Review & Swatches: Fyrinnae Lip Lustres in Shangri-La and Visual Kei

Continuing with the promised Fyrinnae Lip Lustre review; see how good I am? Despite what you might have gathered from the past couple reviews, I'm very skeptical when it comes to independent make-up brands - I definitely believe in product development and mixing a couple pigments on your kitchen counter will not cut it for me. However, Fyrinnae was such a pleasant surprise for me; I loved their eyeshadows... and I think I love their Lip Lustres even more.

According to their website, Fyrinnae Lip Lustres ($6 for 8 ml) are 'non-sticky lipcolour, leaving moisturizing colour on your lips but no goopy tackiness' so nothing like a regular lipgloss. Even though they come packaged in lipgloss tubes, they feel more like a liquid lipstick, although much less creamy. To be honest, they feel a lot like what their ingredients suggest they actually are - a mixture of natural butters and oils with densely packed pigment. The consistency is rather on the dense side as well, but the product spreads very evenly and thinly on the lips.

The two shades I ordered, Shangri-La and Visual Kei, are some of the more wearable options to choose from; Fyrinnae also make turquoise, blue, mint and lavender Lip Lustres, but I'm not that brave really. Both of my Lip Lustres have a very yummy vanilla cupcake scent to them and are richly pigmented.

Shangri-La is very vibrant warm purple shade, no shimmer. It's not some wimpy purple-tinged lip shade like Milani's Sweet Grape; no, it's a super punchy pure purple. Weirdly enough, it looks a lot better on than it might seem in the tube, and a lot better on me than something like the aforementioned Sweet Grape. It's a very flattering shade that doesn't make your teeth white. Two thumbs up for Shangri-La from me, even though I'm not daring enough to wear it in the daytime.

Visual Kei is described on Fyrinnae's website as 'a rather bright pink with a slight shimmer', but to me the shimmer part is pretty much indiscernable. Visual Kei is a very hot yellow pink to me, a bit too warm to be called a fuschia. Again, this is a beautiful flattering shade, though not quite as unique as Shangri-La.

Both Shangri-La and Visual Kei are long-wearing and non-fading on me as well as non-drying. What I would say, however, is that after a couple hours wear they 'gunk up' a little on the edge of my mouth, so I have to make sure to dab that away with a napkin or something and reapply some product for more glossiness. They do however feel more comfortable and lighter on the lips than a typical lipgloss or lipstick.

Overall, I'm very happy with all of Fyrinnae's products that I've tried so far and their Lip Lustres specifically occupy a unique niche in the lip product market. Have you tried Fyrinnae's Lip Lustres? What is the most unique lip product formulation you've come across?

Review & Swatches: 4 Fyrinnae Eyeshadows

This post is a testament to my shameful blogging practices - I actually received my Fyrinnae order in... March. That would be 4 months ago, you know? One thing is certain, I've had a lot of time to make up my mind about these.

Fyrinnae is an independent Washington-based make-up company, most famous for their Pixie Epoxy (a loose eyeshadow glue type of primer), Lip Lustres (unique lip cream type of product) and loose eyeshadows - all three of which I decided to purchase, with a Lip Lustre review coming soon. Being rather lazy about using my pigments, I opted for 3 eyeshadows in the sample size ($2.00 for 1/4 tsp): Kurisumasu!, a metallic brownish rose, Sacred, an antique gold, and Damn Paladins, a duochrome blue brown. I also received a sample of Crimson Ghost, an opalescent pink, as my gift with purchase.

The mini eyeshadows come in clear screw-top jars with a label on the bottom, no sifter; simple and easy to use. According to Fyrinnae, the sample size amount of eyeshadow is enough for 20-40 applications, and let me tell you, it's plenty - I think I run the risk of forgetting about having these rather than running out.

Let's start with Crimson Ghost, part of their 'Ghost' series of eyeshadows, described as a sheer iridescent colors which are more like pure shimmer for layering rather than a base color. In the jar, Crimson Ghost looks like a ballerina pink, but when swatched, it appears to be a sheer wash of opalescent lavender pink shimmer, a bit similar to Inglot 142 AMC Shine eyeshadow - very beautiful and delicate, no obnoxious glitter in sight. I find that layering 2 to 3 layers work best on my eyes.

Kurisumasu!, a brownish rose with pearl/metallic finish (described as medium shimmer on the website) akin to Urban Decay Toasted or Too Faced Push-Up, appears to have some silver microglitters running throughout, but these are not at all visible when swatched. This kind of shade is one of my favorites for a one eyeshadow type of look; deep enough to provide definition in the crease, but not too dark for daytime. Kurisumasu! is beautifully soft and highly pigmented, just a joy to use really.

