picture courtesy of Specktra

Specktra already has full colour info and collection promo image for various fall collections. The one I'm particularly interested in is called Style Black and is set to be released in North America on September 24. Now I know that's a long time away still, but I'm so freakin excited about this collection. Just take a look at the collection info below:

Style Black - Colour

Lipsticks: (LE) $14.00
Black Knight - Creamy true black (cremesheen)

Mattenes: (LE) $14.50
Midnight Media - Dense matte black
Night Violet - Deep purple grape (Repromote from Mattene)

Glimmerglass: (LE) $18.00USD
This is a new lip product. They are in the same packaging as the Dazzleglass tubes and have a brush applicator.

• Bling Black - Sheer black with gold pearl
• Blackfire - Sheer black with pink purple pearl
• Blackware - Creamy true black

• Cinderfella - Black with silver pearl
• Young Punk - Black with pink purple pearl
• Gilt by Association - Black with gold bronze pearl
• Blue Flame - Black with blue pearl

• Intense Black - Black base with purple shimmer. These are water-/smudge-resistant.

• Rapidblack - True black

• Smolder - Intense Black

• Nocturnelle - True black (Cream) (Permanent)
• Seriously Hip - Black with gold particle pearl (Frost) (LE)
• Baby Goth Girl - Black with pink and purple pearl (Frost) (LE)

• #214 Short Shader Brush - Short, rounded, double-chiselled brush with soft, natural bristles. Can be used with shadow to line and smudge around the lash line and very effective for densely shading lids. (Permanent) $23.00USD

• Volcanic Ash Exfoliator (LE) $19.50USD
  
  
• Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask (LE) $19.50USD
  

• Black Creamy - True black (LE)
• Bat Black - Burgundy black with pink pearl (Permanent) (Pro)

again with my favourite colours blue and purple. I had a very busy day yesterday. I woke up late coz I was up till late dancing at the wedding. Then we had to go to a friend's place for a house warming BBQ all the way on the other side of the city. We then picked up groceries to make dinner coz we had two friends from Calgary over for dinner. Overall it was a very busy weekend.
I'm back to my insomniac schedule and slept about 5 hours last night, but I will survive. Monday is a slow day anyway.

Face
Same as usual
Pleasantry mb
Pearl Blossom bp

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Cornflower p/m - lid
Blue Flame e/s - crease
MUFE #92 e/s - outer v and lower lashline
MUFE #26 e/s - above crease
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Delfic f/l - to line

Lips
Chatterbox l/s
Nymphette l/g

This is the look I ended up wearing to my friend's wedding this Saturday. It was a pretty hot day so I stuck with a warm-ish eye and bold lips. I like to wear Ruby Woo on its own as I love red matte lips but it just seemed too bold for the hot weather. I ended up layering with Love Alert Dazzleglass.

The wedding was a lot of fun. I've known both the bride and groom for a long time as our parents are all friends so this was especially a fun gathering. As always with the Persian weddings, there was lotsa food and even more dancing :)

Face
Same as usual - my winter foundation is now too dark and since I don't wear foundation in the summer, I haven't bought a new one yet :/
Cantaloupe blush
BB Apricot shimmer brick

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
All That Glitters e/s - lid
Coppering e/s - crease and lower lashline
MUFE #39 - outer v and lower lashline
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Stila Black smudgepot - to line

Lips
Ruby Woo l/s
Love Alert d/g

It's been a while since I posted an NOTD, so here we go with a new one. I picked up a few OPI's at Chatter's here in Ottawa yesterday and all the shades are just stunning! This is the first one, Cozu-Melted in the Sun. It's such a hard colour to describe; I would say a peachy pink colour, maybe? It's so stunning in person, it glitters like crazy in the sun. Just the ideal summer nail polish. Unfortunately the sky is overcast and you can't see the true gorgeousness of this polish.

This is two coats, application as always with OPI was a breeze.

In the honour of my feeling green and in a way supporting peace, I decided to swatch all of my green pigments. These are all MAC pigments and I decided on pigments as I honestly think the colour payoff of these is better than any eyeshadows.

