Glitter Geek

Moving On Up... to Wordpress!

2009-11-29T15:05:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone,

Please update your bookmarks; I have made the switch to Wordpress under my new moniker, Glitter Geek at www.glittergeek.ca.

RSS Readers

For the most of you who are reading my RSS feed, please update your feed to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GlitterGeek. I was hoping that you wouldn't have to do the switch, but I don't want to keep the Almost Arianne feed because of the name. I hope you understand!

I'm so excited to have finally moved to a better blogging platform. It's going to be lots of fun! Thanks!

xoxo,
Arianne

The Poor Girl's MUFE #92 Eyeshadow.

2009-11-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

When I got to IMATS on Sunday, I found out that the MAKE UP FOR EVER counter is sold out of the famous #92 eyeshadow. Bummer! But look what I got instead:

Auraline Mineral Eyeshadow Luxury Pan in Bright Violet, $3

Side by side comparison: MUFE 92 and Auraline Bright Violet

Comparisons

Colour. Judging by the swatches, Auraline Bright Violet has a little bit more blue in it compared to MUFE 92. So not an exact dupe, but this is as close as it gets.
Texture. Both are very smooth, with the same matte finish.
Pigmentation. MUFE 92 is more pigmented, only swiped 2x using my finger, while the Auraline Bright Violet took about 3x. But, 3x the swipes is still pretty incredible for a $3 pan of eyeshadow.

So?

What do you mean, so? This eyeshadow rocks! I'm pretty impressed with it, looking at how it faired against the famous purple of MAKE UP FOR EVER. Rating: A+++++

My IMATS Spree: A Closer Look

2009-11-23T08:18:00.004-05:00

Alright you crazy kids, here's a closer look of that first photo from my spree. (And by crazy kids, I actually mean Rae.)

Top Row:

FACE atelier Ultra Foundation Pro
MUFE HD Primer in Blue (wanted the clear one, and this one was closest to clear)
MUFE Smoky Lash Mascara
In the palette:
- MUFE Eyeshadow Iridescent True Blue 167
- MUFE Eyeshadow Lilac 89 (vibrant purple lilac)
- MUFE Blush Dusty Pink 112 (matte warm pink)
- Auraline purple eyeshadow (because MUFE 92 was sold out!)
Empty 15-slot shadow palette

Bottom Row:

MUFE Lipstick (dunno colour, it was free with my purchase)
Alcone Fast Lash (eyelash fibres)
Alcone Fast Lash mascara (freebie with my purchase)
Auraline Brow Powder

Camera shy:

MUFE HD Concealer

The Beauty Spree I've Been Saving For.

2009-11-22T23:28:00.006-05:00

From MAKE UP FOR EVER, FACE atelier, Auraline, and Alcone

A bigass tub of makeup remover wipes from Alcone

Crown brushes and medium apron

Total Damage = $209.20

Thank goodness I forgot my credit card at home. I set aside $300 for this momentous occasion, actually. LOL!

Stay Tuned for Reviews!

You know you'll get reviews. So wait for them. :) Goodnight!

Back from IMATS.

2009-11-22T15:33:00.002-05:00

Lots of new goodies to love! Details to come.

(Sent from my iPhone.)

Swatches: Purples and MAC Patisserie.

2009-11-17T01:17:00.001-05:00

From L to R: GOSH Funky Violet Velvet Touch Eye Liner, Urban Decay Freakshow Eyeshadow (no base), Urban Decay Freakshow Eyeshadow (over Too Faced Primer Insurance)

Ladies, I kid you not: Urban Decay Freakshow is crack in makeup form. Seriously! We will totally have a long lasting relationship together.

Side-by-Side Lip Swatches of MAC Lipstick in Patisserie

For FB. The colour is sheer, but so pretty for everyday.

MAC Patisserie

Bare lips / MAC Patisserie

No More Gym Membership.

2009-11-16T00:28:00.001-05:00

I'm trading in my gym membership for this:

Bring it, Jillian!

I'm afraid to say that I'm not in my best shape these days. If you don't watch The Biggest Loser on TV, then you must know that Jillian is the mean trainer. She is just soooo mean. And a good kick in the butt is what I really need these days.

