Magic: The Gathering Chandra Nalaar Inspired Makeup!

For Hallowe'en (and even going past the season) I decided that an interesting series to do would be Magic: The Gathering inspired makeup! I've wanted to do this for awhile now since my husband is *really* into the game and we often go to tournaments and engage in the community. My husband has done a lot of border extensions and artwork so I figured a good way to express my artistic aptitude for the game would be using the only canvas I actually know how paint on: my face.

Here's what Chandra Nalaar looks like in Magic: The Gathering:

Credit: Magic: The Gathering, Artwork by Steve Argyle

I took a series of photos that breaks down how to achieve this look if you're interested!

Start with a bare face, apply primer to your skin and a foundation that matches your skin-tone. Conceal your eyebrows using concealer (you can also use glue and light powder but I didn't think this was necessary for this look).

Then I used a burgundy red eyeshadow to fill in my eyebrows to get a better match to Chandra's auburn fire-burned brows. She has a brown undertone in the artwork, so my natural color played well with this, if you're a blonde you may want to mix brown and red eyeshadow to create an auburn effect.

I used Urban Decay's single eyeshadow in Freelove (golden vibrant peach) in my crease and applied an orange eyeshadow from the Coastal Scents 88 Original Palette. I used this nifty trick of applying some tape extending out in a line from my lower lash line to achieve a precise edge - make sure to press the tape on the back of your hand a few times before applying it around your delicate eye area to make sure the adhesive is weak.

Near the lashline, roughly apply a matte black eyeshadow, I used the one from the LORAC PRO Palette. Then, on my lid, between the bold orange I applied in the previous step and above the Black shade, I used Garnet (or a deep, shimmery red) from the same palette.

I defined the line with my Physicians Formula liquid eyeliner in Black to get a very crisp and bold edge. Then I used the Coastal Scents palette and put the yellow-most shade all around the inner corner of my eye.

I used the liquid eyeliner to create a second "wing" going downwards in a sideways "V" shape from the original wing. The final look is achieved by further smoking out only the top of the liquid eyeliner with more Black eyeshadow. I also accented my inner corner and inside the sideways "V" with NYX Loose Pearl Eye Shadow in Yellow Gold. I also applied falsies, e.l.f. Essential Dramatic Eyelashes to be exact.

I smudged black eyeliner along the lower waterline of my eye and then smoked it out with the same Black eyeshadow. Then I used the NYX Cosmetics Loose Pearl Eyeshadow Pigment in Rust underneath to connect and transition between the yellow color accents. I wanted to add the extra yellow to represent "sparks"!

You can use any red lipstick or lip-stain as long as it isn't pink-leaning as a base for the lips. After applying that all over, I used NYX Cosmetics Loose Pearl Eyeshadow Pigment in Rust and right in the middle, I applied the pigment in Yellow Gold (the same ones I used on my eyes).

To finish off the entire face, I used the Yellow Gold pigment as a highlight on my cheekbones, down my nose, forehead, cupid's bow and chin. Then I transitioned to the Rust pigment and used that contour my cheeks and create the "hollows" that add definition and create a more overall "fiery" effect.

I hope you like the look I created!

If you create a look inspired by this series, I really hope you show it to me on Twitter or leave a comment below the post linking to it!

"Of course you should fight fire with fire. You should fight everything with fire"

- Jaya Ballard, task mage

Eyes of the Day: Mrs. Mia Wallace Look

Since this year is the 20th anniversary of the cult classic Pulp Fiction and Urban Decay has released a Limited Edition Pulp Fiction eyeshadow palette  (based on the iconic character Mrs. Mia Wallace), I decided to do an Eyes of the Day post about her iconic look using the new palette.


In case you've been living under a rock for the past 20 years, this is what Mia Wallace (aka Uma Thurman) looked like in the movie, she was the quintessential babe of the 90s (1994 to be exact). She is subtle and natural and yet so dramatic with her severe lips, haircut and perfectly groomed brows.

The eyeshadow look tends to be quite wearable and natural, the guide for this look are on an insert inside the Pulp Fiction palette packaging. You can add more drama by using a black liquid or cream eyeliner, but I opted for the original with the eyeshadow "Furious" from the palette.

How to get the look:

This is what the shadows look like (you can re-create this look even if you don't own the palette, something similar like the Naked Basics or Physicians Formula Matte Eyeshadow Quad in Canyon Classics would do the trick).

I absolutely love this palette, it's so cute and reminds me of the 90's, I'll do a review very soon on it!

Eyes of the Day & Product Review: Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips All-in-1

Similar to the Nude Wear Glowing Blush compact, this new Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips All-in-1 compact (in Warm Nude) is buttery, well-pigmented and I experienced absolutely no fall-out or powdery texture. I think this is the best product I have tried out of the whole Shimmer Strips like (and I own quite a few of their eyeshadow palettes). I think the pigmentation is much better on this compact though, so I whole-heartedly give this compact a 5/5 rating!

