How to repair broken eyeshadow - Urban Decay BoS III

So a loooong long time ago (in a galaxy far far away...)...

Ok, it wasn't that long ago, that I purchased the Urban Decay Book of Shadows III (along with the Naked Palette). Sadly, when it arrived on my doorstep, one of the shadows was broken! Shattered! Into a million pieces like the Death Star when it got blown up. /sadface

Look at that huge chunk stuck to the magnetic strip in the packaging!

Poor Perversion. I lost quite a bit of it because of the magnetic strip. But I wasn't going to give up on it completely. Luckily, there's heaps of videos and posts on the web on how to mend a broken eyeshadow. And it's actually really easy! :)

So here's what you need:

• Rubbing alcohol, aka methylated spirits. Very important. This is what will bind the powder together. The more concentrated it is, the faster your shadow will dry. Mine is 90%. You can get this quite easily from a pharmacy. Alcohol also makes for a good disinfectant! We use 70% ethanol in the lab to disinfect surfaces (bench tops mostly). A dropper or something that allows you to pour the alcohol onto your eyeshadow in a small controlled amount would be handy (I just used a little plastic spoon that I had in the kitchen), as well as a small container to pour the rubbing alcohol into.

Disclaimer: Safety first, kids! Alcohol is flammable, even the fumes (which can also make you drunk lol!), so make sure you've got good ventilation and aren't near any open flames or heat sources. There! So if you set yourself on fire or get caught for drunk driving after mending your eyeshadow, you can't say I didn't warn you! :p

• Something to mash your eyeshadow with (toothpicks, in my case). I think breaking the eyeshadow down before pressing it back into shape makes it easier for the individual particles to bind together. And you're less likely to get any pockets of air inside.
• Something with a flat surface to press the eyeshadow. Preferably in the same, or slightly smaller, size and shape as the eyeshadow pan. If it's too big, you won't be able to get an even surface as you'll see later on. I couldn't find anything else around my home, so I used the cap of an old YSL lipstick (!!) which didn't quite fit. 
• Something to cover your "presser" (yeah, I couldn't think of a better word). A lot of tutorials suggest using paper towel or a cloth, so that you get a nice imprint on the eyeshadow. I chose clingwrap because I didn't want to waste any more of my eyeshadow because it will stick those other materials.

So first you crush it...

Then you dunk it (in your rubbing alcohol)...

You don't really need a lot here, depending on how much eyeshadow there is, a few drops will do. I think I may have gone a little overboard with mine, but oh well. It evaporates pretty quickly. I just mixed the eyeshadow and rubbing alcohol using the toothpick.

Then you press it...

Just press firmly, and all over til the surface is even.

Let it dry...

It doesn't really take very long to dry, but I wouldn't suggest using it straight away. I forgot to time how long it took, but if you leave it overnight you should be fine. Some people say to use a hairdryer or put it in the oven, but I don't think there's a need for that.

And finished!

Easy, right? If you've got any questions, please do comment and ask!

 Just a quick update on me: I'm actually back in my home country of sunny sunny Singapore! Getting fat on all the delish food. And I'm still writing up my thesis, can you believe it?! I, unfortunately, can. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'll never finish.
Best things about being back: Food! There's so much choice and it's so cheap (or it can be)! Crazy good shopping! Again, lots more choice, especially for Asian brands like Holika Holika, Majorca Majolica. Sasa, Uniqlo and Sephora have physical stores here too, as well as new player H&M (SO HAPPY!). Family! I'm not so fond of being nagged and pressured all the time by parents but still. It's nice to be together. And I get to see my brother and cousins!
Worst things about being back: Too humid. Too many people. I don't know how to get around anymore (FAIL). I miss my friends. I miss Melbourne. I miss my (Melbourne) home. I miss my boyfriend. I miss my dance classes and the Melbourne Latin dance scene. There, that's two of my biggest addictions out of reach.

Ok, I'll just abruptly end it here, as it's getting late and I need to sleep. Maybe I'll do a haul post next.... ;)

Easter FotN

So that night I went out dancing! I never expected to love it so much, when I first starting taking salsa classes about.. oh, 2 and a half years ago now? Although lately I've been stuck in a limbo phase, after doing that technique course. Because now I know what I'm doing wrong, all the mistakes and bad habits. In my head while I'm dancing now, I'll be like "Must remember to do this. And do that. Shit! I'm not supposed to do that! Mistake! Mistake! RAWR! /rage". Doesn't make for a very enjoyable night, but hey! Practice makes perfect, right?