My Fitness Goals

When it comes to fitness goals, of course it's easy to say "I want to look hot" but this is honestly my main priorities:

To have a higher energy level. I'm such a sloth these days. All I do is sleep.
To lose my belly pooch and thunder thighs. No further comments.
To have better cardio endurance. Snowboarding season coming up, and I better be ready for the slopes!

Does anyone else have a fitness routine that they stand by? Curious minds want to know!

What is Love?

2009-11-12T13:24:00.003-05:00

Aww. <3

Majorly Crushing on this Coat...

2009-11-09T12:27:00.003-05:00

Kimchi Blue Ice Skater Coat, from Urban Outfitters

I wonder if they have it in my Urban Outfitters down the street...

Confessions: Purchasing on a Makeup Ban.

2009-11-07T19:58:00.001-05:00

So as my previous post stated, my No Makeup Buying Period is over early. I do think it helped me fend off a lot of temptation, making me re-think about whether I should purchase a product or not.

Because I've been a terrible promise keeper, I might as well tell you guys what I got! Yay!

MAC "All That Glitters" and MAC "Soft Brown" Eyeshadows. These two are great basics. I find that I'm getting more attracted to neutrals these days.
Ardell "Wispies" Strip Lashes. Gorgeous volume and length that doesn't look drag queeny.
Ardell Duralash Naturals Individual Lashes. I'm still a little shaky with putting this on, so I need more practice. It looks stunning though once they are on correctly.
MAC Lipstick in "Patisserie". My everyday creamy pink lipstick.
Sephora by OPI in "Worth My Weight". Two words: glitter fiesta!
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner. I'm going to give liquid liner another go, since the previous ones I've tried are terrible. This one is very easy to use.
Smashbox WISH For The Perfect Pout Lipgloss Set. Six glosses: 2 full size and 4 "fun size" as I like to call them. I love them. :)

Savings for IMATS Toronto 2009

On a different note, the main reason for my No Makeup Buying Period was to save up for IMATS Toronto on November 22. And I have savings! So much that I might only be using half of it. We'll see how much I get tempted.

Overall, I think the No Makeup Buying Period was a semi-success. I know I probably would have gotten so much more if I wasn't thinking about it.

Make-up Ban Over Early.

2009-11-06T22:26:00.002-05:00

That's it. I'm done. Wasn't that successful anyway.

Details to come later.

(Sent from my iPhone)

October is Happy Month.

2009-11-03T21:03:00.001-05:00

I'm sad that October is now over. I love the crisp air, the fallen orange leaves, the cool rainy nights. Aaaand of course a couple other things...

Our Fifth Anniversary at Niagara Falls

Amazing view, food, and the best company in the entire universe.

No wonder celebrities stand like this in pictures. I look skinnier. :)

The Horseshoe Falls in the background. And my love, of course. :)

The other falls.

Halloweeny

For the first time ever, a Halloween party. It's pretty fun dressing up. I made the bacon and egg costume myself on Halloween morning.

Things I would Buy if I wasn't on a Makeup Ban.

2009-11-01T23:05:00.001-05:00

Sephora Favourites Glitz & Glam Shimmer and Shine Deluxe Sampler, $49

Shining, shimmering, splendid. Bonus points if you know where that's from. I played with these in Sephora and they are gorgeous!

Urban Decay 24/7 Super Stash, $43

After trying out last year's holiday offerings, Urban Decay has released some new colours this time around. I can't wait to get my hands on these. I personally am in love with "El Dorado" and "Rockstar."

Dolce & Gabbana The One Gift Set, $102.87

Confession time: I've asked for perfume samples of The One a few times (like, 3) already. The set makes it such a sweet deal.

On a side note, has anyone else smelled the Dolce & Gabbana Rose the One? It just doesn't smell good on me, yuck!

Total

Which brings my hypothetical shopping cart total to: CAD$194.87.

Popping my Spa Virginity: Pure + Simple Spa

2009-10-28T21:56:00.001-04:00

Fact: I've never been to a spa.

Today I took advantage of an event called Beautylicious, where the beauty obsessed can try out salon and spa services in the fabulous* Bloor-Yorkville area for a discounted price.

I went to Pure + Simple Spa on 27 Bellair Street. I tried out one of their most popular facials called Urban Renewal Facial, $75 (regular price $99).

