SEASONAL CULL: Blushes...

Hmmm, this seasonal cull wasn't quite as productive as the first exercise, but while concealers and blushes are both vital makeup items, they're hardly comparable hey ♥ The spectrum of blush shade families, textures and finishes available is pretty much unlimited, and I for one delight in having lots of choices - hence the collection below ♥ But still I reckon it's worth reassessing every now and then, if for no other reason than to keep a mindful eye on storage space ... 

I started by sorting them into formulas and colours - first separating creams and powders, and then grouping them into pinks/purples, oranges/corals, and mauves/bricks/plums. Below are the creams, which I use when I want a more dewy finish, or as a base to boost the powder topping, and make it last all day. The lidless pots are by Lacura, and the Lip & Cheek Rouges are by DB Cosmetics. That Australis one on the far right is the last of the handful I bought when it was discontinued years ago, and it's STILL viable...

These are the two I decided to dispose of because I hardly ever wear them - the Lacura one because it's so very pale on my skin, and the Maybelline hue, well it just isn't quite right...

And here are the powders sorted into colour families...

I started with the corals and oranges - nothing pricey at all here, and more than enough to cover every need for this autumnal hue. Top left is NYX Ombre, and the bold trio in the middle is by Sleek...

I made up my mind to ditch the BYS Endless Summer palette as I've only ever used the middle pan, plus it's many years old. The two essence blushes are fairly recent additions, but again, the hues aren't quite flattering enough for my complexion, and the matt touch one has very little colour payoff...

Next up were the pinks and purples - without a doubt my passions, especially when wearing black/white outfits. Although I call myself a "warm", I'm actually a neutral, and can therefore wear some of these ever so pretty cooler tones. The purpley one without a label is by Real Purity, and was sent to me by a darling friend (♥), and I'd forgotten all about the Mirenesse one top left - found it in my work room on the "must swatch before reviewing" shelf, so I'll be giving that a go shortly (once I've swatched it lol). Top right beauty is by NYX, and the middle trio is by Sleek...

Couldn't bring myself to toss out very many here as they're all quite different, and equally gorgeous. However the essence blush up has seen better days, and I only ever wear the colour on the left side of the pan. The BYS palette is another ancient one, and well, it was time to say goodbye...

I tend to wear the mauves, plums and bricky reds more often in Autumn and Winter, although the mauves really have a place all year round. The one on the top right (no label, another gift) is the second untouched one I found on my shelf, and bottom left is the only Laura Geller makeup item in my kit, and it's divine - must explore this brand further! Bottom right is by Ulta3, my most treasured plummy cheek enhancer, next to it is a duo by BH Cosmetics, and the patchy looking one in the middle top row is NYX Ombre - seems to be have been moisture affected, but whatever I did wrong, it still lays down magnificently...

Could only give one the flick here - I do love the colours in this Maybelline pan, but it's just too shimmery, and gives me trouble in my EOTD photos because the particles always seem to spread up to my under-eye area, and accentuate my wrinkly bits...

I excluded these two palettes from the cull because they're indispensable - the big one by BH Cosmetics has such a fabulous assortment of shades, and the Hourglass one, well, besides being so beautiful, how could I throw away an Hourglass anything? ♥...

So there you have it - started with 40 in total (13 cream & 27 powder), and reduced them down to 32. Not quite the ruthless result I'd planned, but not a bad effort considering my fickle nature. I can't possibly label any one of these as my HG, but below are my personal faves and the ones I reach for most often - for their stunning colours, impressive pigmentation, and silky formulas ♥...

Haven't decided what I'll cull next - I'm torn between eye liners and foundation. I reckon the liners will be a breeze (thanks to Eye of Horus Cosmetics), but the foundations will be a challenge as there's so many I love ha ha ♥...

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S. Adding this to Ingrid's Monday Madness Link Up Party ♥ - the pick of the bloggers crop...

EOTDs: Catch up time!...

Didn't get around to uploading any EOTD's last month, but I have a pretty big stash put aside, and in various colours of the rainbow. So without further ado...