I will be doing more posts with swatches of other colour family pigments/eyeshadows over the course of next few weeks so stay tuned.

all swatches are on my currently NW30 arm with no base.



from left to right: Chartreuse (PRO), Spiritualize (LE), Kelly Green (PRO) and Golden Olive (perm)



from lef to right: Green Brown (PRO), Copperized (LE), Emerald Green (PRO), Pastoral (LE)

I buy most of my pigments in sample form first to see whether I use them a lot or not before investing in a full size. If I were to pick two green pigments out of my collection, I would definitely go with Golden Olive and Kelly Green. They are all loovely though :)

I was feeling green today again. It's a bit nicer than yesterday but we're expecting showers. I finally had a good night sleep last night and ready to take on the last day of the week. We work half days on Fridays during the summer so I get to go home at noon and plan my outfit, makeup and hair for tomorrow's wedding.

Face
same as usual
Nars Deep Throat

Eyes
Greenstroke p/p - base
Chartreuse p/m - inner lid
Kelly Green p/m - outer lid
Clarity e/s - crease
Prussian e/s - outer v
Creme de Miel e/s -highlight
UD 24/7 liner in Covet - lower lashline

Lips
St Germaine l/s
She Loves Candy l/g

RoseAnother super hot day out. I have a very sensitive skin that breaks out it hives when when the weather is hot/humid. So I'm not having a good day. I'm also not sleeping well at all (probably about 4-5 hours max per night). I wake up in the middle of night because I have nightmares; people being killed, blood, fire...I'm sure it's because of what's going on in Iran. It's actually gotten worse since I wrote about it. I think I might have to isolate myself from the news. It's really painful coz I feel like I need to do something. Yet I can't do much from here, so I think this is the best decision.

Here's the look for today. I love my grays and purples and I think this came out not too bad :)

Face
same as usual
Stark Naked bpb
Petticoat MSF

Eyes
Fresco Rose p/p - base
Silverthorn e/s - lid (I actually like this a lot, it's getting a lot of use from me)
MUFE #26 - crease
Smut e/s - outer v
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Gosh Funky Violet e/l - lower lashline

Lips
Lavender Whip l/s
Opal l/g

I was inspired by the super hot day outside to make a post about some of my favourite summer makeup products.

Sunscreen: This is a must for me. Despite my darker skin, I burn very quickly. I look like a lobster in a matter of minutes if I don't have sunscreen on. My go to product is Neutrogena's Dry Touch sun lotion SPF45.

Foundation/Powder: I tend to not wear foundation in the summer. It feels very heavy to me and Ottawa gets pretty humid so I just skip it. MAC MSFN in Medium Plus is my summer long staple though. This feels very light and does not get cakey. I touch up during the day with MAC Blot Powder in Medium Dark. It's the best blot powder I've ever tried. One note on the blot powder, these run a little light. So if you wear medium plus in MSFN you might wanna get the medium dark in blot powder. I love to add some colour to my face with Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer or MAC X-Rocks blush topped with MAC Sunspill loose beauty powder. Another summer favourite is Nars Deep Throat blush.

Eye Products: I continue using MAC's Paint Pots during the summer as my eyeshadow base. They prevent creasing of my eyeshadow all year long. I've gone 12+ hours with them and they've worked their magic! My top pick eyeshadow colours for the summer are:

MAC Melon pigment
MAC Teal pigments
MAC Goldmine
MAC All that Glitters
MAC Aquadisiac
MUFE No.5

In general, I favour shades of gold, aqua and peach/coral during the summer.

Lip Products: Summer is the only season when I wear I always wear lipgloss on top of my lipstick. I guess it has to do with the fact that my hair is mostly up so it doesn't get stuck to my lips. Here's a list of my summer faves:

MAC Girl About Town lipstick
MAC Vegas Volt lipstick - only season this looks good on its own (at least on me)
MAC Port Red lipstick - if you can find it, this is the ideal summer red
MAC Nymphette lipgloss
MAC Pink Greapfruit lipgloss

Nailpolish: I love my brights for the summer. My stash is actually composed of mostly dark and vampy polishes as I generally prefer them. However, I try to give them a rest during the summer and reach for my brights. Some of my favourite summer nail polishes are:

China Glaze Bahamian Escape
China Glaze Orange Marmalade
Essie Chasitity
Misa The Grass is Greener on My Side
OPI Banana Bandanna
OPI Flashbulb Fischia

Hope this helped someone :)

It's the hottest day ever today. The UV index is also incredibly high and I got a headache just going from my car to the office :/ This look is inspired by the very hot weather, lotsa warm colours.

