EOTD: MUG Shadows Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive 2013 Solo

Hello Lovelies! I always intend to take pics of my performance looks and then I get pressed for time and have to get my butt in gear. Sunday I performed my solo at the Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive and I had plenty of time to get ready. I left my house with part of my makeup done. I didn't want to walk through the Flamingo Hotel & Casino with full on stage makeup. So I added more blush and did my lips once I got there.

Featuring Makeup Geek Eyeshadows. I didn't realize my brows needed so much work till I saw this picture. doh!

I didn't sit down and intentionally use only Makeup Geek Eyeshadows but it just happened that all of the colors I was looking for were MUG.

Eyes:

Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin $20

Shadows: Crease MUG Eyeshadow Mocha $5.99

                 Lid MUG Eyeshadow Glamorous $5.99

                 Blending MUG Eyeshadow Shimma Shimma $5.99

                 Highlightt MUG Eyeshadow Vanilla Bean $5.99

Eyeliner: Liner Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner Black $16

                Waterline Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Charcoal  $9.99

Lashes: Ardell Wispies

Love the Ardell Wispies!

Mascara: Maybelline Falsies Flared $6.99

Brow: MUA Brow Kit  $5.48

Face:

Primer: Benefit POREfessional $30

Foundation: Revlon Color Stay Whipped Creme Ivory $13.99

Cheeks: Blush NARS Orgasm $29

               Highlight Benefit Watt's Up! $30

Concealer: Benefit Erase Paste Fair $26

Powder: Guerlain Metorite Pressed Powder Teint Rose $56

Lips (in the video): Lip Liner MUA Red Drama  $1.56

                                Lipstick e.l.f Studio Matte Lip Color Rich Red $3.00

The MUG shadows are great quality and a tremendous value. I purchased The Starter Kit ($49.99) when they first came out. It comes with nine pans neutral and some purples with both matte and shimmery shades. Three of the shadows I used came out of the Starter Kit. Vanilla Bean is the only one I purchased separately.

If you're interested in the whole look or my dance, check out the video (better in HD)! The LVBDI is the biggest event of the year for our belly dance community. Dancers come from all over the world for classes and performances. 

NYX Haul $60 for $30

Total Beauty is running a deal for $60 worth of NYX products for $30. This deal is running for the next two days. So snatch it while you can. I thought about hanging on to mine for a little while but I couldn't resist. If you've been curious about NYX, now's your chance to try out at a discount. NYX cosmetics are cruelty free.

I chose two big ticket items (at least by NYX standards) and a few smaller items instead of just loading up the small stuff. I had a tough time getting right below $60. So the total for this order was $62.25 with free shipping. Out of pocket I paid $32.25 for all of these goodies.

• The Curve $15 Felt tip eye liner with an ergonomic shape. I can't wait to try this out. I'm always looking for ways to get that perfect wing.
• HD Studio Photogenic Foundation $15 Nude Is a lightweight foundation that smooths and brightens. It is supposed to be a dupe for the MUFE foundation. 
• Single Eyeshadow $4.50 Frosted Ocean  I'm always on the look out for the perfect dark blue to use in my crease. I have a go to blue/gold look I use when I wear one of my costumes but I haven't found the perfect crease color yet. I hope this is it.
• Nail Polish Salon Formula $4 I've never tried any of the NYX nail polishes and usually when I do a haul like this with a big discount, I try to cover all the categories. This is described as black with red flecks of glitter. I definitely don't have something like this in my collection already.
• Rouge Cream Blush $6 Boho Chic This is hands down my favorite cream blush and definitely one of my favorite blushes overall. I've hit the pan on the one I have now. It won't be long before I crack into this one. This is also one of the prizes in My Giveaway.
• Extra Creamy Round Lipstick $4  Tea Rose  This formula is very creamy. I wanted to pick up something lighter for Spring.
• Slide on Pencil $8  Pretty Violet These are one of the more expensive items in the NYX line. They are also widely considered a dupe for the UD 24/7 liners which retail for $19. I don't have a purple liner. I'm not sure when I'll use it this but it's pretty.
• Wonder Pencil $4.50 Light  This is a new product from NYX. It's supposed to coneal, brighten, and line. Works great on the waterline.

So I decided to throw together a look using a lot of these products and as many NYX products as I could. I'm about to go meet a friend for Sunday brunch. I didn't want anything too heavy. It's definitely Spring here in Las Vegas.

