FOTD: LORAC Mint Edition Set

Ermagherd! I feel so lazy today, lol. TGIF, right? Anyhoo, I've had this super adorable eyes/lips/cheeks set from LORAC since the holidays and didn't get around to cracking it open until today, isn't it the bomb-dot-com?

It even comes in it's own sparkly little clutch.

I just love the eyeshadow and cheek colors, so pretty and pastel!

And here's what it looks like when I put it all together. I decided to go for a cut-crease using the 3 matte shades and the darkest shimmer shade. Along with the cheek and lip gloss, the entire look pulled together rather nicely.

LOVE this kit, it's just so darn cute. Plus, I love all things mint, so I'm probably a little biased. I can imagine getting a lot of looks out of it. The lip color is super-sweet and the blush is extremely versatile. Can't wait to play with it some more.

Oh yeah: Happy Luna New Year to everyone that celebrates it. I'm looking forward to doing some cool makeup for the family gathering I'm attending tomorrow! Have a great night, you guys!

Hugs,
Cat

EOTD: Nautical Glitter Gradient Cat Eye

I live in a little seaside town and was feeling a little blue today because, darn it, I just don't feel like going to class! XD

Anyhoo, this inspired me to do a blue glitter gradient cat eye for today. It's a little over-the-top for a school day, but it did lift my spirits.

The glitter gradient is so much smoother and more sparkly in person, I wish my camera could capture just how neat this actually looks. :(

Product list:

• UD Primer Potion in Eden
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
• Ulta Eye Crayon in Denim
• SugarPill pressed shadow in Tako and Afterparty
• UD eyeshadow in Sabbath
• UD glitter eyeliners in Distortion, Air Guitar, and Spandex
• Kate Super Sharp pen eyeliner
• Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof mascara
• Ardell #122 eyelashes

Well, off to class now! Everyone's going to think I'm nuts… Thanks for reading and have a great Thursday!

Hugs,
Cat

Kanebo Kate Super Sharp Eyeliner Pen

So, this Japanese brand, Kanebo, makes a cosmetic collection called Kate. I'm about to make a bold declaration: The Kate Super Sharp eyeliner pen is the absolute BEST eyeliner pen…ever. I've spent as little as $3 for an eyeliner pen and as much as $30. I pretty much always run into the same problem…the felt tips skip and/or dry out. I've tried wetting them, storing them right-side down. They always disappoint. Not the Super Sharp. The genius is that it's not a felt-tip eyeliner pen, it's a synthetic brush tip that is soft, but comes to an extremely fine point, thus enabling one to draw "super sharp" liner with little effort.

I discovered this eyeliner pen when I traveled to Hong Kong back in August. I had forgotten my liquid eyeliner and snapped this up. I loved it so much that I brought a few home for family and friends, they were about $10 USD each. Subsequently, I forgot about it in the luggage, but recently discovered it again so I began using it. It's all I want to use now, I get very precise lines with less effort than my usual lining techniques. I also use the tiny point to clean up rough spots in my eyeliner once I complete a look.

The formula dries quickly and is pretty resilient. I do get a little smudging at the end of the day along my bottom lash line, but my top liner always stays intact. It's also a long-lasting product. My sister has been using hers since October every day and it hasn't run out yet. Here's is a look I completed today, using my Kate Super Sharp eyeliner pen:

I did a neutral cut crease today using my Naked 3 palette because I thought it would be a good backdrop for my eyeliner. The bottom liner, btw, is a combination of gel and pen…I went into the waterline with gel and then refined the line with pen. Here is the product list for this look:

• UD Primer Potion in Eden
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
• UD eyeshadows in Strange, Nooner, Limit, Darkside, and Blackheart (Naked 3)
• Kate Super Sharp eyeliner pen in BK-1 (extra black)
• Maybelline Lasting Drama gel eyeliner
• Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof mascara
• Ardell #120 eyelashes

Though not available at the typical beauty or drugstore, you can easily find Kate Super Sharp on Amazon or Ebay for about $13-$17. Totally worth it. I'll betcha mainstream western brands will be making $40 copycats in the next year or so. I'll stick to my Kate, thank you very much! ;)

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this post!

Hugs,

Cat

Glamorous Purple Cut Crease…with Purple Eyelashes!

EDIT: Someone who had my back kindly pointed out to me that I don't have a true monolid. Oops! Hope I haven't offended anyone by making that mistake. I have, since, decided to re-categorize my eye type as "hooded almond-shaped eyes" or, simply, "hooded eyes".

