TwixtBetwixt - Product Reviews & Make Up Tutorials

Tights!! You can stop hating them now.....

2011-12-17T00:18:00.003-05:00

I've seriously never been able to find tights (or pantyhose) that actually fit well & comfortably.
I buy the absolute largest size I can find & struggle to get them over my knees. If I do manage to get them on, I am yanking them up constantly as they ever-so-slowly slide down my legs & bunch at my ankles. LOL

No more!!!! I have finally found several different sites with REAL plus-size tights. I am convinced that all other plus sized tights are for girls 80lbs soaking wet & they just slap a "plus-size" label on it, because they assume all fat girls have toothpick legs or something.

So, the first amazing place to buy your new, fabulous tights is WE LOVE COLORS:

Style #1008
http://www.welovecolors.com/shop/PlusSizeNylonLycraTights.htm

Style #1202
http://www.welovecolors.com/shop/PlusSizeBlackStripedTights.htm

Style #1204
http://www.welovecolors.com/shop/PlusSizeWhiteStripedTights.htm

Style #1008 are solid color tights, in over 50 different colors (they do have a few weird multicolored tie-dyed patterns, too)! I bought size EE to be on the safe side. Especially since I've had such horrendous experience with tights in the past. (Again, I'm 14/16 in jeans & 5'7") These tights are huge!!!! But a good, comfortable, happy huge! LOL They are super stretchy, silky, soft & ohhh sooo cozy! They are nice & clingy, but still have loads of stretch. Perfect fit.

The striped tights (over 50 colors, too, i believe) come in "One Size" but the two style #'s listed above are extremely stretchy & fit really well. There's no yanking & tugging & hoping to get your ass squeezed into them. They just pull right on. Maybe if you're a LOT larger than a 16 on the bottom half, you may have more trouble, and I'd suggest trying the #1008 style instead.

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Avenue also sells some really nice tights that actually fit well.

Their microfiber tights in size EE fit me amazingly well. Again, they are very stretchy (not as stretchy as We Love Colors, though), extremely silky & smooth, and so soft!
http://www.avenue.com/clothing/Solid-Microfiber-Tights.aspx?PfId=247705&DeptId=19988&ProductTypeId=1

I would also recommend any of their net tights, such as these (i have size EE):
http://www.avenue.com/clothing/Small-Diamond-Net-Tights.aspx?PfId=250810&DeptId=19988&ProductTypeId=1

Like fish net, only different weaves, this sort of knit is very stretchy & flexible.

I just ordered these (size E, didn't have any larger, but I think they will fit fine) & am waiting for them to get here:
http://www.avenue.com/clothing/Open-Circle-Tights.aspx?PfId=247698&DeptId=19988&ProductTypeId=1

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How about thigh highs??

I purchased some from Stockings Only many months ago.
I completely avoid those "stay-up" style thigh highs. They either just roll down to my ankles or give me horrifically scary muffin-top thighs LMAO Instead, go with the non-binding tops & a garter belt.
I still had to buy the size 5x or 6x, and they fit my legs really well. But, I don't wear them ever. Way too self-conscious of my legs. I'm sure my boyfriend would LOVE them, but I haven't gotten up the courage to strut around in them. LOL

http://www.stockingsonly.com/ascantyplus.htm

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Or maybe you want to get a lovely crotchless body stocking? ;) You can wear these under skirts & dresses (with panties over them, if you like!) and they can make your day/evening a little more fun, as well!

My favorite is the fish net one from Hips & Curves:
http://www.hipsandcurves.com/plus-size-lingerie/p-309-plus-size-criss-cross-fishnet-bodystocking-hosiery.aspx
I think they only have Queen size, but I have a few of them & they are really stretchy & for the most part, fit great. The open crotch takes some getting used to, as the opening can sit a little funny, so you have to adjust the whole body stocking to get things positioned right. ;) And the knit loosens up after wearing for a while too, so you sometimes have to readjust everything.

I have tried some of their lacy looking body stockings & they are horrible. I guess if you have really great, sleek muscular thighs, and just more weight in your upper half, they would work better on you. But I seriously cannot squeeze my thighs into them. They have zero stretch, so you need a perfect fit for your legs. There's no flexibility or give. And if you do squeeze them on, they just look really tight & not attractive whatsoever. LOL

If you know of any other plus-size tights or hosiery that fit you really well, please let me know!