Face
same as usual
X-Rocks blush
Sunspill loose bp

Eyes
Bare Canvas paint - overall base
Artifact p/p - base for lid and lower lashline
Amber Lights e/s- inner lid
Cranberry e/s - outer lid
Coppering e/s -crease and lower lashline
Embark e/s - outer v
Creme de Miel e/s - highlight
Stila Bronze Dmudge Pot - to line

Lips
Lollipop Lovin l/s
Pink Grapefruit l/g

I picked up Orly's Smudge Fixer very randomly at a dusty in Westboro here in Ottawa about a month ago. They had a buy 3 nail polishes for $10. I asked the owner if I can get the smudge fixer instead of a third polish and he agreed. The smudge fixer has actually since become my life saver!

I usually polish my nails at night and then try to erase my mistakes while showering in the morning. The Orly smudge fixer has made my life so much easier. This is pretty much a clear "eraser" in liquid form. It comes in the same size as the Orly nail polish. I wait till my nails are dry and then use the brush and lightly go over my mistakes. Then use my thumb to rub it off. It's so easy and quick and does not mess up with the rest of my polish. Orly Smudge Fixer is definitely an HG product for me now. I have no idea how I survived before given I change my nail polish every second day, lol!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

I wore this look to my friend's house warming party last night. I'm feeling a little better since the last time I posted. I mean I feel more optimistic. I thought about it more and then decided I should be happy and proud as I might witness a change of history. Not too many ppl see that in their life time.

So here's the look I did. I really lime Lime e/s. It's an awesome lid colour.

Face
Same as usual
Cantaloupe blush

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Pure White ch/l - base for lid
Gesso e/s - inner lid
Lime e/s - lid and lower lashline
Mink n Sable e/s - crease
Plumage e/s - outer v and lower lashline
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Lise Watier Black Teal e/l - to line

Lips
VIVA Glam VI SE

Yeah, my heart is broken. I sit here and post my makeup looks to distract myself from all that's going on in Iran and how the fanatic government is destroying my homeland and killing my friends. I attended a vigil in the memory of those killed last night and cried for many hours. I feel better now but still down. I know this is a makeup blog but it's also my blog and I want it to reflect how I'm feeling which is not so good.

I was able to reach a couple of my friends in Iran last night and thankfully they're physically fine but all emotionally drained. All they asked me to do was to tell whoever I knew that they want freedom. So this is the least I can do for them.

Here's my look for today, it's a rainy day too. The weather is matching my mood...

Face
Same as usual
Pleasantry mb
Petticoat MSF

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Illegal Cargo e/s - lid
Climate Blue e/s - outer v
Clarity e/s - crease
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Lise Watier Marin e/l - lower lashline

Lips - this is one of my fave combos!
Pomposity l/s
Date Night d/g

I'm in the process of picking a new template for my blog. I ran into some serious issues with the old one, so this is an experimental phase, lol!

I haven't been in the mood to make MU post, the current situation in Iran has really affected me. The government is killing the innocent people asking for their rights and freedom daily. It's all over the news even though the dictator regime of Iran has blocked all news sites, SMS service, social networking service as well as kicking out foreign journalists and imprisoning the Iranian ones :( There hasn't been a minute I haven't thought about my fellow Iranians suffering. I've already participated in anti-government rallies here in Ottawa and we're trying to take this case to UN higher courts. To whoever reads my blog, please send positive thoughts to these ppl and help spread their cry for freedom :(

I did this look in a hurry today. I've been sleeping horribly (and I'm not a good sleeper) so the application is sorta sloppy. Here it is anyway:

