Happy Halloween!

*yawn* Oh, it's so late!  I've been busy wrapping up a Lovelina order for ModCloth, passing out candy, AND studying for a midterm tomorrow.  I just thought I'd share our "wild" Halloween weekend adventure with you all before I hit the hay! :D

Alex and Lilah

Daisy and Me

Ladies

Two escaped convicts! (that's a Sprite in my hand, btw)

Hope you all had a great one!  Goodnight and sleep tight! :D

Hugs,
Cat

Viola H. aka Killer Colours

OMG!  So remember a few weeks ago when I did a post about one of my fav makeup bloggers and did a look inspired by one of her looks?  (click here to check it out)  Well, without even knowing it, she returned the favor by featuring Style By Cat on her Facebook and blog.  She's, like, my top makeup inspiration idol!  It is such an amazing feeling when someone you admire thinks that you're doing a good job.  Waaaaaaaaaaaah!  I feel so grateful.

Viola is undeniably beautiful, both inside and out, and is uber-talented.  This girl can seriously rock ANY look.

Check out more AMAZING looks by Viola at Killer Colours

I'm just so floored by how thoughtful and nice she is.  In an environment where most popular bloggers are all about self-promotion, I can't believe she took the time to mention a humble little blog like mine.  She did more for Style By Cat than I thinks she knows.  Overnight, my Facebook and Bloglovin subscribers more than tripled.  Style By Cat nearly doubled in the number of followers, pushing us to over 100 subscribers now.  You know what that means!  GIVEAWAY #2.  I'll post the details tomorrow after announcing the winner for the current giveaway. <----- if you haven't entered the giveaway yet, today's the last day!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know 100 isn't that big a number compared to bloggers with 10K+ subscribers, but to me, it's a really big achievement and makes me happy.

Thanks to everyone that's given this little blog a chance.  I know we're not big, fancy, and glittery over here in my tiny corner of the blogosphere, but it means a lot to me. *sniff*

BIG HUGS!
Cat :D

Being Lilah

Hey all!  So the gang and I went out last night and partied hardy at Infusion Lounge in San Francisco.  Just thought I'd share some photos that my ever-so-talented photographer husband took:

All images by Tetraeon Light Industries.

Honestly, I've never even read or watched Jonah Hex. (I'm a bad girl, I know)  But when I saw this costume, I just HAD to have it.  I thought it looked so darn pretty!  For more details about the costume itself, please refer to a previous post I had written about it. :D

I was able to create voluminous waves thanks to my Hot Tools curling iron and Spornette Big Wonder teasing brush.

Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh!  I'm soooooooooooo loving my ruffled Victorian boots with button details.  I just want to wear them EVERYWHERE!

Megan Fox wears fairly natural makeup for her Lilah character from the film.  Since I was partying for Halloween weekend, I spiced it up a little with false lashes and glittery eyeliner.  Video tutorial for this makeup look to come soon!

Lol, now you all know the secret to how I take photos for my day-to-day looks and tutorials.  Gotta love my iPhone!

Hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween weekend!  Happy Sunday and goodnight! :D

Hugs,

Cat

Jack O' Lanterns!

Oh-Em-Gee!  Sorry I missed my daily post yesterday!  Me and the gang stayed up till 2am last night carving pumpkins.  We didn't have a contest or anything, but we all wanted to do something creative and "outside-of-the-box".

We spread paper tablecloths on table surfaces and on the floor and got to work.  It's one of those things where you start out really excited and gung-ho, and then halfway through you're like, "Why did I DO this?"

At this point, I was getting tired, frustrated, my hands hurt, and I just didn't care anymore, hence the carving knife slammed in my pumpkin Mario's face.

Yuki got a taste of pumpkin and tried sneaking around everyone to steal scraps!  We wouldn't let her have that much because, apparently, pumpkin is a laxative for doggies.  Lol.

Yay!  I was the first to finish, around 10:30-11pm.  That was probably the best part.  Haha.  But no, lighting them up when they were ready was the most fun.  It also disguised all the flaws. :P

Mario

Boo

Aperture Laboratories Logo

Wheatley

Companion Cube

Bat Totoro

The Flying Dutchman

As you can see, our bunch are big fans of film and video games. :D  Anyone else carve pumpkins for Halloween?  Feel free to share!

Alright!  That's that for Halloween weekend night #1.  Can't wait to head out to The City tonight in costume.  Will post pics tomorrow!  Hope you all have a great one, remember to stay safe!

Hugs,
Cat

Turquoise and Caicos

Ever since I got my first bottle of Essie nail polish, I've been hooked!  I had previously mentioned that I can't stop thinking about Turquoise and Caicos since I had seen it at CVS.  We know what happens when I can't stop thinking about something, lol!

Sooooooooo pretty!  I also adore the name...makes me think of warm, sandy beaches, which is where I want to be now that the temperatures are starting to dip.  Turquoise and Caicos is a lovely shade of blue-green with a hint of grey.  It's a creamy color with a glossy finish and no shimmer.  Opacity is about 90% with two coats.  Like Spaghetti Strap, I find that the slight translucence gives it an otherworldly quality that I covet.