Tripp - Leopard Pencil Skirt

2011-12-03T04:24:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite skirts!

I bought this in a 14, but exchanged it for a 16. The 14 fit, but I felt it was just too tight for me to feel comfortable in it. The 16 fits perfect & still hugs my curves & looks super sexy! woo-wooo!!! It helps that I have a super sexy man telling me how hot I look all the time, too! LOL

http://www.torrid.com/torrid/Clothing/Bottoms/Skirts//Tripp+-+Leopard+Pencil+Skirt-557677.jsp

I paired this skirt with these diamond net tights from Avenue
http://www.avenue.com/clothing/Small-Diamond-Net-Tights.aspx?PfId=250810&DeptId=20003&ProductTypeId=1

I ordered these tights in brown and size EE. I always, ALWAYS order the largest size I can find in pantyhose & tights, because they always run so fucking small! Drives me nuts. I'm only 5'7" and can order tights for someone 6' tall & nearly 400lbs and find them to be 8" too short. I mean, seriously, WTF is that about?? I'm a 14/16, and about 220lbs. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to find tights that fit! Especially when I buy plus size tights in some ginormous size, and they look like they'd barely fit some anorexic 8 year old. Anyway, these diamond net tights fit really well. I always have excellent luck with fish net & similar nets. They have a lot of stretch, so are super comfortable & fit well. I still find i'm yanking them up every now & again, but seems my hosiery always likes to migrate towards my ankles ;) LMAO

Tripp - Red Leopard Pencil Skirt

2011-12-03T04:08:00.002-05:00

http://www.torrid.com/torrid/Clothing/Bottoms/Skirts//Tripp+-+Red+Leopard+Pencil+Skirt-534575.jsp

I absolutely ADORE this skirt!!!!

I am (or should I say, was) one of those girls that love dresses & skirts but NEVER wear them in public.

However, I have slowly sucked up my hatred of my legs being bared for the world to see (not that anyone is even looking, I'm sure) & I've started wearing skirts a lot.

Part of my issue, of never wearing skirts in public, was never having cute shoes to wear that complimented my legs & outfit, as well.

I've been slowly revamping my wardrobe, so I have sexy clothes to wear & can feel much more confident about how I look in them. ANYWAY....

I bought this skirt, originally, in a size 14. It fit, but I felt it was WAY too clingy & not in a good way. I'm pretty self-conscious of how I look, so I don't want to have some skin-tight skirt showing off every bump. I returned the 14 & got a size 16 instead. Fits perfect. Still hugs my sexy curves, but not in that white-trash-muffin-top way that's so popular these days.

You know, just because you can get it on, doesn't mean it fits, nor does it mean you should be seen in public with it on!! LOL

Bloody Mess - Iron Fist

2011-12-03T03:34:00.002-05:00

I purchased these heels a while ago.

I ordered a size 11, though i usually wear size 10.
Yikes, these shoes are SO UNCOMFORTABLE!!! They are extremely tight & crampy in the toe box. They are fine if you're sitting down or laying down, or doing anything other than walking/standing. LOL

I haven't even worn them out yet, because I can't wear them around the house for more than 5 minutes before I start cursing them out.

I usually wear them while I'm sitting at my computer desk, surfing the internet. Then my toes go completely numb, after only a few minutes & I have to take them off. :D

They are super cute & sexy, but I don't think I will ever be able to wear them out.

I think they have about a 5" heel & a 1" platform. I don't mind the height of the heel for walking, but since they are closed toe, they put too much pressure on my toes. The toe box actually feels odd, almost like I have my shoes on the wrong feet. So, my poor toes are not too happy in there.

I did try the frozen water trick, hoping to do some minute amount of stretching, so that I could wear these more comfortably, but so far, there has been no relief for the crampy toes. So sad.

There is the possibility that they will just stretch on their own, with more wear. But it's one of those situations where I don't WANT to wear them more than necessary because they hurt so much! LOL My other pair of IF shoes did stretch quite a bit after wearing them, so I suppose there is some ray of hope.

Here I Lie - Iron Fist

2011-12-01T17:00:00.002-05:00

I purchased these heels a long while ago.