Face: 

NYX HD Foundation Nude

Cover Girl Olay Concealer Balm Fair

MUA Matte Perfect Loose Powder Translucent

Cheeks:

NYX Cream Blush Boho Chic

Eyes:

NYX Wonder Pencil on the waterline.
NYX Loose Pearl Shadow Sky Pink Pearl

NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara Review

Lips:

NYX Creamy Lipstick Tea Rose

Tools:

Beauty Blender

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

e.l.f. Studio Contour Brush

MUA Haul from the 50% Off Sale

I was so excited for the MUA 50% off sale. I know MUA caught a lot of flack for the whole thing though. After the site crashed during the 35% off sale sure they could have been a bit more prepared for the 50% off sale. It was really disgusting to see how upset people got over the whole thing. You're getting already cheap makeup for even less. We're buying makeup here not saving people's lives. Settle down. But enough of being on my soap box., you want to know what I got!

So the deal was 50% a minimum order of £30 to qualify and free shipping (including international shipping yay). 

• Blush Shade #1 Gives a nice peach glow
• Lip Boom  Bring It
• Eyebrow Pencil Brunette
• Intense Colour Eyeliner Royal Blue
• Lashes Glam & Flair
• Matte Perfect Loose Translucent Powder Finely milled. No caking.
• Matte Perfect Shine Control Foundation Fair Sadly a little too dark and too yellow for me.
• Hide & Conceal Coverup Stick  Fair Light enough. yay.
• Nail Varnish Fever Red
• Lipstick Shade #1
• Intense Lip Gloss Shimmer Kisses  Stolen Kisses 
• Gel Eyeliner On the Move
• Mega Volume Mascara
• Extreme Curl Mascara Great curl but for some reason I ordered Black Brown. This would work well if you want a more subtle mascara. I layered it with NYX's Pin Up Tease Mascara for more drama.

So those are my first impressions on the few products I've used already. I also bought a Heaven & Earth palette for a friend of mine. I seem to compulsively put one of those in my cart whenever I order. Overall this was about £15 or $25 after the currency exchange. This was my third order with MUA and they've all arrived in a timely manner and everything survived the journey.

I'm already putting together my wishlist for my next order. I'm curious about their lip stains. Let me know if you've tried them. What are some of your favorites? Did you take advantage of this sale? 

Brief Update & Giveaway

I know I've been pretty silent so far this year. I've been working hard on my goals for this year. I was also hard at work rehearsing a dance that my troupe performed last week. Now that's out of the way. I might actually get some blogging done. I'm really getting into my Arabic studies though and I'm having a serious Mass Effect relapse. So after my normal bellydance schedule, studying Arabic, and saving the Universe, oh yah and working full time+  there isn't much time (or motivation) left.

Since the response was so positive to my post about How Belly Dance Changed My Life I decided to share a new video. This is just a fun dance we put together for this event.

January 18th marked the one year anniversary of Bat An Eyelash. To celebrate, I'd like to offer a giveaway of a few of my favorite products. Open internationally.

Pardon the phone picture. My camera decided to be a jerk.

• Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment I love this stuff. My hair isn't very dry or damaged so this just adds a nice shine. It smells divine!
• Maybelline Studio Gel Liner in Charcoal I use this mainly in my waterline.
• Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie I'm a sucker for berry shades.
• NYX Blush in Pinched One of my favorite blushes. It's considered a dupe for NARS Orgasm. I have both and I tend to reach for this more.
• NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic My favorite cream blush! I'm wearing it today actually.
• MUA Heaven & Earth Palette Oh MUA please come to the USA! This palette is so fabulous. I keep buying them for other people when I make a MUA order.
• EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint This is always in my purse. 
• OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath I tend to only wear neutral shades on my fingernails. This is the perfect neutral.
• Tea Tree Oil Foot Repair Balm I keep this by my bed and try to remember to use it every night. It is really moisturizing and my feet don't look as awful.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

January Sample Society

Normally I don't look at any spoilers for Sample Society but now that there are different box variations, I decided to peek this month. One of the things I used to love about Sample Society was that everyone got the same contents. This month I got Kit C. I was a little bummed about it. I was hoping for the box with the Snowberry Day & Night creams. So when I got my box I wasn't really all that jazzed about it. 

