Matte eyeshadows are not for everyone or a beauty rant

Hi girls,

I spent the whole day thinking if I should write this entry.... or should not. Then I thought I probably should, but then I changed my mind again. Finally the "should" won since, as Anastasia at Lipsticks & Lightsabers says, it's my space and I can write whatever I want, and whoever doesn't like it should not read it. 

Few days ago I was looking for some makeup inspiration on DeviantArt and through it found Olga Ekaterincheva, a Russian makeup artist who does GORGEOUS makeup work . She even has an English version of her site, so all of you can check it out. She also does makeup lessons on the side, which in itself I think is a great idea. I guess people come to her house (she doesn't say where they come, just that they come over) and bring ALL of their makeup for evaluation. For the lessons, she tries to use as much of person's makeup as possible, only recommending new stuff if theirs are absolutely un-usable. She seems really down to earth and a fun lady, I would love to get a makeup lesson with her myself. (sadly this whole Makeup Lessons part of her site is only available in Russian, but you can still look at photos)

And here where the big BUT comes in. After reading through description of lessons with examples I got a distinct feeling that she is very against shimmer eye shadows and very much pro-luxury makeup brands. Why do I get that feeling? Because she is constantly repeating how matte eye shadows are the way to go (especially when she said that one of the girls had the ONLY  eye palette from Chanel that she would have called GOOD, since it barely had any shimmer - my poor translation/paraphrasing) and only recommends luxury brands (from what I could decipher from small writings in the example photos).

Yes, I agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. After all, I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't have my own opinion on makeup. For example, I hate matte eye shadows, but I do not tell everyone that only shimmers are allowed to "live" so to say. Or I am a budget makeup buyer, from luxury brands I only own some Urban Decay and some Benefit. Actually, I'm not even sure I consider those as "luxury" brands, they are too funky for that :) When I think luxury, I think sophisticated but somewhat minimalistic approach, not fun and funky ways of Urban Decay and Benefit. Yet I am not against luxury brands, I just don't feel the need to spend lots of $$ on a product when I could find a cheaper alternative. At the same time, I am dying to get a luxury brand foundation from say Mac, concealer from Bobbi Brown, or a primer from Guerlain. One of those days I will.

Now I really don't know how is the situation with makeup in Russia, when I went to Ukraine I had no problem finding skin care and hair care ranges made in Russia (Ukraine, Belarus, etc...) but sadly I didn't have time to look better for makeup brands. I think I noticed some 'normal' brands available everywhere, like Maybelline and Revlon, and I think I even saw some luxury makeup brands. Didn't notice any Russian or Ukrainian ones, but I didn't look too well. :( So assuming that all the drugstore brands that we have available are also available there, WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO RECOMMEND ONLY THE LUXURY BRANDS? We wouldn't have dupes if cheaper makeup did not perform as well, or in some cases as better than luxury brands. It just really irked me.

The next thing that irked me quite a lot was her constant use of matte eye shadows. It might be my humble opinion, but only 2 looks from the whole page worked, and even those only worked because of darker, more natural matte eye shadows were used. I even think the other looks would have looked better have there been some shimmer/highlight on the brow bone. And maybe more than one color used (yes, I am referring to that blue eye shadow look on the 1st model).

Why can't day look have more shimmer to it? Why should a night look only have shimmer in moderation? Why, why, WHY? Why would a makeup artist who does such gorgeous works, stubbornly suggest the same thing to everyone who comes in for a lesson? I bet if I had a lesson, she would disapprove of my WHOLE eye shadow collection, because they are all shimmer. Of course she also says that she doesn't forbid anything to anyone, so if you like shimmer, go for it but in moderation. Then why not post a look with shimmer in the examples?

So who knows, maybe the women in examples asked for those looks. Maybe the ones with shimmer did not allow their photos to be posted.  But overall, I got a very one sided impression of the whole makeup lessons, an it really made frustrated so I had to rant about it.