The best part is, I got it from a great online shop from Bonanza (an online marketplace for numerous vendors) that sells it for about half the price at the drugstore.  Yay!  I'll definitely be buying more!

Oh, and from experience, I find that Essie nail polishes last fairly well.  After 7 days, I noticed only very mild chipping and minimal wear. (this is from 3 coats of Spaghetti Strap with no base or top coat)  The only thing that would put them on par with OPI is if they came with a comparable applicator.

Well, I guess that's it!  Happy Thursday and have a great night!

Hugs,
Cat

Mint To Be

Soft, mint green is one of my favorite colors.  There's a vintage quality about it that's so feminine and romantic:

Mmm...my mint-green dream.

There are a number of lovely things that come in this gorgeous shade, but one thing I've been obsessing over for months is a tube of Mint To Be lipstick by Lime Crime Cosmetics.  Over the weekend, I finally bit the bullet and checked out my shopping cart.  Today, my pretty purple box came in the mail and I just couldn't wait to unwrap it!

Oh my goodness!  I was ecstatic upon opening up my little green lippy.  Lime Crime packages its lipsticks in the cutest purple tubes with a holographic unicorn on it.  So whimsically adorable!  As thrilled as I was, I was even more excited to try it on:

So here's the skinny.  It seems a little bluer on my lips than in the tube, but is still a very pretty color.  One thing that I noticed is that it went on very opaque, but I had to be careful with how I applied it in order to get the color completely even.  I attribute this to the fact that its a very unique shade, therefore doesn't blend as easily with our natural pink lip tones the way "normal" lip colors do.  The texture is thick and creamy upon application and has a true matte finish.  The scent is a delightful cross between marshmallows and sugar cookie batter, yum!  My husband was both amused and charmed when I walked out of the bathroom upon observing my ethereal new look:

Like the glasses?  Check out my last post.

Bottom line: Mint To Be is a totally fab and unique color and I'm really glad I finally got around to getting a tube for myself!  In my opinion, it IS a difficult color to wear for everyday.  I'm afraid I'm going to have to reserve it for very special occasions only.  For those that have the confidence to rock it to the gas station, grocery store, post office, whatever...good for you! :D  I'm actually looking forward to wearing it to Fanimecon next year, check it out, I found the perfect accessory to wear with it!

Embellished cat ears by Yaya Han.

Aren't they fitting?  Minty cat ears for Cat. :D 

Hugs,

Cat

Oh, and don't forget to enter my latest giveaway!

Red Velvet and Wannabe Wayfarers

Ok, so we get to do a 2-in-1 today which I'm very excited about, yay!  Mega Last Lipstick in Red Velvet 910D by Wet N Wild from CVS and knockoff Ray-Ban Wayfarers from Sunglass Warehouse.  Check out the hottie geek-chic look I created with these:

Top from YesStyle

I never wear red lipstick.  NEVER.  The reason why I never wear it is because I never thought it would look good on me.  I mean, I've tried before in the past, but I could never find the right red for my skin tone.  Who knew that I would find it in a $2.99 lipstick at my local drugstore?

Wet N Wild's Mega Last Matte Lipstick in Red Velvet 910D is the most gorgeous shade of red-red.  It is bright, brilliant, and bold.  The color is extremely rich and pigmented and has a beautifully velvet matte finish.

Upon application, I was a teensy-bit disappointed with the thick, mildly dry, rubber-ish texture.  But I had to forgive because the color payoff was so worth it.  I didn't need primer, liner, or gloss.  I smoothed it on straight from the tube and did some mild shape-refining with a lip brush.  Voila, instant old-Hollywood glam!

As for the glasses, my sister and I have been so obsessed with the retro, geek-chic look that all the popular girls have been rockin'.  Problem is, the real deal, Ray-Ban Wayfarers, cost upwards of $100.  That's all well and good if you can afford it.  Unfortunately, I can't.  The good news is, we DID find a way to get the look for less.  Sunglass Warehouse sells a passable replica for $12.95 a pair.  We liked it so much we bought 3 pairs and split the cost.  The caveat?  Since they're basically a clear, plano pair of lenses, you either need 20/20 vision or contact lenses to sport the look.  Otherwise, they're a super-cute, inexpensive accessory that will add charm to any ensemble.

Red, blue, and black.  Images processed via Instagram for iPhone.

That's it for now!  I had so much fun with this post, hope you all had fun reading it as well.  Happy Mon...err, I guess it's Tuesday at this hour.  lol :D

Hugs,
Cat

p.s. Don't forget, we only have one week left before the drawing for my latest giveaway.

Click here to enter!

Spornette Haul!

Hey, check it out!  Remember the post I did on Spornette's Little Wonder teasing brush?  Well, the folks at Spornette saw how enthusiastic I was about their little brush and sent me these:

From left to right: Square Styler, Smooth Operator, Hypnotique, Big Wonder.

Yay!  I'm sooooooooooo happy!  I'm really new to hair so it's nice to have all these great brushes in order to experiment with style.  So far, I've only gotten the chance to try the Big Wonder, which is the jumbo version of the Little Wonder teasing brush.  This is, like, the mother of all teasing brushes.  I didn't know that I could get my hair so big, check out what I did today:

Bumpity bump!