I swatched the entire palette on my arm, without any primer, no flash and just natural lighting, check out the awesome pigmentation - these were all one swipe and no extra build-up!

I think this is a great product for someone who likes golds and nudes, obviously you're not getting much color variation, it's only gold, bronze, copper, some shades are slightly taupey. That being said, you get a very seamless look regardless of how you combine these eyeshadows. You can achieve very wearable, everyday looks with this, or glammed up party looks - I would vary it up by either using a little bit more of the darker colors or applying more or less eyeliner can do the trick.

Here's how I achieved the look with a quick guide so you can follow along on your very own palette! Be sure to take advantage of the 40% off sale going on right now at Rite Aid to pick yours up!

Let me know what you think about this product!

Colorful / Festival Eye Look of the Day

This look I decided to re-create was inspired by Julia Graf's Arab Inspired Eye tutorial from YouTube. If you'd like watch it, I have linked it below.

My rendition of this look differs in several ways. First of all, I did not use full length false lashes, I was debating not using any at all and I used Too Faced's Fiber Lash Mascara, but then I did decide to throw on some Demi Wispies (just a pair I bought in a 10-pack off eBay, really anything comfortable works). I pulled my eyeliner out a little further, I tried using gel or cream but it didn't look as black as I wanted so I finished off the liner with Kat Von D's eyeliner in Trooper. I also mostly used colors from the Urban Decay Electric palette and some of my MAC single shadows. I also didn't use a white base, I used my MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC15, because I actually have to go pick up NYX's Milk pencil.

I'll basically list for you the colors that I used for pinks, purples, etc. to achieve this look. Now while it's not exactly like Julia's, it's definitely quite similar!

Yellow: MAC "Chrome Yellow"
Orange: Urban Decay "Slowburn" from Electric Palette
Chartreuse Green: Urban Decay "Thrash" from Electric Palette
Aqua: MAC's "Aquadisiac"
Pink: Urban Decay "Savage" from Electric Palette and Too Faced "Bright Eyes" from Be Bright Holiday Set
Purple: Urban Decay "Urban" from Electric Palette
White: MAC's "Nylon"
Black Eyeliner: Kat Von D "Trooper" and Clinique Black Kohl Eyeliner for waterline

Hope you guys enjoy this look and definitely head on over to Julia's website for some awesome tutorials!

Electric Blue Liner Eyes of the Day

Electric blue eyeshadow is something I always gravitate towards, especially if it's more of a cerulean blue or turquoise shade... however, I always struggle to find ways to incorporate pops of color (especially for spring) without looking clownish. I think this overall understated elegant look (on the lid & crease) with a classic eyeliner is perfect for that extra pop on the lower lash line.

I will tell you that I am not crazy about jamming too much product in my waterline (especially along the inner and outer corners) because I find that my eyes will tear more throughout the day and my makeup will get ruined! So I use a minimal amount of makeup in the waterline for extreme comfort and all day wear (but you could always put more product in your waterline if you prefer).

Here are the products I used for this look (it seems like a lot but it really isn't, I just like to mix and match products from various companies!):

• Eyes primed with E.L.F. HD Lifting Concealer (I've been experimenting with new eye bases and this one works very well and also eliminates staining from highly pigmented minerals such as in the UD Electric Palette!)
• Urban Decay eyeshadow in Hustle (mine is depotted and put into an old MAC palette, pictured above)
• MAC eyeshadow in Retrospeck genereously applied all over the crease
• STILA stay all day liquid wateproof eyeliner in Black (not pictured) - this is my staple eyeliner - to create that cat-eye winged look
• Urban Decay's Chaos eyeshadow from the Electric Palette on the outer 2/3rd's of my waterline
• Beneath Chaos, I used Urban Decay's Gonzo also from the Electric Palette to smoke it out and smudge the harsh line
• On the inner corner of lower lash line - Stila's Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Empress to draw the light in and make me appear more awake (see swatch below)

• Upper lash mascara - Tarte's Lights Camera Lashes (only 1 coat)
• Lower lash mascara - Max Factor Vivid Impact Mascara in 910 (bought these off eBay and they're AWESOME - but more of a dry formula and they have a synthetic brush) - the blue really didn't compete with the blue shadow I was using and this was ideal for my look

Close-up of the completed look:

I hope you're all doing well and having a wonderful beginning of Spring!

Lorac Pro Palette - Eyes of the Day

The Lorac Pro Palette has long been a cult favorite and beauty bloggers/vloggers rave about it day in and out. This is for good reason, the palette features 16 different shades in 2 finishes - half of the shades are a shimmery pearl finish and the rest are matte finish. You can get so many different neutral looks from this palette, it's definitely a no-brainer for a working girl on the go.

Here's a look at what I used to achieve this mauve-garnet eye look. I tend to be inspired more by the darker colors of the palette which remind me of autumn leaves (they're not so offensively dark that they can't be worn during the day).