On the bright side, yesterday my friend and I went makeup shopping! She haven't really been to Boots or Superdrug, so when we walked in and she saw that drugstore makeup brands can be swatched and tried, she was just as excited as I was over a year ago. I recommended her a few things that I already tried, she picked up some stuff that she heard about, and was in general makeup heaven. I decided to pick up some No7 stuff that I've been wanting to try, thankfully Boots has a 3 for 2 offer on it right now and with the No7 voucher I was a very happy camper.

So here is what I got:

Exceptional Definition Mascara
The one I have is starting to dry out, so it was a perfect excuse to get a replacement. This time I got it in Black, instead of Black/Brown.

Instant Radiance Concealer in shade II
I wanted to try it ever since one of the blogs I follow mentioned it as either their best of 2010, or just as a favorite.

Colour Calming Primer
It is GREEN so of course I had to try it. Plus because of the offer, it was free. My face tend to get very red in cold or hot weather, so I'm hoping this will help me fix the problem.

Hm.... this is turning out to be quite a long post, but I have one more thing to add. This is FOTD I had few days ago, and I really want to post it especially after all that matte vs. shimmer eye talk.

Here is a look I created with Sleek SUNSET palette, which is my go to palette right now. Not that I don't want to try other stuff, but my makeup storage space is quite limited so I tend to use one thing until I get tired of it, then put it away and start on something new. But for now I'm very happy with the SUNSET palette, and don't see myself getting tired of it any time soon.

I was inspired by Eye Candy makeup book that I got few weeks ago in Birmingham. I love the book, and I love the looks the author creates there, with some modifications (read MUCH BRIGHTER) if I had to re-create them. This look was inspired by some of the examples, and was very quick to do. And very eye catching too, I had several people comment on it.

I didn't use an eyeliner because I felt it will overpower the blue and red, but if I had to repeat this look I would use blue and red eyeliner. If I can find them in the same color as those eye shadows. :)

So what do you think? Should shimmer eye shadows be allowed to be used in every day makeup? Could we get away with using cheaper brands for good (or amazing results)? What do you think about the above look?

~ Lyuba

When Beauty Routines Get "Broken"

Hello everyone,

I am usually pretty good with my beauty routine at the end of the day, but everything changes when my husband goes deployed. Normally I remove my makeup, apply moisturizer, etc... For the past month I've been TERRIBLE with it! At least couple times of week I've fallen asleep with my makeup still on. :( I think it's because I come home from work to a quiet lonely house, get online and read blogs or talk to my US friends so much that I just fall asleep on the couch instead of going upstairs to bed. By the time I wake up, it's already almost morning and I don't even bother with my makeup.

Lately I've been making a point to go straight upstairs after work (and I get off at 11pm) and remove my makeup, and it helped somewhat. I still fall asleep on the couch haha. I'm starting to think that I'm avoiding our big bed, instead for settling for not-so-lonely-and-smaller couch which is just perfect for "little person" (like my husband calls me) like me. At least my makeup removing routine is somewhat back on track, but I do have to put an effort towards it.

Do any of you have a problem with your beauty routine suffering from various events in your life?

~ Lyuba

My Favorite Products from 2010

Hello everyone,

This post is a little late, but I have a (very poor) excuse - I absolutely hate taking and then editing photos haha. Not a good thing for a beauty blogger don't you think?

For me, 2010 was a year of discoveries. Not necessary of products that were released in 2010, but of beauty products in general. Up until few month ago, I wasn't even THAT into makeup and everything related. Sure I applied make up, but it was always the same boring thing. I also did not realize the importance of good skin care regime, but at least now I'm proud to say that I pay attention to my skin at lot more.