Even though I've never had a facial before, I can tell you why this was an incredible facial. First, you get a face massage. Who knew that could feel so good? Also included is a upper back and neck, hand, foot, and scalp massage. That's a whole lotta massage for a service that's called a facial! And it felt amaaaaazing.

I won't be able to tell the benefits of the facial until the next couple of days, and I'll be sure to give an update. The extractions -- which BTW, hurt more than I expected -- gave me some redness on the nose and chin area, but they did warn me about it and I said go ahead. I hope I see some improvements on these pores!

If you're in the Toronto area, be sure to check it out! Beautylicious runs from October 28 to November 7.

_____________________
* fabulous = expensive.

Shopping my Makeup Drawer: Quo 3 in 1 Brow Pencil

2009-10-22T22:45:00.001-04:00

If you don't already know this, I am a big advocate for well-kept brows.

Dear Mila Kunis,

Thought you'd like to know that my boyfriend is not the only one who has a crush on you. And I'll be forever *jealous* of your perfect arches.

Arianne

For brows that stay where I set them this morning, my number one choice is, and you're going to love me for it, Quo 3 in 1 Brow Pencil. Yay for great drugstore buys!!! It goes for about $11.

I've gone through a couple of these already, and there's good reasons why I like it so much.

It is super convenient. It comes with your brow colour, wax, and a brush. Although I still like spoolies that I ~~steal~~ borrow from Sephora.
It stays on like a champ. No melting or disappearing acts here, and my brows do get sweaty sometimes. Don't judge me, I have bangs!
Great for busy and lazy ladies. It goes on smooth and pigmented enough to disguise unruly brows. Because you don't always have time to sit and tweeze, right?

It comes in light, medium and dark. I like to use light; it balances well with my tanned complexion and dark hair. Love this! Rating: A+++++

But Stay Away from This!

CoverGirl Brow & Eye Makers: because it's not a good deal if you have to throw a pencil and a half into the trash. You have been warned.

Shopping my Makeup Drawer: MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty

2009-10-12T19:30:00.001-04:00

MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty is the very first MAC blush I ever owned, and it's all for a good reason. Dainty, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

You are sheer, but you still show up on my medium dark complexion.
Your pink colour does not look overly Barbie, but imparts a healthy glow. Just enough to not make me look like death.
Your perfect (low) amount of shimmer makes me look grown up.
You still look untouched in the pan after more than a year together. How do you do it?

I know I'm probably forgetting all the other ways why I love thee, but remember that you're my favourite pink blush evarrr that I'm putting you on my holy grail of products. Rating: A+++++

Love,
Arianne

Shopping my Makeup Drawer: Maybelline Define-a-Line in Slate Gray

2009-10-12T15:11:00.001-04:00

When it comes to eyeliners I tend to stay away from drugstore brands, as they tend to either tug or smear all over. This is not the case for Maybelline Define-a-Line.

The Good

Texture is smooth and glides on like a dream.
It comes with a smudger for easy soft lines.
Stays on and on!
Slate Gray is a fantastic alternative to black when you still want to look pulled together.

The Bad

I'm glad to report that I have no problems with it. :)

If you need a good smudgy liner for cheap, I'd recommend this. Note that I only use it for soft lines though, I'm not sure how it performs as a sharp liner. For that purpose I prefer my gel liners. Rating: A-

Speaking of gel liners...

This thank-you has been delayed for eternity, but I want to thank Marisol for being so sweet to hunt down Lancome Gel Artliner in Indigo Charm for me. I really love it! :) Thanks again, girl!

Bangs, Anyone?

2009-10-06T23:46:00.001-04:00

I'm thinking of getting bangs. So I played around with InStyle.com's Hollywood Hair Virtual Makeover to try on hairstyles, and MAKEUP???

And just for kicks, Kim K's blonde do! LOL...

Aah my skin is blending into my hair!

Bad, Bad Beauty Addict.

2009-09-30T13:17:00.003-04:00

After working all weekend (i.e., so exhausted that I slept 13 hrs straight), I caved and bought two MAC eye shadows. For the curious ones out there I got All That Glitters and Soft Brown.

Now resuming my "No Makeup Buying Period."

P.S. All That Glitters is sooo pretty! :D

Shopping my Makeup Drawer: L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara

2009-09-22T11:10:00.001-04:00

In accordance with my no makeup buying period, I decided to start a series called "Shopping my Makeup Drawer." In this series, I will rekindle my love of old favourites found inside my overflowing makeup drawer.