Was quite chuffed with how this turned out - I normally apply the lightest shadow shade on the inner corner of my eye, but decided this time to pat down the darker blue (from the Annabelle Haute Mer quad) on both ends, with MBA Cosmetics Silk FX Babybaby in the middle and underneath. I thought it would make my eyes look smaller, but I actually love the extra definition. Waterline was Eye of Horus Scarab Sapphire Goddess Pencil...

For my face I used Mirenesse Liquid Silk Foundation, Ulta3 Pretty Plum Blush, and Face of Australia Lip Quench lipstick in Ruby Delight (added bonus of SPF30)...

My pastel blue jewellery collection is the smallest of the lot, but I'll work on it this Spring lol...

A very special friend sent me a whole stack of her Colourpop eye shadows (eternally grateful hon ♥) - this is Tink (matte charcoal) & Liberty (the most fabulous metallic silver in my kit!)...

These shadows are amazing - the pigmentation and buttery texture is almost impossible to beat, and they blend with just a few strokes of a fluffy brush. Waterline is Eye of Horus Charcoal Obsidian Goddess Pencil... 

Mirenesse Liquid Silk foundation again (trying to actually finish a foundation - who me?), cheeks were Real Purity Frosted Orchid Powder Blush, and lips were Maybelline Matte Lipstick in Lust For Blush...

Dug through my retro jewellery box and was thrilled to find the acrylic "humbug" striped ring, and some earrings and a bracelet that I made over 10 years ago - confirmed my suspicion that I should never throw anything out lol...

For this look I decided to use ONLY Eye of Horus Goddess Pencils - Emerald Tabula & Scarab Sapphire. All these pencils are beautiful on their own, but I usually don't have enough time in the morning to let them set completely, and invariably cover them up with a matching shadow so the cream doesn't transfer to my hoods...

The green is such a good match for my eye colour, and the smudger on the end is excellent for blending before they dry...

Same foundation, cheeks were Laura Geller Blush 'n' Brighten in Berry, and that stunning red lippy is Rimmel The Only 1 Lipstick in One-Of-A-Kind...

Was lucky enough to find the matching emerald crystal earrings at Lovisa for a ridiculously low price...

And this last look is from way back in June, but too spesh to neglect - Too Faced Chocolate Bar Black Forest Truffle, with a dusting of Champagne Truffle over the top...

Still in awe of how much I'm loving browns and taupes and caramels! All to do with my lighter hair colour I reckon. Eye of Horus Bronze Amulet Goddess Pencil on the waterline...

Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Foundation, Ulta3 Pretty Plum Blush, and Maybelline Colorblur Cream Matte Pencil in Plum Please...

And a massive thank you shout-out to neurotichellfem for the change-it-yourself battery tip. This watch has been languishing in a box for months, but I managed to get it working again for less than $2. I also replaced the batteries in three other watches - hon, you've just saved me a FORTUNE! ♥♥♥

Will post another four looks before the end of the month - and keep an eye out for my September giveaway. It'll be a special one as it's my 3rd year Bloggiversary!

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD's: Kat Von D Blacks & Greys...

As much as I complain about the cold weather (I'm truly a Summer gal at heart) I do love playing around with greys and charcoals during the chilly season, and Kat Von D does the BEST shadows for smokey eye looks. In the pics below, I've used both the Chrysalis & Monarch palettes - the pigmentation is astounding and the powders are so easy to blend, even I don't have trouble getting rid of the join ha ha...

So this is Summerfly (gold) and Deadhead from the Monarch palette - can't believe she's discontinued this fabulous collection of Autumn shades! For the waterline, I used Eye Of Horus Serpentine Sultry Goddess Pencil - this is such an interesting deep olivey green, and perfect for when I don't want the starkness of black. I also used their Alchemy Gold Liquid Metals eye liner on the lower lashline...

Face was Mirenesse Velvet Maxi Lift foundation, Maybelline Master Highlighting Blush in Pink Rose, and lips were Rubi Shoes Ruby Red...

I am so in love with this mix of gold and grey - so very different, and I normally wouldn't put anything with grey except silver, but thankfully someone else figured out the combo was a winner, and now I'm in search of other grey/gold pieces...