You might also notice that my favorite products are sort of random, and I'm missing some things (like lipstick and shampoos/conditioners, etc..) but that's because I just started looking and still have to find THAT one great thing. I am pretty sure that 2011 post will be a lot longer and more organized. :)  

Here is the list (in no particular order):

The Body Shop Lip Scrub
Up until couple month ago I didn't even know that lip scrubs existed!! Then I read couple of blogs recommending this and I had to get it for myself.  I love how moisturizing it is, even if it's a scrub, and after every use my lips feel oh so nice :) I also love that this is put in a lipstick tube, as I absolutely hate lip products that require me to use my fingers (like balms). That's the reason I haven't tried any other lip scrubs.

Simple Skincare Range
Yes, I love the WHOLE range! I discovered the Light Moisturizer and the Soothing Toner earlier this year, but after starting to pay attention more to my skin I branched out and tried other stuff. And so far I love everything I tried. I recommend this range to all my American friends here in UK, as well as sending some stuff as gifts to my friends back in US.

Vichi Purete Thermale 3 in 1 One Step Cleanser
I decided to try this range after reading some great reviews and was hooked instantly. Now my skin is by no means sensitive, but I love how gentle and soothing this cleanser it. After using it, my skin feels so soft and smooth. Another brand I recommend to anyone willing to listen to me. ;P

Aussie Take the Heat Leave-in Spray
I had a pretty mediocre experience with Aussie in US when I tried their shampoo and conditioner. Not sure if the stuff in US are different, who knows. I like this leave-in spray because of its smell and of course for protection reasons. I don't straighten my hair often, only after I wash it so spraying this nice smelling stuff feels like a treat. Because I like it so much, I bought 2 more as backups (on offer in Boots right now), and I think I will try more stuff from the range in the future.

EcoTools brushes
It is more of a re-discovery than discovery for me because I first bought them in 2008 or 2009, but I didn't know how to properly use brushes at the time so I was not too impressed. When I picked them up again this year, I was in LOVE. The brushes pictured about are the ones I use every day, but they all came from 3 different sets as well as individual one that I got as a gift. The three smaller brushes came from 2 sets I ordered online from ULTA.com. I've never seen them in any stores in UK, so I don't think they are available here. :( I use tiny kabuki brush for my blush, travel powder brush for foundation, travel 'blush' (I think) brush for setting my concealer. The rest I think are pretty self explanatory. And yes, that is my kitty trying to steal one of the brushes. She even succeeded for a whole 3 seconds!

Sleek palettes
I only pictures two of them, STORM and SUNSET, because those are the ones I use right now. But I love Sleek makeup and wish I would have found out about it earlier, then I would have gotten some of limited edition palettes that came out before November lol. So far I have Storm, Sunset, Circus, Good/Bad Girl, Sparkle, Original, and Acid. My friends in US got some of those as Christmas gifts this year. :)

No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara
I don't like mascaras, to me they are a necessary evil to make my eyes look good. I still don't like them even after discovering this one, and I double I'll ever like mascaras. However this one is just great! It gives me volume and definition without clumping, just a perfect natural-but-better look that I love. I will be buying another one this weekend because I got one of those vouchers from Boots.

Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liners
Ever since I tried these, I can't go back to using pencil liners. Actually not entirely true haha, because I've rarely used pencil liners because I could never get them to work for me. With these lining my eyes became fool proof, and I can do any kind of lines with ease. So far I've got every color and back ups for them.

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Auburn/Red
I really don't know how I EVER lived without this. If I had to pick one product as my number 1 most important discovery, it would be this. My eyebrows are so light that you can barely see them so I have to draw them on/fill them in to make my face look "normal", especially with my love for red hair. Before discovering this I used an eyebrow pencil to fill them in, and although it did a decent job I wasn't really happy with the look. Enter the NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Auburn/Red. Not only my eyebrow drawing skills significantly improved after using this, but the colors are so perfect for me that I've got lots of people give me big eyes and say they thought my eyebrows were natural. Score bit time!

Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder in Transparent
Yup, until few month ago I never set my foundation and concealer with powder, but everything changed after I got this. It works wonders for me, especially since my skin is normal (I think, gotta go and do one of those fancy skin analysis things sometimes to make sure lol) and doesn't get that oily. After applying this powder, I don't even have to do any touch ups. Or I could of course, but working at the post office makes me not care as much haha.