So anyway, this is the look I did.

Since it was night time, I had to take photos in my toilet - the only place with okay lighting in my home. But I hate it! You get all these weird shadows on your face when the light source is coming from above, and it's not a big enough room for me to stand further back. Bah.
Products used:
Face

• Lioele Beyond the Solution BB cream
• Mixed loose powders (The Face Shop, Paul & Joe)
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Petticoat (used as blush)

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Urban Decay Naked Palette (Inner third of lid - Sin, outer third & along lashlines & crease - Creep)
• Urban Decay Book of Shadows III (Outer two thirds of lid - Psychedelic Sister)
• Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quad 02 Coffee Bean (Highlight - topmost shade, a light beige with soft shimmer)
• Lioele gel eyeliner
• Bourjois Paris Volume Glamour Ultra Curl Mascara (black) on the upper lashes
• Daiso Ever Bilena waterproof mascara (black) on the lower lashes
• The Face Shop false eyelashes in XO

Brows

• Daiso eyebrow liner in black

Lips

• Nothing at this point, because I was going to have my dinner. Heh. I think I just whacked on either lip balm or MAC's Devilishly Stylish lipglass.

Looking back at the photos, I'm feeling kinda "meh." about this look, I feel like I may have overblended Psychedelic Sister and Creep? But at the time I felt quite self-conscious, I'm not used to doing as heavy an eye look as this.

Some random pics cos I feel weird just posting 2!

This is at a place in Yarraville, called Acqua e Vino. I was there for the boyfriend's gig. He plays drums in a latin band. This was early in the afternoon, I was with them when they went to set up.

Really nice place, it's got an interesting mix of decor styles. European, Oriental, modern, old-timey. Lots of comfy seating. And great floor too! For dancing that is. XD

Aptly named too. lol Look at all those wine bottles!

Easter FotD

I love public holidays, don't you? XD

I decided to do a slightly darker look than I would normally for during the day. Quite like how this turned out actually!

Eww what's with the weird colour tint? Apologies!

Products used:
Face

• Paul & Joe Light Cream foundation N in 20
• My patented (ok not really) mix of loose powders from Paul & Joe and The Face Shop
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Petticoat

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Urban Decay Naked Palette (highlight - Virgin, lid - Sin, outer third & lashlines - Darkhorse)
• Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero
• Bourjois Paris Volume Glamour Ultra Curl Mascara (black) on the upper lashes
• Daiso Ever Bilena waterproof mascara (black) on the lower lashes

Brows

• Daiso eyebrow liner in black

Lips

• MAC Amplified Creme in Cosmo
• MAC Venomous Villains Lipglass in Devilishly Stylish

With glasses:

Hehe!

Ooh sunlight!

I really quite like the combo of Cosmo and Devilishly Stylish. I've not really been a big lipstick fan in the past, so I don't have many. Maybe 3? It's nice to layer glosses over them to make them look different, makes it seem like I have more lol!

Annoyed face. I seriously suck at taking self shots. There are so many pictures with bad angles, half my face cut off, etc etc...

Parcel It On!

Want to buy products from US sites but finding that they don't ship internationally? Refuse to pay ridiculous annual membership fees to mail forwarding services? Don't have a credit card or prefer Paypal? Then Parcel It On might just be for you!

In case you haven't noticed, I loves me some Urban Decay! I use the Naked Palette almost everyday, and love their 24/7 eyeliner pencils and the cult favourite, eyeshadow Primer Potion. But sadly, they don't ship overseas, and goodness knows when I'll get to visit Sephora Singapore again. Well, actually I'm going home in Nov for a friend's wedding, but anywayyyyy...! The point is! Sometimes a girl just wants things now, or as close to now as possible.
I really really wanted the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary 24/7 Glide On eye pencil set, as well as a single pencil in Yeyo (it wasn't in the set, boo). Ebay prices are always jacked up, and the set was still in stock on the Urban Decay site anyway (this was some months ago).

Enter Parcel It On! I used their Assisted Purchasing service.

