I Wish I Had A Red Pen

In which I critique my makeup in almost the same way that I used to critique papers in high school and college. (But more constructively, hopefully.)



I won't comment on the specific colors much, because this was a quick "errand" face for me and I don't want to go into specifics about colors I already use on a regular basis. Instead, I will talk about the new stuff I put on my face:


- Pop Beauty's Golden Sparkle Sauce: I learned the hard way - after taking this picture - that I still need to practice how to use it as an eyeshadow base; the stuff dries quickly, and powders have a tendency to stick to the stuff like glue, so if I don't apply it evenly enough, the shadow will wear off in a way that will make me look like I've been pooped on by some mythological glittery bird. That said, I love the nice golden shimmer that it lends when layered over shadow... and I love, love, LURVE the way it works as a liquid liner base when mixed with a dark powder shadow. Sparkle Sauce even redeeemed my old habit of lining my eyes with a Q-tip: Just saturate the cotton tip with dark powder shadow, add a little Sauce to dampen the powder, and apply to eye line accordingly - the shadow will not only stick where it's applied, but will stay that way for hours. Using a swab also eliminates the need for a brush, since the Sauce does have a tendency to make regular brushes sticky when not cleaned out immediately.

- Everyday Minerals blush: Usually I wear their B&B blush (a sparkly peach), but since I was wearing a pink top I went ahead and test-drove the Salon Fun shade (raspberry sheen) by applying it as a "pop" on my cheeks with Bare Escentuals Warmth as a contour. Really nice, if I should say so. (And is it my camera, or do my cheeks look ten years younger in this shot?)

- Smashbox Brow Tech (from the Try Me palette): I just got my brows done at the neighborhood salon, and the new arch seems to flatter my eyes by making them more almond-shaped. So of course I used the new brow powder on them - and I didn't even have to use just one shade, since I always blend the Taupe and Brunette together.

- The hair: Yeah, I'm back to ponytailing again... but the coconut oil still works, even if it meant that I still had to wash my hair regularly.

We will not talk about the under-eye circles here. Just... no, not here.