* * *

Cut crease eyeshadow is no joke.  But you know what's more difficult than doing a cut crease? Doing one on hooded almond-shaped eyes! This is why I'm so excited, guys. Where I have tried and failed before, I was recently able to successfully achieve cut crease shading on my eyes! Check it out!

I am sooooooooo stoked! And, hello, PURPLE EYELASHES!!! The folks over at Ardell Lashes are geniuses. But, yeah, I'm so happy to have been able to create such a clean, cut crease that looks impressive with downcast eyes, yet doesn't look awkward when my eyes are open. (which can happen with this look if you don't have a lot of lid space and shallow-set eyes)

Product list:

• UD Primer Potion in Eden
• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Painted Purple
• UD Eyeshadows in Omen, Half Truth, and Blackout (15 Anniversary palette)
• Maybelline Lasting Drama gel eyeliner
• Kanebo Kate Super Sharp eyeliner pen (AMAZING, I'm dedicating a post to this tomorrow)
• Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof mascara
• Ardell Color Impact Demi Wispies in Plum

Heehee, I'm so in love with these!

The downside to these lashes, is that, for some reason, the band is white! It looks really obvious on, so I had to paint in the band with black liquid eyeliner once I applied them. Problem easily solved!

Here is a full-face image of this look so you can see how it appears from a distance:

I wish I had an open-eye image, but they all turned out blurry. (getting used to using a DSLR as opposed to my iPhone camera, LOL) But, you can see that this is a pretty dramatic look with the purple. Honestly, I don't think I would have felt comfortable going outside. Luckily, it was my day off and I stayed indoors doing homework all day. XD It would probably look pretty dope in matte nudes/neutrals, though!

Okie dokes! I hope you guys enjoyed this post. it was a really fun look to do and really rewarding for me, especially, because I've wanted to be able to do a cut crease for so long and was finally able to achieve it! I'd love to try this in different colors, maybe make a video tutorial for it. What do you think?

Hugs,

Cat

Pictorial Tutorial for Teal Ombre Cat Eyes

Because I received a number of requests for a tutorial, I put together an image diagram illustrating the steps required to achieve the popular "ombre cat eye" that I did the other day.

It was pretty challenging to document, actually, because the look is pretty complex as it is and it made me nervous doing it step by step and photographing along the way. It's not perfect, but I think you can get the gist of it.

Product list:

• UD Primer Potion in Eden
• Maybelline Lasting Drama gel eyeliner
• UD eyeshadow in Blackout
• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Edgy Emerald
• Coastal Scents Original 88 palette (3 teal shades of varying values)
• Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof mascara
• Ardell #120 eyelashes

Instructions:

1. I applied Maybelline Color Tattoo Edgy Emerald from my lash line up to my natural crease on my pre-primed eyelid.
2. Using Maybeline Lasting Drama black gel eyeliner, I lined my upper lash line and sketched out a cat eye wing.
3. I lightly filled in the wing shape with remaining gel eyeliner from my brush.
4. I layered a light teal shade over the cream shadow of the inner corner of my upper eyelid.
5. Next I layered a medium shade of teal over the center of my upper eyelid.
6. Then I layered the deepest shade of teal over the outer corner of my upper eyelid.
7. Using a little more black gel eyeliner, I redefined my cat eye wing.
8. I lined my lower lash line with black gel eyeliner and accented it with the medium teal shade. Then I darkened the outer corner of my cat eye with a matte black shadow. (UD Blackout)
9. To complete the look, I curled my lashes, applied mascara, and affixed Ardell #120 lashes to my upper lash line.

No lie, my friends, this is definitely an intermediate/advanced look. Even throughout the 9 steps, I was constantly going back in and refining, sharpening, shading, blending. The results are worth it, however. So, practice, practice, practice and have fun with it! I'd love to make a video tutorial for this in a few weeks, but can't really do so at the moment because I'm super-swamped with school stuff. Thanks for reading and happy Monday! -_-

Hugs,

Cat

Video Tutorial: Sweet Valentine's Day Makeup

Alright guys, been working on this all weekend! New camera, new film format, let me know how you like it, your feedback is important to me. This is the first of two video tutorials that I'm making for my Valentine's Day makeup series.