Pros:

• Easy email based system. I just emailed them a list of what I wanted, with links, and they replied with a quote which included item prices, domestic shipping, and their service fee (they also checked item availability at this point). To continue, I just sent them payment via Paypal.
• Fast! I don't think I ever waited for even a day to get a reply from them.
• Email updates on your order status. They sent me emails to let me know when they had placed my order, when they had received my order, and when they had sent it to me.
• 4% service fee. This is great if you have a relatively cheaper order. If you're getting more expensive items, you may want to consider a service that charges a flat fee.
• International shipping options. They offer a few different options for shipping, so you can get insured shipping, and/or sign-on-delivery, if you want. Or tracking too! I went with the cheapest option lol.

Cons:

• Invoice fee. They charge a 3.9% fee every time they invoice you. This is on top of their service fee, and their mail forwarding fee, and although they don't say so on their site, I believe it is for Paypal charges. And they will invoice you at least twice, once when you place your order, and once for international shipping for your package to you. 
• Additional $12US mail forwarding fee. If you have a large order, this won't seem that much, but for a smaller order it can seem a bit excessive.  

I was pretty happy with their service. Didn't really have any complaints, they were very efficient and friendly to communicate with. That's all really. The pricing gets a little bit more complicated if you are ordering from different sites, and want to combine international shipping (extra $2.50US for each package), and again if your order needs to be sent in separate packages for whatever reason (extra $10US for each package). You can read more about their charges and additional services (returns, package storage etc) here.

The package, when I received it, came in a fairly sturdy cardboard box.



My items were bubble wrapped. I think they could have used a little more, the set was a little squashed, but I didn't really mind too much.



Eyeliner HEAVEN! This is probably my favourite type of make up product, tied with blushes.



Took it out of its plastic sleeve, hehe! Super excited about Perversion, it's supposed to be even blacker than Zero!



I'm planning to use Yeyo to line the inner eye corner, and possibly the waterline as well. Hopefully it won't fade there, like Zero does.

Disclaimer:
This is not an advert. I was not contacted by anyone from Parcel It On to try their services, or to write a review. I am not being paid for this. This review is based entirely on my own personal experiences.

Face of the Day: MFBB Attempt #3

MFBB: My Face But Better

There was an attempt #2, but there was no good lighting so I didn't bother with photos.
Products used:
Face

• Lioele Beyond the Solution BB cream
• Setting powder (I mixed mine because the colours were off on me, one too white, one too dark - The Face Shop Dewy Flower Moist Loose powder #13 Pink Beige, Paul & Joe Loose powder #03)
• MAC Mineralize blush in Dainty

Eyes

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Urban Decay Naked Palette (Virgin, Sin, Hustle)
• Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero
• Bourjois Paris Volume Glamour Ultra Curl Mascara (black) on the upper lashes
• Daiso Ever Bilena waterproof mascara (black) on the lower lashes

Brows

• Daiso eyebrow liner in black

Lips

• Nothing!

I really need to be more prompt with these. I was guessing for half the products, cos I can't remember exactly! But I think I've got it right.
You can see in the first photo that the BB cream doesn't quite cover up acne hyperpigmentation. And this Bourjois mascara is doing nothing for my lashes. Nothing. D: But I am loving the matteness of the Lioele BB cream + setting powder. I dunno, I'm not that big a fan of the dewy look, especially for photos. It just looks oily most of the time!

One thing I've realised though, my MAC Mineralize products don't seem to "stick" very well to the two BB creams that I've tried so far (Lioele and Skin79). I have to apply them before setting the BB creams, and I always feel like I have to work a bit harder to get some colour. I've tried them with my Paul & Joe foundation, and don't feel like I have the same problem, so they probably just don't play well together. Maybe it's the silicone content? Hmm, think I'll check.

First FotD!

Watching Dexter makes me want to learn Spanish.
But anywayyyyy....! Here is my very first face of the day!

This was from last week. Sorry about the weird expression, I'm still not good at taking self shots, and this was the only one where I wasn't wearing my glasses that wasn't blur.
I was going for a neutral, my-face-but-better look. This was Attempt No. 1. I think I sorta kinda succeeded? lol

Products used
Face: Lioele Blooming Shimmer Pearl Base, Lioele Beyond the Solution BB cream, MAC Mineralize blush in Dainty
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, Urban Decay Naked Palette (Virgin, Naked, Buck), Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero, Bourjois Paris Volume Glamour Ultra Curl Mascara (black), Daiso eyebrow liner in black.
Lips: Just Body Shop's Vitamin E lip balm.