• Sue Devitt Lip Enhancing Gloss in Coral Sands Full Size .15 oz (Retail $22) Fine lines and wrinkles are smoothed out as collagen production picks up the pace. This gloss is formulated to leave lips hydrated, with a flattering shine and sheer wash of color. This gloss is definitely moisturizing and very glossy. It has a good texture and is fairly long lasting. The color is actually pretty flattering on me.
• Nicole Richie Fragrance Eau de Parfum Perfume Vial (Full Size Retail 3.4 oz $69) Blackberry, Seville Orange, Moroccan Rose, Lily of the Valley, Golden Amber, Papyrus, Cashmere Woods, Australian Sandalwood, Sugared Patchouli, Vanilla Absolute. I don't hate this perfume but I don't love it either. I like it better than some of the other perfumes I've gotten in previous boxes but I don't think I'll be wearing it.
• By Terry Clarte De Rose Firming Radiant-Lift Eye Serum  Deluxe Sample 4 ml (Full Size Retail 15ml $81)  Combat fine lines and puffiness with 46 potent ingredients, including black rose concentrate and extra-smooth rose bio-cells. Minimize and erase signs of fatigue. I don't mind eye creams because I'm still on the search for my HG eye cream. I also noticed I'm starting to get some very fine lines in the eye area. I haven't been using this long enough to see any improvement. I might be able to get a few more uses out of the tube.
• StriVectin SD Instant Retexturizing Scrub Deluxe Sample 1 oz (Full Size Retail 5 fl oz. $49)  This effective exfoliator removes dry skin cells, smooths rough areas and improves skin texture and tone to promote skin health and luminosity. Polishes and primes skin for optimal performance of treatment products. Free of parabens, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals. I love StriVectin products but since I got my Clarisonic I don't really use scrubs and the like for exfoliation  It works well enough though.
• Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Eye Pencil in Black Full Size? (Retail Value $15) Just like the traditional Kohl, but with modern ease and control of a pencil. Giving a semi-matte finish that is also smudgeable, SILK KAJAL KOHL's soft tip is ophthalmologically-tested and gentle enough to be used on the inner eye. Suitable for the most sensitive eyes, extremely comfortable. I couldn't find a description of the full size version to know if this truly full size. If it's not, it's darn close. I'm actually excited about this even though it's another black eyeliner. I don't have a kohl liner. There's a look in Making Faces where Kevyn Aucion used kohl and I'd like to try to duplicate it.
• Pantene AgeDefy Advanced Thickening Treatment bonus item 50ml Thickens existing hair, so it's as if you have up to 6.500 more hair strands.  I believe this was an Allure beauty breakthrough for the year. I naturally have lots of thick hair (don't hate my nails don't grow well see everything has a balance) and spend a hefty chunk of change getting it layered so it doesn't weigh me down and cause headaches. So this is going straight to my trade pile. I appreciate the extra item though.

This box was a little hit and miss for me I like the gloss and eyeliner and two of the items I'll try to trade. I'm indifferent about the StriVectin. I still think that Sample Society is a great sub service though. You actually get samples large enough to test a product. 

December Ipsy 2012 Bag

This is my second month being resubscribed to Ipsy. Overall I liked this month but I wasn't amazed.

December 2012 Ipsy Bag

• Mirabella Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess This looks more orange in the tube than it actually applies. I haven' tried to wear it yet. 
• Mai Couture Highlighting Papers I just think these are weird. I can't ever see myself really using them.
• NYX Loose Pearl Shadow in Sky Pink Pearl I love NYX products and I actually have a Loose Shadow already in a blue. I was hoping for silver. I wasn't really thrilled to see pink but this is definitely a workable pink for a neutral look. It's not like a bubblegum pink.
• Mirabella Primer for Face and Eyes I'm always up to try out a new primer. 
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero  I already have one of these from the set of mini eyeliners I bought on Hautelook a while back. So I was hoping we'd get different colors.

The bag itself is a good size and color. This would be great to put your brushes in for travel. I like that there is so much variety in the style of bag each month now. When I first subscribed they were all pretty similar. This bag was good but I wasn't blown away. I still haven't used anything from last month's bag either. I think I may finally be sampled out.

October Favorites

I didn't get around to doing a September favorites so this is more of an September/October favorites post. I haven't been wearing a lot of different makeup the last few months. I did perform with my troupe a few times though. We danced a 1940s Golden Era Bellydance piece so I've been doing a retro look a lot which is where most of my favorite products come from.

If anyone is interested in a tutorial for this look let me know. It's pretty easy and always looks glamorous. Anyhoo, on to the October favorites!

Eyeko Skinny Liner, Ardell Wispies, Besame Crimson Rouge, e.l.f. Tinted Lip Moisturizer, & Benefit They're Real! Mascara

• Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner in Black I got this back in my July Birchbox it was one of the few items I got from Birchbox that I absolutely loved and one of the very few full sized items I ever got. Anyhoo, this is a felt tipped liner that glides on smoothly and is long lasting. It makes it really easy to achieve that winged liner look. It comes in several different colors. There's a purple I keep talking myself out of buying. It's gorgeous but I don't know when I'd ever wear it. You can buy it at Sephora or Birchbox for $15.
• Ardell Wispies Love love love these falsies. They're big and dramatic but still give that soft wide-eyed look. You can find Ardells in most drugstores and Target for around $4.
• Besame Crimson Rouge I got this is as a sample in my August Beauty Army kit. Besame Cosmetics is all about the vintage retro look with their products and their packaging. This cream blush is much drier than other cream blushes I've tried. It works great though. Just dab a little bit on and blend it out and you have the perfect vintage looking flush. The full size of this is $22 and you can find it at Besame Cosmetics or Beauty Army.
• e.l.f. Moisturizing Lip Tint SPF8 in Rose I usually carry around a ridiculous amount of lippies in my purse. So I've been trying to use up some products and cull the herd. I rediscovered this and have been wearing it a lot. Rose is a darker pink color. I find it much more pigmented than other tinted lip moisturizers/lip balms that I've tried. Fairly well moisturizing and the color is long lasting. These are $3 on the e.l.f. website and I think you can find these in Target.
• Benefit They're Real! Mascara I got this sample in my September Little Black Bag. I really didn't want to love it because the full size is $23. I have a hard time finding a mascara that doesn't give me panada eyes even though I only wear mascara on my top lashes. This mascara delivers length and stays put all day. Love it! I have about $10 worth of Birchbox points to cash in so I'll probably buy this. You can also find it pretty much everywhere... Benefit, Sephora, and Ulta.