I imagine this could look rather posh if I put in a clip to hide the pins.

I was just playing around with a messy, half-up do.  It's my first time trying anything like this, so forgive me if it's sloppy.  I imagine that if I get around to polishing up my skills, I'd be able to create easy DIY special occasion/bridal hair, don't you think?  My cousin's wedding is coming up in a month, actually, so I'm really excited to experiment and create a style to wear to her reception.  Can't wait!

Hugs,
Cat

OCC Lip Tars: Katricia and Pageant

I received my OCC Lip Tars a few days ago, but have been so busy with other things that I haven't had the opportunity to post my experience with them until today.  Well, here they are!

Katricia on the left, Pageant on the right.

Katricia

I applied the lip tars extremely sparingly because of the warning that a little goes a long way.  I never thought I'd enjoy wearing a purple lipstick until I got Katricia.  I put  a very thin veneer on my lips, therefore it's not as true to the tube color as it ought to be.  I like that I can play around with the shade depending on the amount of product I use.  Here, Katricia is a little pinker because it's just a purplish enhancement of my natural lip color.  I imagine it would be bluer if I applied twice as much.

Pageant is a real attention getter.  HOT!  I'm so into bright pinks right now and this color really satiates that appetite.  So let's talk about texture.  The formula is extremely fluid, more liquid-like than your normal gloss.  Upon application, Lip Tar is feels very much like one of those long-wearing lip stains.  Very thin and lightweight.  It dries to a nearly matte, satin, non-sticky finish.  It IS very transferable though, so be careful who you kiss.  Although it feels dry, the color will still come off.  I feel like I would need to use these with a balm or gloss to keep my lips moisturized.  Since I haven't gotten a chance to test these for long wear yet, I'll have to get back with an update.  What I can say is that the colors are true to the tube and are extremely concentrated, pigmented, and vibrant.  I definitely would like to get a few more in order to experiment with  mixing my own colors.  Hopefully they have another sale soon!

Don't forget to enter my latest giveaway!

Wet N Wild 511B Hot Pink Lipstick

Okies, so I'm just going to keep this short and sweet.  You may have read in my last post that I purchased this vibrant, hot pink lippy at CVS:

Well, I got a chance to try it on the other day.  This is what it looks like, no primer, no liner.  Just pure Wet N Wild 511B on my lips:

My camera was unable to catch the true color of this lipstick.  In reality, it's less red and more blue.

It is what it is, super-hot, bold, vivid pink.  The texture is very smooth and surprisingly moisturizing.  The color applies highly pigmented and evenly with good opacity and a satin finish.  I've only had a chance to try it on and didn't actually test drive it for longevity, so I'm not sure if I'll run into any problems such as fading, bleeding, or feathering, but I'll try and post an update on that soon.  Seriously though, at $0.99 a tube, why not?

Click here to enter my latest giveaway!

Wet N Wild mini haul plus eyeshadow tutorial!

Hello!  I earned about $20 in CVS Extra Care Bucks, so I treated myself to a Wet N Wild mini haul, plus Essie's Spaghetti Strap (which I posted a couple days ago).  Here's the look that I created with some of the things I got:

Scroll down for my YouTube tutorial on how to do it!  Oh, but don't forget to check out the WnW products that made it possible:

Doesn't this eyeshadow trio remind you of Neopolitan ice cream?  The colors are absolutely adorable and can easily be used for a natural look as well as a dramatic look.  It's a shimmery palette with passable pigmentation for the price.

This was my absolute favorite buy of the bunch!  WnW's creme eyeliner can rival brands that charge more than triple the price.  The formula is smooth, glides on like a dream, and has excellent opacity and pigmentation.  Sorry, but I don't think I'll be buying MAC's Blacktrack again!  Though one can argue that there's less product, therefore lower price.  Still, I usually only get halfway through my Fluidline before it dries out, so in that sense, this is truly the better buy.

I really wanted to love this waterproof mascara, but I just don't think it worked well with MY particular eyelashes.  Unfortunately, I have stick-straight, wimpy Asian eyelashes which require a lot of work to appear curly with any semblance of length whatsoever.  The formula for Waterproof MegaLength proved to be too heavy and completely straightened out my eyelashes after I had curled them.  I either need to use a lash primer to hold my curl prior to using this or just skip it altogether.  I imagine it would work just fine for all you non-asians out there with long, thick lashes.  Although with lashes like that, I don't even know why you'd need mascara!

Ok, so this is the only thing I didn't use in the tutorial, but I'm really excited to review it in another post.  Who doesn't love hot pink lipstick?

Okie dokie.  So here's the video.  It's a little on the longer side, and looking back, I feel I could have skipped a few steps or did some more efficiently.  I could have probably edited better too, still, I think it gets the lesson across:

Overall look:

Thanks for reading and watching!  Hope y'all found my latest tutorial helpful. :D  Oh and in case you haven't yet: 

Click here to enter my latest giveaway!