, she's made of love you guys. At the start of Steven Universe she definitely comes across as a bit more aloof - the standoffish leader of the Crystal Gem trio. I love watching her soften through the series and be more open in how much she cares about Steven - Future Vision and Jailbreak being beautiful examples of such. Also, I love how she dances - it's so counter to her usual stoic facade and it makes me wish she'd ravish me. But that's besides the point.

Here's the look I put together for today's post:

For this look I wanted to go bold but with softened edges, avoiding hard and sharp lines. I also wanted to reflect a bit of Ruby and Sapphire in the look as well but subtly. More of a suggestion than a representation. Those were really the only guidelines I gave myself - the rest was done by the seat of my pants.

Below, I'll break down the methods and products I used.

Since this is supposed to be a wearable, everyday look I more or less went with my mainstays when it came to my base. With a freshly clean and moisturized face (I've been using just a drop of hazelnut oil~) I start with my Diorskin Nude BB Creme in Light 001 which I mix with a touch of the Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX01 as it leans a bit too pink for me normally. No brush or sponge - I just smush it on with my hands like some sort of feral animal. I top my dark circles and any remaining spots/redness with my NARS' Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly which is sorely in need of replacing. Skin is finished off with a light dusting of Hello Waffle's Finishing Powder which, as well as some mattifying, gives me a slightly glimmery glow.

For cheeks and sculpting (which honestly I do last but I'm putting this here because it just makes sense) I kept it pretty simple. I started with Hello Waffle's Marley from the December Visage Box to carve out a semblance of cheek bones as well as defining my jaw and nose bridge just a tad. Contouring is more of a special occasion step for me but Gem Glam April is worth it. MAC's Star Wonder Mineralize Skinfinish (a "plummy pink with a multi-dimension pearl" from their LE Heavenly Bodies collection) was really my only option for blush as the color is prefect for Garnet but also because outer space. For a bit more glow I used Aromaleigh's Pale As Icing Sugar Glisten from the January Ephemera Box on the tops of my cheeks. Pale As Icing Sugar's a lovely neutral, metallic leaning highlight that's quite subtle - the perfect quality for this look as the eyes and lips are a bit more bold.

My face is not a face without eyebrows. That's just science. So, as always, I used a tiny angled brush along with Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow in 25 Ash and created something out of (practically) nothing. For a look inspired by Garnet however I wanted something a bit stronger, more defined than normal so I used Lorac's Taupe and Espresso from the first Pro Palette to give these brows a bit of pop.

For my eye makeup I wanted to go bold but not too bold and incorporate some red and blue touches along with Garnet's everyday reddish burgundy color. Here's what I came up with:

I first patted on a layer of MAC's Stormy Pink Paint Pot as a base then moved on to picking my shadows. I didn't have a solid plan when I started putting together my eye look but you know fo' sho' that I was going to be using Lorac's Garnet from the first Pro Palette. This I blended into my crease and out towards my brow just a bit. The next step was dabbing some Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue all over the lid and pressing Baroque Cosmetics' Sky over that, blending it into Garnet. I attempted to make myself a red/blue liner by mixing Darling Girl's London Calling with their Superstar Serum but the resulting liner was a bit too red and blended in with Sky. >_>;; But I didn't let that stop me! I finished up the liner by smudging a bit of Shiro's You Snow Nothing along the lash line. For the brow highlight I used Siren Song Cosmetics' Pyreflies - a soft highlight shade with blue and pink sparks. I chose to use two different colors for my inner corner highlights: on one eye I used Shiro's You Know Nothing - a soft blue sheen; on the other I used Hello Waffle's Kiji Fairy Dust Overshadow from the January Visage Box - a shimmery pink/peach with some gold and red sparkles. The effect is very subtle but you can see it when comparing each eye in my full face photos above. Lashes are CoverGirl's Clump Crusher Extensions Mascara in Very Black - a continuous, if unexciting, favorite.

I had a bit of fun throwing this lip together - it's interesting but I could still wear it to work if I wanted!

First things first! I've always gotta moisturize! I threw on Haus of Gloi's Mango Cream Lip Balm to keep these gob blobs from getting too flaky/crunchy. I used Nyx's Lip Liner Pencil in 803 Burgundy to line around the outside of my lips - I blended the liner inwards but didn't fully cover everything. Next I filled everything in with MAC's Dark Side. I was planning on stopping there but it just didn't feel quite right. So digging around I found CoverGirl's Lip Perfection Lipstick in Tempt and layered that over everything focusing it mostly at the center of my lips. To top it all off I patted a bit of Hello Waffle's Hisster Prynne in the center of both top and bottom lips for a little red sheen. I will say, I'm super happy with the results of this bumbling experiment!