In this video, I show you how to do a feminine, pink makeup look that's suitable for this upcoming Valentine's Day if you fancy a sweet, girly look. It's more natural and fresh-faced looking, easy to do, and low-maintenance because the eye makeup isn't too complex. (meaning, you're not going to have to touch up too often)

Alright, well, here it is! It's my first video in a long time, so I'm sure there are a few kinks and areas that need improvement, but I'm sure they'll get better as I become more efficient at making them. Can you believe I spent ALL DAY yesterday trying to figure out a soundtrack for this thing, only to opt for no soundtrack at all, in the end? LOL!

I just had to think about copyright infringement, and, ultimately, just because I happen to like a particular song, doesn't mean that I should force it on everyone else. I mean, my video is about 3 1/2 minutes, but that can be torture if the music sucks. So, feel free to play whatever you like in the background while watching this. ^_^

I also encourage you to watch in 720 or 1080 HD, the quality is so much better and you can see all my flaws and pores! XD

Anyhoo, thanks for reading and watching. Also, thanks for all the encouraging feedback. This blog was so dead...I almost decided to delete it at one point, but you guys brought it back to life for me. I've been inundated with life situations and school and this has been a fantastic creative outlet for me. I'm just having a ton a fun creating looks and blogging again. <3

Hugs,

Cat

Sparkly Mint & Gold French Mani

Happy Saturday, all! No TGIF shenanigans for me last night, just worked on some video and pictorial tutorial editing for StyleByCat's blog and YouTube (filming has been exciting, I recently upgraded my camera!). Anyhoo, I needed a break from having my eyes glued to the screen and opted for a DIY mani. Check it out!

Ok, so, I'm no nail art master or anything. (there are some pretty ridiculously talented DIY manicurists out there, holy moly!) However, I thought I did a fairly decent job. *patting myself on the back* My favorite color combo of all time (uh, at the moment, anyway) is mint, gold, and white. I whipped this up in my head and hoped to execute it in real life…turned out nicer than I thought it would!

Ok, so here's the cast:

• Essie nail polish in Mint Candy Apple
• Ulta nail polish in Diva
• Nubar nail art pens in White and Gold

These Nubar nail art pens are pretty darn cool! I learned about them through my sis. When you twist off the top, you get a fine brush that's great for striping. When you pull off the cap (which can be darned difficult…I suggest you get an assistant to help you if your nails aren't dry) you get a fine, squeezy tip that's good for doing dots and things.

To achieve this look, I began by applying a base coat. Next, I applied 2 coats of Mint Candy Apple. Next, I brushed on Diva. Using the brush end of my nail art pens, I painted on white tips and then accented them with a gold stripe. I finished by topping with a coat of Seche Vite.

In retrospect, I think I should have applied the glitter polish right before the Seche Vite, as glitter acts as a sort of polish armor and probably would preserve my tidy little tips more efficiently. That's ok, next time!

Heehee, I can't stop staring at my nails! I can't wait to try out more manis with these cool nail art pens! Anyways, thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend!

Hugs,
Cat

EOTD: Gilded Gradient

I've been working on technique for creating ombre/gradient cat eyes in order to construct a straightforward, easy-to-follow tutorial. I experimented by using tape yesterday, inspired by the suggestion of others, in order to ensure sharp, clean edges. The teal look from earlier this week was very dramatic, so I sought to do something a little earthier and opted for gold. This was the result:

Haha, I found that the "wing" was a little more squared off and less fluid than when I did the design free-hand. But it still turned out pretty cool. I'm not accustomed to using tape to shape my shadow/liner, so I'm afraid I didn't angle it quite right. It probably would have looked better had I flared it outward a little more.

Again, this looked nice while my eyes were closed or downcast, however, due to my lack of lid-space, the full effect wasn't as apparent when I opened them.

Product list:

• UD Primer Potion in Eden
• Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream in Bold Gold and Bad To The Bronze
• Maybelline Color Tattoo Pigment in Wild Gold
• UD eyeshadows in Smog, Darkhorse, and Creep (original Naked palette)
• Maybelline Lasting Drama gel eyeliner
• Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof mascara
• Andrea #53 eyelashes

Alrighty, back to work for me. TGIF, everyone, and thanks for reading! ^_^

Hugs,

Cat

Covergirl Blast Flipstick in Stunner

I bought this lipstick about a year or two ago, I can't really remember, and featured it here on StyleByCat. However, I didn't really go in-depth with it and I haven't worn it again since I swatched it that day. So, I figured I'd give it another chance a couple days ago.