• Eyelids primed with 70 Barely Branded Maybelline Color Tattoo (part of permanent Metal collection)
• Browbone highlight is the matte Cream shade
• Mauve applied all over crease in sweeping motion
• Deep Purple applied all over lid
• Inner corner accentuated with Gold to draw the light in and make eye appear bigger
• Middle 1/3rd of the eyelid warmed up with Garnet and blended out

• liquid eyeliner applied to moving part of the eyelid and flicked out into a small wing - Kat Von D saint eye liner in Trooper
• Inner 1/3rd of waterline highlighted with Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter
• Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Empire used on outer 2/3rd's of waterline
• Eyebrows filled in with elf Eyebrow Kit in medium
• Mascara applied: Tarte Lights Camera Flashes

Urban Decay Electric Palette Eyes of The Day

Since the latest craze is the Urban Decay Electric pressed pigment palette (which is now available for purchase), I love that everyone's getting into springtime pops of color! I decided to use it for my look of the day, which is a green/blue mermaid-like combination.

Here's a quick guide of the colors I used to achieve this look from the Urban Decay Electric Palette:

I started by working from the inner corner out on my eyelid. In the inner corner, I placed Revolt and patted that on gently to get a saturated color. I find that this palette works best in patting motions and gentle blending rather than swiping back and forth to get a concentrated pop of color where you want it. I then went in with Thrash on the middle third of the eyelid. I put Gonzo on the outer 2/3rd's of the lid, layering it over Thrash for a nice transition color. I used Freak and blended the colors up into my crease, making sure to go in with a clean brush to clean the top of the shade up to the browbone. Then I used Slowburn at the very top edge of my crease where I placed Freak and I made sure to blend it out so that it looks close to my skintone for a very natural warmth to the look.

On the lower lash line, I simply used Freak to line the outer 2/3rd's of the eye and carried Revolt to the inner corner of my eye.  For mascara, I used Benefit's They're Real and to line my eyes, I used Stila's sparkle waterproof liquid eye liner in Starry. The colors ended up overwhelming my eyes and they were starting to get lost in all of the color, so I decided to place some half-lashes to finish up the look (I think this makes my eyes look bigger, especially since it draws out the outer corners).

If you haven't seen my review of this palette complete with swatches, make sure to check that out if you're interested in purchasing it (since it is quite pricey at $49 for this medium-sized palette). You may, or you may not know, that there is a disclaimer/warning on the palette which states that the colors Slowburn, Savage, Jilted and Urban are not FDA approved for immediate eye usage. I interpret this as meaning that you probably shouldn't be using them on your eyelid if you have sensitive eyes but you could use them in your crease and upwards. I wouldn't recommend putting these colors on your waterline but I have used them on my eyelid and I didn't have any adverse reaction.

Wet 'n Wild Spring Collection: Flirting at the After Party

I bought the Wet 'n Wild Flirting at the After Party 8-pan palette from my local Duane Reade (I wasn't able to get my hands on Walking the Red Carpet from the Spring Collection, though) and I took about a week to play around with it and give you my honest opinion.

The packaging is the same as the other Color Icon palettes by Wet 'N Wild except it is white instead of black. The color-payoff of the shadows is good, except slightly more powder will kick up than classic palettes such as Petal Pusher and Comfort Zone. I do have to say that the swatches are going to be pretty terrible as the lightest shades are almost identical to my very fair skin-tone (NC15 on a good day). You will notice that many colors appear very similar and only very minor differences can be detected between some. All colors have been swatched to appear more concentrated a couple of times and no primer was used.

Wet 'n Wild Flirting at the After Party palette - daylight

Specifically, the Left Eyelid and Left Definer colors are extremely similar, they are both aubergine eggplant shades (both darker than the Left Crease which is more of a Lavender shade). In the pan they are also both very similar to the Right Definer shade, however, this shade comes off with much more of a brownish tint than a purple one.

Wet 'n Wild Flirting at the After Party Palette - ambient light

Here's a look I was able to create with the palette.

- Left Eyelid color all over my lid
- mixed the Browbone colors and highlighted my browbone with them right under my eyebrow
- used the Left Crease color and contoured the crease of my eye
- used the Left and Right definers (mixing both of them together) to define the outer corner of my eye

Finishing touches:
-  Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara
- Jesse's Girl black liquid eyeliner
- Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof kohl in Nude on the upper lash line
- Starlooks Gem Pencil in Topaz on the lower lash line
- Milani Liquif'Eye metallic eye liner pencil in black outer third of bottom lash line

 I do notice that I can recreate a very similar look with some of the shades in my Petal Pusher palette. I recommend getting this palette if you're a fan of Wet 'n Wild or if you're lacking some purple eyeshadows. The formulation isn't the best I've seen from Wet 'n Wild but it's still a lot better than most other drugstore eyeshadows. The pigmentation is definitely there and if you're a huge fan of orchid, this is the palette for you. If you already own lots of makeup, I'd say skip it, you probably already have dupes in your collection (MAC's Beautiful Iris comes to mind).