Now, I usually wear a size 10 in shoes, but not knowing how these would really fit, I ordered an 11. It was a very good thing, because these shoes were so unbelievably tight & uncomfortable. I had to resort to the frozen water trick for some toe relief....

Fill a zipper baggie about 1/4 to 1/2 full with water & close it TIGHT! Slip the bag of water into the toe of the shoe & try to make sure it's filling in all the toe space well. Then pop the entire thing into the freezer & leave it overnight (or till the water is completely frozen!) When you remove the ice the next day, it should have stretched the shoes a bit. You can repeat this to get a little more stretch.

Now these shoes are polyurethane (as far as I know), so I wasn't sure how well they'd stretch. But they really stretched quite a bit. Now, after wearing them a lot, they are loose & rather comfortable. They do hurt the balls of my feet after walking for a few hours, but again, there is zero padding/cushion, so that is to be expected.

These have something like a 5" heel & a 1" platform. But they are extremely easy to walk in. I really love wearing them with jeans.

Melia Zebra Peep-Toe

2011-11-30T17:03:00.003-05:00

http://www.torrid.com/torrid/Shoes/Heels//Melia+Zebra+Peep-Toe+Heel+Wide+Width-523889.jsp

$39.50

I purchased these in a size 10. They fit well & feel quite comfortable.
The ankle strap is removable, which I like. I am probably going to remove it, just for convenience, but we will see ;) I haven't worn them out of the house yet, because it's been raining & yucky, and they are fabric on the outside. They have a 4 1/2" heel & 1" platform. I totally love that Torrid shoes are wide width, because I can buy my usual size & they will actually fit like a dream! No weird rubbing & not a lot of toe aches (other than from walking way too long in shoes without much cushion, typical for a lot of heels!)

Tonya Black Leather Wedge

2011-11-30T09:03:00.002-05:00

http://www.torrid.com/torrid/Shoes/Wedges//Tonya+Black+Leather+Wedge+Wide+Width-541217.jsp

$39.50

These shoes are too cute! I bought them in a size 10 & they fit really well. They are very comfortable.
They have a 5" heel & 1" platform, but they are super easy to walk in due to the wedge. No teetering around in these. They do make my big toe hurt a bit after a LOT of walking, but I think that's more to the fact that the tip of my toe nail bangs against the front of the short & gets a little ouchy. The tip of my big toe seems to point up slightly, so if I don't keep the nails short they rub on my shoes. I was one of those kids who always had a hole in their sock & I always wore a hole right through my shoes, right above my big toe. LOL

I've only worn them with jeans, so far, but will be wearing them with skirts & wild colored tights.

Silvia Black And Leopard

2011-11-30T08:54:00.002-05:00

http://www.torrid.com/torrid/Shoes/Heels//Silvia+Black+And+Leopard+Heel+Wide+Width-591565.jsp

$39.50

Ohhh how I adore these heels!! I made the sad mistake of buying them in a size 11 & they are monstrously huge. First time I wore them out, my heel kept popping out on every step I took. I almost lost my shoes. LOL I purchased full inserts & heel grips & now they fit great. I wish I could have returned them for a 10, but since I already wore them outside, that wasn't happening.

These have a 4 1/2" heel & a 1" platform. They really are very comfortable (obviously you don't want to be walking for hours in heels, but for some quick trips out & about, they are fabulous.)

They do kill my feet after several hours of walking in them, but that's true of all heels. And it seems my Johnny like to drag me all over the world when I'm dressed up & my poor tootsies ache so bad he's practically got to carry me from the truck to the house. LOL But, I digress....

These look killer with dark jeans or a skirt. Love them! Super sexy =)

Delia Red Flower Suede Heel

2011-11-30T08:40:00.002-05:00

http://www.torrid.com/torrid/Shoes/Heels//Delia+Red+Flower+Suede+Heel+Wide+Width-573670.jsp

$39.50

I purchased these in a size 11, again, thinking I was needing to size up to accommodate for the fact that they are heels. Big mistake. They are HUGE. I needed to add a full insert & a heel grip to keep my feet from sliding around & my heels from popping out. I already wore them out of the house, otherwise I would have returned them for a 10. They are wide width, and quite comfortable. 4 1/2" heel & a 1" platform. Super easy to walk in (when they aren't falling off mid-step. LOL) And they are really cute. Normally I hate lame flowery things, but these are too cute. They look fabulous with jeans & with skirts.