What are your 2010 favorites or new discoveries?

~ Lyuba

Finished Products: December

Hello everyone!

December found me finishing up quite a lot of products. For me it's an accomplishment, considering that up till few month ago I didn't even have that many products. I still don't, as I try to use stuff up before buying anything new, but I definitely see my space filling up!

1. Simple Soothing Facial Toner
I'm on my second bottle of this and I love it! For the price, it does a wonderful job at making my skin clean and fresh. Definitely will be buying more of it in the futures. 

 2. Almay One Coat Dial Up Mascara
 I needed a new mascara and I decided to step away from my safe and trusted Maybelline one and try something different. This mascara is supposed to help you create 3 different eye lash looks, from day to night. I am not sure how the first two 'clicks' work as I always kept it on 3, and it did a pretty good job. I'm not sure I would re-purchase it though as I wasn't that impressed with it. Even on 3 I didn't see that big of a difference between this and other mascaras I tried. It does have one good point - after using it, I'm no longer afraid of silicone type applicators.

3. Black Pearl Day Moisturizer for Young Skin (program for under 25 years old) 
In April I visited Ukraine for the first time in 9 years, and being myself the first thing I did was hit up Ukrainian drugstores for some Ukrainian & Russian makeup. This was one of face creams that I bought for myself, and I wish I was able to buy more! But due to luggage weight restrictions and stupidity of Ukrainian postal workers mailing restrictions (not sure which ones, British or Ukrainian) I was not able to mail myself any of the makeup and had to get only what would fit in my luggage. BUMMER as this was a great moisturizer which had everything I've been looking for in one. Next time I go to Ukraine I will stock up, and try several different post offices in hopes that postal workers will allow me to mail stuff back to myself.

4. La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Eyes
I tried this brand after reading several great reviews, and overall I like it. I am not sure if I will buy this particular product again because I didn't notice that much difference in my eyes. It hydrated my eyes just fine, but I didn't see any de-puffiness. Probably because I do not suffer from puffy eyes to begin with.

5. Revlon ColorStay Mineral Blush in Roseberry
This is my first blush that I used in a long time, I got it after I decided that I probably should use a blush. I would not be buying it again because the staying power was pretty average, and I can find cheaper products that deliver better results.

6. Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturizer (not pictured)
I forgot to take a picture of it, but I'm sure most of us know how it looks like. This is my go-to moisturizer, I've been using it before my Ukrainian one, but then went back to it after other one was finished. I use it every day religiously, and since my skin is not dry it is perfect for me. I love how it absorbs within seconds! I will be buying this over and over again.

New Year's eve look

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope that the year 2011 will bring you everything that 2010 forgot to bring. As for me, the main thing I wish for in 2011 is to get a job that I would like, and that would like me.

For this New Year's eve I didn't do anything special, I decided not to go to an acquaintance's masquerade party because no matter how much I wanted to dress up, I still didn't know anyone there and I'm sadly not one of those people who can make friends instantly. Instead I went to my friend's house and we had a quiet evening of playing video and board games.

However, regardless of me staying home or going out, I decided to have fun with my makeup. Recently I've been obsessed with Sleek's SUNSET palette, so I used it again to create this look.

I'm having a pretty bad hair day here, guess it's time for a trim.

I used SUNSET palette on the top lid, and STORM palette on the bottom lid. Then I decided to get adventurous and put Eyeko glitter on top of blue eyeshadow, and Collection 2000 gold liquid eyeliner on top of red. For lips I used my "pirate" lipstick, called that because I bought it specifically to go with my pirate costume (but it is actually by Clinique).

 In order to fix my bad hair, I used my old trusted method of choice - I wore a hat!

I think the  hat and glasses definitely toned down my look, but I still rather like it :)
~ Lyuba