I just started using this mascara again, and now I remember why I keep buying it. To sum it up in less than five words: volume without the crunch. I have not found another mascara that gives me such soft lashes. This is what I use on my non-waterproof mascara days, and I just love how lush my lashes look with this mascara.

The trade off for softness, however, is its inability to hold a curl. But for volumizing, this can't be beat. (Covergirl Lashblast comes close, but crunch. crunch. go my lashes.)

I don't have any smearing or flaking issues with this, but it can clump if you put too much on, so careful with the application. It's soo worth it when you get it right though. Rating: A- (marks off for not holding a curl)

No Makeup Buying Period.

2009-09-14T15:11:00.004-04:00

...until IMATS Toronto on November 21-22.

Yikes.

Beauty Lessons from This Week.

2009-09-11T11:43:00.001-04:00

I've had a couple Eureka's this week that I thought I'd share, as you may find them useful as well if you don't already know them. I found these to work for me the best, and I'm not saying this is the way to do things. :)

Fill your Brows in the Right Order

When filling in my brows, I used to think:

Colour: pencil or powder
Brow Wax: to hold it in place, not the hot wax
Brow Spoolie: to brush through the colour

This could result in too obvious, unnatural brows. This week I have been using this order:

Brow Wax
Colour
Brow Spoolie

The result is natural brows that frames your face well. Because you wouldn't want to leave the house with your full face but have bad brows, would you?

Look Down while Applying Eye Shadow

LOL, maybe I'm slow? But everytime I watch tutorials on YouTube they are always looking down, as in, their mirror is below face level.

This way I have finally found my eye crease. Hello crease, it's been a long time coming. It's great to finally meet you. :)

Lemonade.

2009-09-07T17:27:00.001-04:00

...when life gives you lemons.

In my case, being screwed over by Lancome by depriving me of the Ink Artliner in Indigo Charm. *sobs*

It seems like it's now sold out EVERYWHERE in the US, but, I am determined to duplicate this colour. It's not the most ideal solution, but it is almost as beautiful as Indigo Charm.

My Cheap 'Indigo Charm' Recipe

Apply Coastal Scents Gel Liner in Indigo Blue.
Apply the second last colour from the middle column of Coastal Scents 88-palette.

Natural light, no flash
(From top to bottom: CS Gel Liner in Indigo Blue, blue from CS 88-palette, layered together)

With flash

CS Gel Liner in Indigo Blue

My Cheap 'Indigo Charm'

Hello Brown Eyes!

And who knew my eyes were actually brown? Note to self: wear blue eyeliner more often.

I think if it had more shimmer, it would be a perfect dupe. I just don't know how I can achieve that amount of shimmer... hmm...

Lash Porn

While we're on the topic of eye makeup, how about some false lashes?

I'm totally crushing on this multi-colour lashes by Sephora:

And the 45 Lash from MAC's Flirt with Fall collection:

Want. And want.

Must... Get... Up... Can't...

2009-09-03T20:59:00.001-04:00

I just died while watching this. Cute freakin' overload. Want.

You're My Cuppy-cake, Gumdwops...

2009-08-30T22:40:00.001-04:00

Cupcakes by Duhlicious

Recently I won the cupcake giveaway hosted by Ginger Won't Snap. This meant I got to choose a theme for my dozen custom cupcakes! I finally decided on a Hawaiian beach theme and just love what Madalina from Duhlicious came up with. Aren't they awesome?

My favourite of the bunch! I love the flowers on the lounge chair. :)

The rest of the designs.

As for the flavours I chose Vanilla bean cake with a chocolate mousse filling, and a vanilla buttercream icing. Yummy and I-don't-care calories. :D

My Purple Face of the Day

I've been on a purple kick lately so I tried my hand at a purple smoky eye. I used the loose shadow I got from Washington by Fly Girl cosmetics and came up with this:

For you makeup junkies, I used MAC Fix+ to apply the loose shadow wet. This really makes a difference. I've used a different medium before to apply this shadow and it did nothing.

Oh and yeah, my hair is back to black.

Continuing with the purple theme, my current manicure is Lippmann Collection Call Me Irresponsible. She costs $20 (!!!), but is pretty damn impressive. Five days in and my nails are still chip-free. <3