Acrylicana - Poison Apple

2011-11-30T08:34:00.002-05:00

I purchased these shoes in a size 11. WAY TOO BIG!!! :D

Usually I wear a 10, but in heels I generally must go up 1/2 to 1 full size, because they are always too tight & pinchy & totally kill my feet. However, Torrid shoes (I now know) are very roomy & comfortable (they are all wide width.)

These shoes have a 5" heel & a 1" platform. I think they would be easy to walk in, had I purchased the correct size, AND had the bottoms not been slick & slippery as ice. These were seriously impossible to walk in, straight from the box, on any smooth surface. My feet just went sliding all over, because there is zero traction on the soles. No ridges, no anything, just slick, smooth plastic. Not too keen on messing around with that nonsense.

Also, the straps are not attached on both sides like normal strappy shoes. For each strap, there is a metal snap closure on the outside of the shoe, so I'm thinking they could potentially come unsnapped quite easily under certain conditions. And who wants to be worrying about straps flapping all over the place?

They also smell horrendously chemical & plastic - I mean like overpoweringly yuck. I'm sure that goes away, but still, I'm not used to such a strong chemical odor from shoes.

So, while they are totally killer adorable, I returned them. Not even going to bother getting the correct size, because I really disliked the way the straps work & I don't want to break my neck with that slippery sole.

http://www.torrid.com/torrid/Shoes/Heels//Acrylicana+-+Poison+Apple+Strappy+Yellow+Heels+Wide+Width-520998.jsp

$59.50

Tiny Cat's Toy Box

2011-11-30T07:33:00.003-05:00

This is my newest etsy shop, in memory of the most precious love of my life, who passed away March 12th, 2011.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TinyCatsToyBox

All toys are hand-made by me.

You will find lots of long-tailed crocheted eggs that rattle, which are perfect for cats & ferrets.

There are also whimsical jingly-belled things like jellyfish & sea stars.

HUGE Beauty Guru Contest! Are you FIERCE!?

2009-05-10T17:40:00.000-04:00

You may post up to 7 video entries (one per guru hosting this contest) - must subscribe to ALL 7 of us ;)

ONLY video entries are eligible for the HUGE prize packs - MAC, Coastal Scents, Lime Crime, Heavenly Naturals, Medusa's Make Up, Suds-N-Sass, Spell Cosmetics, Jesse's Girl, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Cibu International, AMP Cosmetics, Elemental Beauty, Iona Cosmetics, Stars Makeup Haven, and MORE!

If you DO NOT want to do a video entry, then you may post COMMENT entries (as many as you can!) on the main "FIERCE" video for your chance to win my Guru Grab Bag! That contains some items from Mineral Magic, NYX, and Urban Decay!

Refill Pan measurements: AMP, Nix'ie, MUFE, MAC

2008-06-13T10:23:00.000-04:00

Here are some APPROXIMATE measurements of refill pans for four different make up brands I have:

AMP Cosmetics: 1 3/8" wide (36 mm)
Nix'ie Cosmetics: 1 3/8" wide (36 mm)
Make Up For Ever: 1 3/8" wide (35 mm)
MAC: 1" (26 mm)

I just did very crude measurements with a measure tape. The MUFE are slightly smaller than AMP and Nix'ie. You can put MUFE refill pans into AMP or Nix'ie Palettes, but you CANNOT fit AMP or Nix'ie refill pans into MUFE palettes ;p

And obviously MAC is the smallest of everything!

Nix'ie Eye Shadow Singles (no idea how to depot these easily yet!) are approximately: 1 1/8" (29mm) so they will not fit into MAC palettes, and won't fit properly into Nix'ie palettes either (unless you don't mind huge gaps between the pan & palette!)

Nix'ie (Nixie) Cosmetics Single Eye Shadows vs Refills

2008-06-13T09:11:00.000-04:00

Okay,Nix'ie sent me an eye shadow single because they didn't have any of the refill pans for this particular color. (I assume?)

And I thought, "Fine, I'll just depot"

Ohhh no! Not happening.

First of all, for anyone who wants to buy some of the Nix'ie stuff the singles cost MORE than the refills, and you get LESS product!