Aaanyway that concludes it! This is my first collab as well as my first big girl "inspired by" type of makeup look and I've already had a ton of fun with it! I hope you enjoyed my first Gem Glam April post and I also hope that you're looking forward to our 2nd Gem Glam post coming up next Friday! And if not:

I THINK YOU'RE JUST MAD CUZ YOU'RE SINGLE.

Shiro's Battle of the Boy Bands Part 2: Tearin' Up My Heart

Ahhh! I'm so sorry - I very much meant to have this post up, like, a week ago! I've managed to overfill my plate and to top it all off I've been sick for the last few days. Bleck~ But I'm back to (mostly) 100% and ready to rumble.

Today's post covers the second half of Shiro's Battle of the Boy Bands: Tearin' Up My Heart - A tribute to *NSync! (I Want It That Way reviewed here!) Now, while I had my soft spot for the Backstreet Boys, I just could never really get into *NSync. Not like I escaped them completely - Justin's crunchy noodle hair holds a permanent spot in my nostalgia vault. Numbers don't lie though and it seems I fall into a minority. Shiro tracked the numbers and Tearin' Up My Heart won out over I Want It That Way popularity-wise and was thus rewarded with the limited edition Crazy For You, a pressure sensitive/color shifting eyeshadow. I don't have that to swatch for you but I've seen reviews popping up here and there if it's something that piques your interest. (Here's Indie Know's!)

This collection flips things around a bit from the previous set: the lip glosses will probably be more wearable to a wider range of people but the face products... may seem bit less so. You'll see. Let's check out the glosses first.

The Thrill of the Chasez

Mid-toned sheer/moderate bubblegum pink!

Plush

Classically girly, this is the pretty pink gloss your parents let you leave the house wearing. The Thrill of the Chasez is definitely the most low-key and low maintenance gloss out of either collection. Also, remember when everything came in bubblegum? This stuff is liquid bubblegum essence in a tube.

Justin Time!

The perfect warm ultra-opaque T-Swift polished red.

tuff boi

This. This is the gloss you had to sneak out of your house in your backpack. (I was a complete tomboy chubbo and totally didn't do this but you get the idea.) While very similar to Shiro's Nic Cage Posing for a Calendar with Shiny Bright Red Cars, Justin Time is a true cream completely free of any sparkle, shimmer or pearl finish. So, if you have Nic Cage Posing and aren't bothered by the finish then you probably could pass on Justin Time. Of course, the label may be the big kicker for a lot of you folks. (Who could blame you?) As for the scent, this gloss smells like sweet, creamy french vanilla bordering on baked goods. I'm definitely a fan.

Next up, Tearin' Up My Heart's face products! Again, there are two blushes and a highlighter. As you can see, this collection's blushes greatly contrast the warm, natural hues of I Want It That Way.

Bright and Oh So Bold! The blushes are far more intimidating in the jar/heavily swatched than once on your face. I did attempt to get some face swatches done but the lighting (along with my grumpo skin) was not participating in the slightest. For now, arm swatches will have to suffice.

Love at First Lance

Cool pink-toned lightly shimmery highlight.

A lovely highlight for the pinky/cool toned babes out there. The texture of this highlighter is very fine - perfect to try as an all over face powder if you like a little glow. (An idea I got from /u/misosoup122 for I Have A Littrell Crush On You - I lightly dust it all over my face and I look like an angel.)

I'll Fatone For My Sins

Ultra-vivid cool matte pink! 

My levels went a bit crazy but oh my gawd.

Cool toned, bright bubblegum-esque pink. It's a bit terrifying at first glance and to be honest I haven't gotten around to trying it out just yet. (Blush is always the first thing I skip when I'm running late.) It does remind me a bit of the brighter NARS blushes I have so I'm sure it's perfectly doable. I'm just a pansy.

A Chris For Good Luck

Bright mid-toned matte red!

A tad sheer, A Chris For Good Luck blends out really nicely on the cheeks and adds a nice, wintery flush. I wouldn't call it a pure matte however, as I did spot a touch of shimmer. If you're a fan of red blushes like Darling Girl's Don't Eat the Apple than I'd say this is definitely one to try.

Overall, I think generally I prefer I Want It That Way over this collection though it does have it's gems. These glosses are absolutely lovely (I can't say no to Shiro glosses.) and A Chris For Good Luck comes in second to You Can McLean On Me when we're talkin' blushes. Really, when it comes down to it, many decisions will be made between these collections based on where your fandom loyalties lie. Granted, in my case, those loyalties lie with Shiro. But y'know.

xxx