Damn Paladins, a blue/brown taupe duochrome (described as 'dualcolour'), could probably be compared to something like MAC Club eyeshadow. Applied dry, Damn Paladins seems more of a straightforward (but beautiful!) cool taupe, but when applied on top of Pixie Epoxy or foiled, it looks a lot more grey blue. This shade again requires a bit more layering to achieve opacity, but it's well worth it - such an amazing shade!

Lastly, Sacred (metallic sheen) is quite a chameleon shade as well; a shimmery bronze taupe in the jar, it applies more like an antique gold/ golden olive on the skin, a bit like the golden green shade from the Wet'n'Wild LE Dancing in the Clouds trio. Very smooth and pigmented, it's a beautiful shade for the summer season.

 Top, artificial light: Crimson Ghost, Kurisumasu!, Damn Paladins, Sacred; Bottom: with flash, same order

Judging from the shades I ordered, I am very much impressed by both the quality and originality of Fyrinnae's eyeshadows. At $2 a pop, I can see myself purchasing a few more of their mini eyeshadows - they're just too hard to resist!

Fyrinnae Sacred eyeshadow on the lid, bareMinerals Fate in the crease, Maybelline First Class Fuchsia on the lips

Have you tried anything from Fyrinnae? What is your favorite independent make-up brand?

Heads Up: theBalm Essentials at TJMaxx!

Good evening, my lovelies - I feel like I haven't talked to you in ages! As some of you may know, I've recently started a new job and while I've been trying to figure out my work-life balance anew, the posts have become a little sparse; which is why I'm feeling kind of sheepish...

I'm a little bit too disheveled right now to sit down and write a proper skincare post I've been promising for ages (that one will have to wait a couple more days), but I figured I could give you a little heads up on an amazing deal I scored at TJMaxx, which is also a review preview of make-up posts to come.

I'm sure most of you already known that you can find a lot of theBalm products for a very discounted price in your local TJMaxx and Marshall's stores - I love shopping at both of them, I got some lovely spring clothes there as well! Anyway, I found this set of theBalm Essentials recently for $12.99 and just couldn't resist snatching such a great deal. It comes with a variety of make-up products to suit most skin tones, with the exception of the BalmShelter Tinted Moisturizer, which is in Medium and thus way too dark for me at the moment; I'm still keeping it though for warmer weather to mix in with other foundations.

I've already started using some of the products and for now, I can say thay I really enjoy both the Hot Mama! blush and the Bahama Mama bronzer, while the Cheater mascara is very nice, if a bit flaky (as most mascaras tend to fare on my lashes). I think that for under $15, it's a great introduction to the brand and actually, I already got one more product by theBalm... more details coming soon.

Have you found any amazing beauty deals lately? What is your favorite theBalm product?

Shopping My Stash, Pretty Boxes and a Tea Party

I cannot believe it; the sun actually came out today for an hour or two and I had the unique opportunity to take some blog photos without digging out my light box! So now for something completely different... I just wanted to quickly show you how I've been trying to shop my make-up stash recently, maybe that'll be somewhat inspiring? If not, there are pretty boxes to look at further down and also some Valentine's Day info for local readers :)

After coming back home from our Christmas trip, I decided my vanity table needed a little reorganizing; yes, that's also when I realized just how much unused make-up I have. So in an attempt to rotate my stuff regularly, I purchased this little basket ($.3.99 from Cost Plus World Market) and have been putting my everyday products in it ever since. I don't really change my face products out a whole lot (because I'm desparate to use them up!), but I try to pick out a different eyeshadow palette and blush every week, and I also rotate my lip products even more often. Here's what's in this week's basket:

This way I not only feel that I get much more use out of my products, but it also pushes me to try some new looks once in a while. The result can be seen below - I did a one-eyeshadow smokey eye using a beautiful blue/grey from Sleek's Oh So Special palette. To be honest, I still can't quite decide whether it brings out my eye color more or I just look like someone punched me in the face, but it is fun to shake things up a bit sometimes.

I also purchased two more pretty boxes at Marshall's. I use the black wooden box with an 'M' initial (yep, my real name is not actually Rocaille... sorry to disappoint) at my bed-side table for all my medicines, because I don't really like looking at them. I still haven't found a purpose for the Paris photo/shoe box, but having spare boxes never hurt anyone, right?

Lastly, for all my local readers looking for fun girly things to do over the Valentine's Day weekend, there's an awesome trunk show coming up on February 11 (Sat) at Sweet Anthem Handmade Perfumes atelier in West Seattle. From 12-4pm, you'll find flowers, perfumes and candles by Meredith Smith of Sweet Anthem and Nikki Sherritt of Gabriel's Aunt/Rebel & Mercury, as well as chocolates and truffles by Anne Dowell of Garden Bon Bons and Lydia Love of Chakralat. There'll be tea, gifts with purchase and an opportunity to chat with local artisans. Perfume and sweets? Sign me up, please! Learn more and RSVP at the event's FB page here.