For look number two, I switched to the Chrysalis palette, and chose Graphic Nature (shimmery charcoal) and Lunar Lights (silvery white). My base was essence White Kajal on the inner half, and Max Factor Charcoal Grey Kohl Pencil on the outside, as well as the waterline...

Even I'm amazed at my seemingly seamless blending, but I swear it's just SO EASY with these shadows...

Foundation was Maybelline Super Stay 24 hour, cheeks were Laura Geller Blush "N" Brighten in Berry, and lips were Chi Chi Viva La Diva Lady Bump...

And here's the jewellery - I'm crazy about black, white and silver together, it's so simple and yet so elegant...

For look #3, I cheated a bit because I was trying to match the leopardy top in the pic below. The fabric is a mix of black, grey and a sort of lichen green, so I used Eye of Horus Goddess Pencil in Emerald Tabular as a base underneath Chrysalis Black Milk (dove grey) and Lunar Lights...

And because the end result was a bit dreary, I added the same Emerald Tabular on my waterline...

Same Maybelline Super Stay foundation, cheeks were Savvy Cheek & Lip Colour in Cozy Coral with a dusting of pan #3 from the BYS Endless Summer Trio, and lips were Maybelline ColorDrama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in Fab Orange, which is more like Fab Red...

Was looking for something to go with the pendant, and scored the bangle and earrings from Target for half price ♥ Not a perfect match, but it'll do...

What's your go-to palette for a smokey eye?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

EOTD: Lime Crime Venus Reds...

Let's talk about red eyeshadow - not every gal's cup of tea, but it's not as scary as you think, and with careful placement and the right shade, it can be stunning. On the other hand, get either of those wrong, and you can end up looking like you've been howling all night and folks will ask "are you ok?". Trust me, I know - I've played with it for several years now, and precision is the key...

Not many companies do red pigments, but the Lime Crime Venus palette is a great place to start. They're not true reds, more like "reddish" than fire engine red, but there's a beaut mix of mattes and subtle shimmers...

I've only experimented with two so far - Venus & Muse. The formula is silky soft, they blend dreamily and the pigmentation is bold and sassy...

For this look I used Muse - a gorgeous deep claret, but I softened it by using Eye of Horus Bronze Amulet Goddess Pencil as a base, and brushed a wee bit of MBA Cosmetics Silk FX Pressed Shadow in Sangria over the top. This gave it a slight shimmer and made it not quite so intense. When wearing red eyeshadow, and especially at my age, it sure helps if you line your waterline with anything other than a light shade - I find that the pigment can travel, and if you use white or cream (or nothing) on the waterline, you can end up with a pinky rim, which then makes you look like you haven't slept lol. Here I used Eye of Horus Emerald Tabula Goddess Pencil as a contrast, and to bring out the green in my eyes...

My foundation was Australis Stayput - loving this already, it sits and lasts beautifully, and the colour is a great match for my skin tone. Cheeks were Laura Geller Blush-N-Brighten in the shade Berry, and lips were Maybelline ColorDrama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in Berry Much, one of my all-time faves...

And here's the jewellery I wore - the cream fabric is my puffer vest, and the dark red is my jeggings. For what it's worth, when I put outfits together, I try to match the textures as well as the colours ♥

And here's Venus, also over the top of Eye of Horus Bronze Amulet Goddess pencil. I deepened the outer corner with MUA Midnight, and Eye of Horus Scarab Sapphire was my choice for the waterline...

When creating both of these looks, I cleaned up the hooded area with a cotton bud coated in concealer, and then patted on Australis Banana Powder to counteract any hint of pink - it works really well ♥

Again this is the Australis Stayput Foundation, cheeks were ModelCo Blush in Peach Bellini, and lips were David Jones Moisture Cream Lipstick in Terracotta...

My accessories featured another of the fantabulous bead necklaces from Lovisa - these are normally around the $30 mark, but they recently had a sale and I picked up several for half price or less ♥

So how do you feel about red eyeshadow - is it part of your repertoire, or do you give it a miss?

Take care of you,

kats xxx