I remember being tempted to buy this after seeing a CoverGirl ad of Sofia Vergara rocking the heck out of Stunner. I think that image is burned into my brain to this day. Anyhoo, Stunner is a vibrant, red-orange on one end and a shimmery gold on the other.

I had done a warm, smokey eye and was perusing my lippies to see what to pair with it when I glanced upon my Flipstick, which had been collecting dust since I'd first swatched it. Now, I'm not prone to wearing orange-y lipsticks, but I think I have the skin tone for it and I figured it would go nicely with the rest of my makeup.

I didn't realize how much I liked the color on me until I wore it again. I find that it really compliments my warm undertones. The vermillion color, by itself, is matte. Once you apply the gold, you get a nice shimmer which adds extra depth and dimension to the color. Also, it's a long-wearing lipstick that lasts even through eating and drinking fairly well. The downside is that the formula is really dry and has a bit of a grainy texture to it. I would recommend smoothing gloss or balm over it. It is fragranced with a vanilla-y scent.

Overall, I like this CoverGirl Blast Flipstick well enough, however, I don't think I'll be investing in any other additional colors, as the dryness and texture are a little off-putting. I'm still glad I purchased this one, though. I don't have any regrets.

I know, this post is a bit *yawn* compared to yesterday's very exciting look, but I figured it'd be a nice break from all the consecutive EOTD's I've been putting up. ;)

Hugs,

Cat

EOTD: Teal Ombre Cat Eye

OH EM GEE, you guys! I am so stoked! So, I've been lurking the makeup blogging/vlogging/Instagram circuit again since I've been more active on StyleByCat, and I've been so inspired by these super-amazing looks that have been popping up. Artists are sooooooooo creative and talented these days, each one out-doing the next in terms of insanely gorgeous looks! Honestly, I can't even keep up anymore, lol!

Anyhoo, there's this ombre cat eye that I've been seeing a lot of them doing, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm really rusty with the creative stuff since it doesn't really fit my lifestyle anymore. (I've gone practical. Practical = BORING) Y'all know I love my blue/greens, so I decided to try a teal version. Turned out pretty good!

This was a super-duper fun look to do. I admit, it requires a steady hand and it looked kind of awful when I started it, but with some refining, it turned out pretty awesome!

Here is the eye makeup product list:

• UD Primer Potion in Eden
• Maybelline Lasting Drama gel eyeliner
• UD eyeshadow in Blackout
• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Edgy Emerald
• Coastal Scents Original 88 palette (3 teal shades of varying values)
• Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof mascara
• Ardell #120 eyelashes

Yay! On the downside, it doesn't look as impressive with my eyes open. DARN YOU, HOODED MONOLIDS!!! Which means I either have to walk around with my eyes closed, which I wouldn't recommend, or half-open, which simply looks dumb. Lol. Oh well. People can appreciate my makeup when I blink. Haha!

Woo hoo!

Darn, looks like I overdid my eyeliner! XD

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this post as much as I loved writing it. Happy Hump Day, everyone!

Hugs,

Cat

MoreBeaute: One touch airbrushing app for flawless selfies?

So, what's up with all of those girls who post gorgeous selfies with soft, bright lighting and perfect skin? Do they have amazing phone photography skills and flawless faces? I'm going to say, for the most part, probably not. Here's a dirty little secret that even I'm guilty of: MoreBeaute, a photo airbrushing app that can brighten your face and blur out your flaws with a single touch.

I think this app has been around at least since the iPhone 4. If you have a smartphone and don't have this app, get it! I'm not saying it's evil. It can be a really quick and easy way to spruce up a smartphone portrait that would otherwise be lovely except for poor lighting or some other minor flaw.

I don't have anything against MoreBeaute, in fact, it's saved quite a few selfies that I would have discarded. However, I think that one can easily get carried away in the pursuit of perfection and results may turn out quite unnatural, to say the least. Let me show you some examples.

Here is a selfie I took a few days ago in my dining room with overhead lighting from my little chandelier and with the blinds open at my window:

Other than cropping, this is the image taken as is. It's an okay photo, I guess. It seems to need a touch more brightness and the colors, overall, are a little orange-y.