Have you found any new storage solutions for your make-up area? What are your plans for Valentine's Day? Please let me know in the comments!

September Favorites

I know, I know - there goes my resolution to post three times a week. But at least I can offer an excuse/update on what's been going on in here, I thought you deserve to know! But before I go into that, some favorites of the past month. I've started to enjoy wearing make-up a bit more again now that my skin is not breaking out with the speed of a machine gun, and these are my most worn products:

1. MAC 226 Tapered Blending Brush - I will admit that I got this over 2 years ago and haven't used it that much since, for no reason other than I keep it in my non-everyday brush cup. However, I picked it up recently and it really is perfect for smaller creases, it just fits right in and deposits most of the color exactly where it should.
2. Clinique Plum Eyeshadow Quad - This was part of a last year's Gift With Purchase and contains the following shadows, available separately (clockwise from top): 'Stone Violet' from 'Sunburst' duo, darker shade from 'Beach Plum' duo, 'Night Plum' Stay Matte Eyeshadow and 'Frosted Blossom' Soft Shimmer Eyeshadow. I don't think these are very unique, I've just been loving plum shades on the eyes and these are easy to grab and good quality eyeshadows.
3. Wet'n'Wild Kohl Brow in Taupe - I waxed lyrical about this before, but I'd been using a different pencil for a bit and had actually forgot how much I loved it until I started using it again. The formula is quite soft and somehow manages to look natural while defining my brows.
4. OPI Brisbane Bronze Nail Polish - My first ever OPI! I do enjoy the formula and the wide brush, very easy to apply. But the color! A gorgeous dark copper reminiscent of falling leaves and campfire.

5. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Monte Carlo - How funny, I actually wear this one that I found in the woods more than the one I bought. This has been my shade of choice if I don't know what to wear on my lips. Monte Carlo is a sheer pink berry shade that feels comfortable and moisturizing, but doesn't last long on the lips.
6. NYX Powder Blush in Mauve - Not mauve at all, but still very pretty. It's a matte brownish rose that compliments post-summer skin perfectly and suits a variety of looks. I love how warm the shade is without making me look orange like many corals tend to do. Plus, you know how I love my NYX powder blushes!
7. Sweet Anthem 'Anton' Parfum Solide - I kind of feel like it deserves its own review, but I'm not sure if I want to draw attention to my perfume reviewing skills... Warm, spicy, smoky, striking with a hint of fruit, Anton was actually designed as a men's fragrance. Yes, I do sneak it from my husband, I just can't get enough of that perfect fall scent; plus, it's a perfect purse size.

Now, here goes my news/excuse: I'm actually busy interning at Sweet Anthem; for those of you not in the know, it's a West Seattle-based micro perfumery run and owned by Meredith Smith. So, in the spirit of transparency, 'Anton' was a gift, or as Meredith would have called it, a bribe; however, I promise to try and not pitch Sweet Anthem fragrances on the blog too often, even though they truly are beautiful and unique. But more importantly, Sweet Anthem is opening its flagship atelier on October 12 - there will be champagne, swag bags for the first 25 shoppers, and lots and lots of lovely indie perfumes to smell. Well, my lovely local readers, you're all invited to the party! You can find more info on the Sweet Anthem's website and Facebook page.

How's the month of September been for you?

WA Readers, Wet'n'Wild Dream Weavers is here!

Just a quick post today to let you know that the LE Wet'n'Wild Dream Weavers 2011 collection is finally here! Here meaning specifically Bartell Drugs stores; I got mine at Bellevue Village and there was still a decent amount left. What's more, the full line of Wet'n'Wild is 50% off this week at Bartell's, so hurry!


I actually went looking for Dream Weavers on Monday at RiteAid, which currently has Wet'n'Wild Buy One Get One 50% Off sale. Not only I didn't find it, but I also got rained on on the way... So I was furious when Mr told me afterwards his toothpaste run out and I needed to go to a drugstore again. And so yesterday I trotted off to Bartell Drugs to find not only the entire Dream Weavers collection, but also the Gilded Age trio I've been lusting after and thought impossible to get, all of it half price! Major make-up shopping success, all thanks to my husband's forgetfulness.

A quick tip: I hate those stickers they put on those palettes, because they leave a lot of glue on the packaging after you peel them off! To remove the residual glue, use a bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad and swipe the packaging clean. Works a treat!

For swatches and other locations where Wet'n'Wild Dream Weavers collection has been spotted, visit Nouveau Cheap. Also, I usually write about my sale finds on Twitter, so follow me! My initial impression is that all the three trios are absolutely fabulous, and I'm thinking of doing a look with them... Interested?