The Singles contain 3 gram/0.1 oz for $15. The refills contain 4.4 gram/0.16 oz for $12.50. You do the math!

The container that the singles come in is OMG Adorable!! I totally love it!! But there's no way to depot without ruining the entire thing.

The singles measure approximately 29mm in diameter, or 1 1/8" in diameter. Still slightly larger than a MAC shadow. (MAC is like 26mm i think?) But obviously they are a LOT smaller than the Nix'ie refill pans, so they won't fit properly into the palette. Sure, you could put them in, but they will have large gaps around the edges.

So, if you have to choose, I'd really suggest the refill pans, unless you're just one of those people who loves little pots everywhere ;)

Nix'ie (Nixie) Cosmetics Infinite Lash Mascara

2008-06-13T09:05:00.000-04:00

I got this as one of my extra goodies in my huge order from Nix'ie.

Now, I've never seen a mascara with fibers in it, so when I opened this & pulled out the wand, it looked like someone dropped it onto a cat & shoved all the fuzz back into the tube ;p LOL Yeah, the brush looked all furry & totally bizarre! I'm like, "what the fuck is this crap!?"

So, I tried it out - being the brave, daring girl that I am. And lo & behold, those damn little fibers just disappear right into your lashes!!

It's quite nice actually. It left absolutely zero clumps on my lashes - and I mean ZERO. I even put on two coats & still no clumps. And no stray fibers sticking out anywhere either! ;p Maybe I'm just lucky. It did not make the lashes very dark, even though the color is Ebony. I typically use Maybelline Lash Stylist Mascara in Very Black, and that leaves my lashes extremely BLACK!! And very defined. The Nix'ie one gave my lashes nice definition, but I didn't notice any thickening or lengthening. It just separated them nicely & gave them a darker tint. Not super black, just a light black (Does that make sense!?)

So, I think this is probably good for those who just want a subtle look. I usually prefer very dark & dramatic looking lashes, so this wasn't quite enough for me. By no means a bad product, just not what I typically prefer to use! =)

Referral ID Code: "2692" gets you 10% off your Nix'ie Order at check out!

Nix'ie (Nixie) Cosmetics Ingredients

2008-06-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

Since I have been asked, it was easier for me to scan the boxes than try to manually type out all the ingredients! LOL

So here we go: (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE!)

Nix'ie Mascara

Nix'ie Pigment

Nix'ie Eye Shadow

Nix'ie Make Up Remover Wipes

All the eye shadows & pigments list the exact SAME ingredients.

Anyway, go buy some ;p You'll love them!!

Referral ID code: "2692" for 10% off your Nix'ie order.

Nix'ie (Nixie) Cosmetics Eye Shadow Sticks

2008-06-13T08:52:00.000-04:00

Okay girls & boys, I have just ONE of these. Which really is enough for me at the moment.

I'm not a huge fan of glitter. And Nix'ie Eye Shadow Sticks are jam packed full of sparkly glitter!! I'm talking uber copious amounts of glitter!

But they are kind of sexy =) If you want a hott evening look - maybe for clubbing or some such - these are perfect eye shadow bases! They will transform any blah eye shadow into a super glittery, sparkly, wild head-turning look! Seriously!

These are almost the exact same size & shape as MAC shadesticks. You definitely get the same amount of product in the tube.

Check them out, if you love glitter!

Referral code "2692" gets you 10% off your Nix'ie order at checkout!

Nix'ie Cosmetics (Nixie)

2008-06-13T08:46:00.001-04:00

http://nixiecosmetics.com/index.asp

I LOVE Nix'ie cosmetics!!! I have dozens of their eye shadows, several blushes, mascara, lip stains, lip gloss, pigments, and an eye shadow stick. Everything they have is FABULOUS!! I so totally love them! hehe

I've been using their products for several weeks now, and they really are amazing! The colors are wonderful, they go on so smoothly, and stay put for over 12 hours!! I actually had some on for over 24 hours one day - don't ask! - and it looked as good as newly applied shadow! That's how great this stuff is!!

If you would like to order, use my Pro Artist Referral Code "TwixtBetwixt" or ID code "2692" at checkout for 10% off your entire order!! How cool is that?

YouTube Videos - Tutorials & Reviews

2008-06-13T08:25:00.000-04:00