This is what it looks like when I take it into MoreBeaute on the default setting:

Holy moly! Um, yeah, that doesn't look "shopped" at all! *sarcasm* My portrait is now way too bright and a lot of warmth from the photo has been removed. My face looks really flat now because so many shadows have been removed. Sorry folks, but this doesn't look very believable.

Now, here is the app on full blast with the settings maxed out:

Oh boy, that's really painful to look at. Scary, I look like an alien. It looks very two-dimensional and out-of-focus. I may as well be a cartoon. Don't do this, guys.

And, finally, here is my selfie with subtle adjustments to the settings:

So, the lighting is slightly brighter and cooler and my complexion looks a little softer, but you can still see the texture of my skin. It's still a huge difference, I think. I could probably ease up on the settings even more, but you get the idea. It's not as far-fetched as the other results. When it comes to MoreBeaute, less is certainly more. (lol)

Have fun using the app and airbrush responsibly! Hope some of you found this useful and thanks for reading!

Hugs,
Cat

EOTD: Royal

Happy Monday, everyone! Just working on editing the video that we filmed yesterday. In the meantime, here's my groovy eye makeup for today, done in regal shades of purple and gold:

I created this look using some new products I picked up from Ulta over the weekend:

Fantastic colors, I'm really diggin' the gold pigment, it's so vibrant! Here is the complete product list for this look:

• Etude House Drawing Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown
• UD Primer Potion in Eden
• Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in Painted Purple
• UD eyeshadow in Omen
• Ulta gel eyeliner pencil in Golden Egg
• Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigment in Wild Gold
• Maybelline Lasting Drama gel eyeliner
• Ardell #120 eyelashes

I like to layer powder products over cream products in order to intensify the color, which is why you may see duplicate colors in my product list in 2 different mediums.

To balance out the eyes, I simply did peachy cheeks and a nude lip:

Oh, the blush is ELF Studio Blush in Twinkle Pink and lips are NARS Lip Lacquer in Chelsea Girls, btw. :)

Well, back to work! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic afternoon!

Hugs,

Cat

Preview: Valentine's Day Makeup Part 1

Hello everyone! Just finished shooting film for part 1 of my Valentine's Day makeup tutorial special. Since it'll probably take me about a week to edit, I just thought I'd give you all a little preview of what's coming!

I'll be doing a soft, smokey eye accented with lilac-pink which I will pair with rosy cheeks and a glossy pink lip.

My goal was to create a sweet, fresh-faced look that's easy to acheive. I'll be putting the video up as soon as it's ready, so please stay posted if you're interested in checking it out.

Well, off to get crackin'! Hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday and thanks for reading!

Hugs,
Cat

EOTD: Modified Retro

Happy Saturday, everyone! I had planned to do a tutorial over the weekend, but it's just been a flurry of events here in my neck of the woods, so I hope you don't mind me doing a simple posting of today's makeup. Lately, I've been really inspired by some beautiful, old Hollywood glamour looks, so I translated them into a version that would work with my eyes. Voila! My modified-retro eye makeup for today:

Product list:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
• Sugarpill Pressed Eyeshadow in Tako
• Limit and Nooner from Urban Decay's Naked3 palette
• Maybelline Lasting Drama gel eyeliner
• Ardell #122 eyelashes

The elements that make this look really stand out are the white shadow and the thin, elegant winged eyeliner. The light contouring under the brow bone with a dusty pink shade as well as the eyelashes add more dimension. I'm very pleased with how this turned out for me, overall. Better than I had expected, as I never thought I could pull off an Asian-version of this look.

Alrighty, well, I hope you all enjoyed today's post! I'm hoping to work on a Valentine's Day tutorial tomorrow (crossing my fingers) which also includes video. Of course, the project will take about a week or so to complete, but I'm aiming to work hard and be optimistic!

Enjoy the weekend, and thanks for reading! <3

Hugs,

Cat

EOTD: Aqua Friday

TGIF everyone! The weather is mighty fine here in the bay area (a sunny 70 degrees), which made me feel like painting my eyes a happy color!

For this look, I used Maybelline Color Tattoo in Edgy Emerald, topped with a matte shade of aqua from my Coastal Scents Original 88 Palette. I did a medium, winged line and partial lower lash liner with Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner. I finished with #120 Ardell eyelashes.

This look is simple, fun, and really makes the eyes stand out! Hope everyone is enjoying their Friday so far and is looking forward to a long weekend, like me! (celebrating MLK Day this Monday, no school, yay!)

Hugs,
Cat