One more, cos I thought this shot was cool hehe!

Gigantic haul!

So a few things came in the mail for me recently, and I wanted to do a huge haul post. This is all stuff that I've bought over the last four months or so, mind you...

Ta-da!

It's really satisfying to look at. Some I bought while I was in Singapore, some of it is from eBay, and some from here - good old Melbourne.
Please forgive the perhaps overly liberal use of watermarking, I really dislike the thought of someone using my photos for their own purposes and not crediting - and I have seen/heard of unscrupulous eBayers using photos from well-known sites such as Temptalia and passing them off as their own. Really dishonest.

First up, Urban Decay eyeshadows! I really need some eyeshadows in my life. I'm seriously tired of using black eyeliner only! I got the Naked palette for everyday neutral looks, and the Book of Shadows III for more fun/going out looks. Both were from eBay.

Sadly, one of the shadows, Perversion, in the BoS broke in the post. :( I probably would like this one the most too. Some of it got stuck to the box and I cleaned it off before taking photos. It was so smooth and velvety! Can't wait to use these!

I'm going to try and repair Perversion, and then I'll probably look into depotting these. Whilst it's really cool, the packaging for BoS is just too chunky and space wasting.

Lights up though! So cool!

Next, some face stuff. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light Flush, which I absolutely adore, Majolica Majorca Cheek Customize cheek colour PK333, which I also love. I'm such a sucker for Majo-majo stuff, their packaging is so so pretty! Look at that gold logo! Look at it! And also from Daiso, a powder foundation which I still haven't tried, and the failed concealer which I mentioned in this post.

Nail stuff next. The Butter London nail polish came free with an issue of either Vogue Australia or Harpers Bazaar, I can't remember. I haven't used it yet, but I've since heard really great things about Butter London polishes, so I'll probably get to it soon. At the moment I'm wearing Chanel Le Vernis nail colour in Vendetta which is a dark purple with microshimmer, a birthday present from a couple years ago (my girl friends know me too well lol!). Once I get bored of that, I'll probably try on the Butter London polish. Also pictured, Bourjois Paris nail enamels which I picked up at Priceline.

More for the eyes. Wow, this post really makes me seem like I'm huge on eye makeup. Which is kinda true I guess. I have small eyes with typical short Asian lashes so I usually try and hide that by doing what I can to make them look bigger. Urban Decay liners in Lust and Oil Slick, Majolica Majorca liners in black, and brown and a pinky beige, both with glitter. That was a mistake. The glitter is kinda too chunky for my taste and sometimes gets into my eyes. :( It hurts!

Also, Majolica Majorca eyebrow pencil in dark brown, and Daiso eyebrow pencils in black and grey. Urban Decay Grindhouse eyeliner sharpener (it came in a set with the two eyeliners - score!). From Daiso, two mascaras in black, one is waterproof. Bourjois Paris mascara, also in black, and Duo waterproof eyelash glue, the clear white version. And also the little freebie lip gloss from The Face Shop.

I bought this Urban Decay primer set from Sephora Singapore. It cost me probably half (or less! I can't remember) of what I would have paid, had I bought everything separately. It has the eyelash and lip primers, and what excited me the most - Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion and the famed Eyeshadow Primer Potion. Everything is full-sized.

Skincare stuff next! From The Face Shop, Vita B Mask sheet, Hydrating Milk Pack, Cucumber Pack, and a freebie sample of shampoo. I also bought from Priceline, a tube of my favourite hand cream, Garnier Skin Naturals Hand Cocoon. This stuff is seriously good. My skin is generally really dry, it's always been, and all the handwashing I have had to do because of working in a lab doesn't help. This stuff is like instant relief for me! And for $5, I'm not going to go looking for a substitute from a higher end brand. I'm always washing my hands, so I'm always having to reapply anyway.

Wow, lots of stuff for me to play with. Thus far, I'm really loving the Cucumber face pack. It's quite hydrating, and somehow, anti-acne as well. I swear, I had a couple pimples coming up, one on my forehead and one on my chin, but after using the mask, they disappeared! Shock! Not complaining though, I've just never seen that happen after a facial mask before. And the Hydrating Milk pack has a nice softening effect as well.