Face
Same as usual
Stark Naked mb
Petticoar MSF

Eyes
Bare Canvas - overall base
Artifact p/p - base for lid
Beauty Marked e/s - lid
Cranberry e/s - crease and lower lashline
Vanilla p/m - highlight
Lise Watier Noir Intense liner

Lips
Snob l/s

I did this look today and it wasn't meant to be a sunset look, but I love the end result. I am so in love with my MUFE eyeshadows. I will be getting more soon :)

Face
Same as usual
Eversun bpb
Sunspill loose bp

Eyes
Cash Flow p/p - base
Bright Future e/s - lid
MUFE #5 - crease
MUF#49 - outer v
Creme de Miel e/s - highlight
UD Stash 24/7 - to line

Lips
Powesuit Mattene

I was in Montreal this past weekend to attend one of my friends' bachelorette party. I decided to mix some pinks and purples together. I was even wearing ChG Sexy Lady on my nails, lol! The party was a lot of fun. We were mostly bar hoping and ended up hitting 12 of the major clubs in Montreal.

So here's the look.

Face
Same as usual
Pleasantry mb

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Vanilla p/m - lid
MUFE #92 - to cut crease and blend
MUFE #9 - lower lashline
MUFE#26 - above crease
Solar White e/s - highlight
Stila Black Smudge Pot - to line

Lips
Gladiola l/s

This is my first go with my new nude lippie Honeylove. I still think Blankety is my HG nude lipstick as it's pinkier. My lips are naturally very pink so the pink undertones of Blankety makes it more wearable for me. But Honeylove is a very nice beige nude and I love the matte texture. I think the name kinda goes with the Naked Honey Collection too, lol! I have included a picture of the new nude combo.

Anyway, enough politics, here's what I put together today:

Face
Same as usual
Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
All That Glitters e/s - lid and lower lashline
Satin Taupe e/s - crease
Embark e/s - outer v
Creme de Miel e/s - highlight and tear duct

Lips
Honeylove l/s
Gold Rebel l/g

The package I ordered a couple of days ago containing stuff bought using the Friends & Family sale code is here already! It was sitting outside my house when I got there from work. Now, I had tracked my package and I knew it would be there yesterday. I had called Fedex and told them to hold my package and NOT leave it at the door so I could pick it up at their office. I guess that's too damn difficult for them to comprehend coz my package was sitting outside and anyone could have stolen it!! arghhhhh, I'm sorry but this is my third bad experience with Fedex. At least my goodis were there safe and sound.

Here's a picture of everything together:


I'm happy with everything at first glance. I was especially looking forward to my Artifact p/p and Honeylove l/s. Here's a picture of things I could swatche (lol):

From left to right: Honeylove l/s, Snob l/s, Creme de Miel e/s (hmmm, don't know why it doesn't show up, it showed up IRL), Artifact p/p

Let me know if you're using the F&F code and what you're getting :)

I just saw some swatches and info on the All Lacquered Up blog about the upcoming China Glaze Collection called Retro Diva. Here's the link:

All Laquered UP - China Glaze Retro Diva for Fall 2009

I'm actually liking quite a few of these. In general, vamps are my favourite nail polish colours. In fact I wore only black, red and navy nail polishes up until I turned 24. After that I started venturing into different and lighter colours. So fall polishes are my thing and I'm already excited about this collection. I think I'm in love with Stroll, Short and Sassy and Let's Groove.

This collection is available in July as per Michelle at All Laquered Up. I can hardly wait! What are your early thoughts on this?

Well, at least I think this is daytime appropriate coz it's not very dark. I have a meeting at lunch time so I'm just gonna upload my blog as I'm eating now (super early lunch!) I have a bachelorette party to go this weekend and I'm looking for MU ideas. I have a few in mind just don't know which one to pick, lol!

So here's the look:

Face
Same as usual
Pleasantry mb

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Poison Pen e/s - lid
Silver Fog p/m - tear duct
Copperplate e/s - crease
Graphology e/s - outer v
Your Ladyship p/m - highlight
Clinique Smokey Gray e/l - lower lashline

Lips
Creme Cup l/s
Snowscene l/g