I've decided that I'm going to post ingredients lists for products where possible. Sometimes it's hard to find out these things, and whilst I'm not too fussed about it (I do try to avoid parabens where possible though), lots of people are watchful of what they put on their skin, whether it's because of allergies or cautiousness, so I'd like to be as helpful as possible in that regard. So for anyone that's reading, and interested in that sort of thing, please stay tuned!

Ebay madness!

I've recently starting using Ebay again. It's been some years since I stopped, way before Paypal was the norm, which I actually like now since it's a familiar system to me. And it feels safer since I'm not handing out credit card or bank account details.
I got back into it since I was on the hunt for products from the MAC Mineralize lines, specifically Skinfinishes and blushes. >_< They are so so pretty! I know, I'm so late in getting on the bandwagon for this, although in my defence I've been living in a makeup blackhole for the past 4-5 years lol. I'd just stuck to the products that I'd been using and haven't been bothered with trying anything new or experimenting with/learning about so-called makeup techniques (by which I mean techniques for applying eyeshadow and blush etc, because I am totally clueless when it comes to makeup! I've never really used eyeshadow til recently, just used eyeliner, and smudged it with my finger when I wanted a smokey eye. That's all, I'm serious!). But that's all changing now. I've gotten quite bored, and frustrated really, I see so many girls with amazing makeup, especially the eyes, and I wanna do it too!
So to that end, I've been reading a lot of beauty blogs recently, and as a result of that I've become just slightly obsessed with the MAC Mineralize products (only slightly, really, I promise!). I've just received a Skinfinish in Light Flush which I got for an amaaaazing price of just 26AUD including shipping (from a local seller, so yay for cheaper shipping!). It's so so pretty! I love the gold veining! I tried it on using a powder brush with a fairly light hand on my bare face, it's not very noticeable, but I can see a faint pinkish/gold sheen. It does seem to slightly brighten and even out my complexion so I was very pleased!
I'm getting a few more soon, through Ebay of course, I'm just waiting for a confirmation on combined postage. Definitely need to hold myself back though, it's so easy to go overboard and just keep buying! I'll have to keep reminding myself that I must save some money to do those two courses next month: ladies salsa footwork and kimono-making, can't wait! And maybe next term, a spinning course? I need to level up on the dancefloor!
And also just an update on the previous post, I managed to find UD's Naked Palette on Ebay combined with their Book of Shadows Vol. III. Shipping was killer, since the seller was in the UK but at least I'm avoiding shopping service fees. Or so I keep telling myself. And the Naked Palette is sold out on the UD site anyway.

I'll definitely try and take some pictures of my haul! It's been a while since I've done product pics, I kinda miss it. :)

P.S. Really geeky, but seeing the abbreviation "UD" doesn't make me think of Urban Decay, it actually makes me think of Undead. lol I play Warcraft, don't judge me!

Shopping!

Omg! I've been stalking the Urban Decay site, and lo and behold, their 15th anniversary eyeliner set came back into stock! I managed to find a shopping service that'll accept Paypal (and they're Aussie too!), so I've put in my order. Also getting a single 24/7 liner in Yeyo. Can't wait!
In other shopping news, been trawling Ebay for UD's Naked palette. >_< They're all so expensive! Good god! But I'm determined to get it. I need some eyeshadows in my life right now, and that palette looks so delicious. Also thinking of getting a Too Faced palette or two... maybe 3 lol. The AUD is so strong against the USD right now, it's a really good time to buy! Especially if getting a few things - save on shipping, haha.

Things I hope to cover here:
OOTD
FOTD
shopping
experimental coords
fashion/makeup/hair challenges

That's all I can think of at the moment. I really want to start! But there's a fair bit going irl right now. Just quickly:
Getting visa sorted
Organising ASMR student symposium
Writing thesis omgomgomg
And of course making sure that I have food to eat, a (relatively) clean home to return to everyday, clean clothes to wear and that the bills are paid (although not always on time oh dear).And also spending time with my boy. And there's also that kimono making course that I want to do. And that salsa footwork course. Gah! Not enough time!
Maybe I can start a fashion challenge for now. Hmm... will think about it.