I don't normally talk about music but the eagerly awaited new album from The 69 Eyes is finally out! The 69 Eyes are a Finnish Goth rock/metal band. The new album is so good. I've been listening to it two or three times a day. Here's the video for the single "Red."  My favorite track is actually "Black." You can buy this on Amazon as a CD or download. The Itunes version features a bonus track which is a duet with Kat Von D.

September Sample Society

It's been box mania around here. Normally I try to post these earlier but I've been too busy to really use most of my samples. I like to at least try things once before putting in my 2 cents. So on to this month's Sample Society.

• CellCeuticals Extremely Gentle Cleanser Deluxe Sample 2 oz  (Full Size Retail $35) Ideal for even the most sensitive skin, CellCeuticals Extremely Gentle Cleanser removes impurities and makeup without drying out the skin. This daily cleanser hydrates the skin and leaves it feeling supple as it removes facial and eye makeup. I wasn't expecting this to have such a thin texture so I got more out than I had bargained for. This is a very gentle cleanser. I like it so far. I have tons of sample cleansers to work through though.
• Borghese B Gloss Deluxe Sample .16 oz in Fiore (Full Size Retail .21 oz $18.50) Borghese B Gloss Lip Gloss is a lush, glossy color that accentuates lips and provides high-shine looks. Moisturizers deliver a soothing treat while high style pigments add luminosity. Has a long-wearing formula. Vitamins A and E deliver moisture. Avocado oil, jojoba oil and aloe vera soothe lips. The color I received is very close to my natural lip color with just a little shine. It's nice and subtle. Wear time was pretty good but it comes at a cost. This lip gloss is very sticky feeling. I really don't care for glosses that are really sticky. I'd rather reapply more often.

• Diptyque Vetyverio Eau de Toilette Sample Vial .06(Full Size Retail 1.7 oz $88) Made for both women and men, the Diptyque Eaux de Toilette use the finest raw materials. Vetyverio is in Diptyque's Woody Family. Has the essence of forest vegetation. I normally like the more uni-sex fragrances since I'm not really into girly florals. I don't care for this one. I may give it another try though. My first experiment with it made it smell really strong.
• Stila Cosmetics Smudge Crayon Waterproof Primer + Shadow + Liner in Umber Deluxe Sample (Full Size Retail $22) Stila Smudge Crayon Waterproof Eye Primer + Shadow + Liner Dazzle is a 3-in-1 gel-based product that glides on with ease and stays in place until you say when. This creamy, multi-pearl formula is infused with emollients for a smooth, comfortable application. Stila Smudge Crayon Waterproof Eye Primer + Shadow + Line Dazzle also provides rich, bold color for more than 6 hours of continuous wear that won't crease over time. The best part: There's a pull-out sharpener conveniently hidden in the base so your product can be ôon pointo no matter where you are. I haven't had a chance to use this yet either except to try to swatch it. I love this color and think it can go well with some of the colors from MUA's Heaven & Earth palette.

• Ahava Purifying Mud Mask Deluxe Sample .9 oz (Full Size Retail 4.4 oz $30) Apply this unique mineral mud mask once or twice a week. It contains purifying and softening qualities, clears skin of excess oils, roots out the grime and blackheads, and prevents the formation of blemishes. This is the only product I haven't had a chance to use yet. I'm hoping to get to it this week. I don't do a lot of masks other than my weekly Ren mask. So this will be a nice change of pace.

Sample Society continues to be my favorite box. I like that it's balanced and sends out brands I wouldn't normally try on my own.

August Favorites

The month of August flew by! This month I have been using some new products and some products that have been sitting in my makeup drawer neglected for awhile.

e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush, UD 24/7 Stray Dog, MUA Heaven & Earth, Macadamia Healing Oil, e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set

• e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush This brush is so soft! I've been using it lately in place of my Estee Lauder powder brush and I love it. It's only $6 from e.l.f. I picked this up last month when they were having a sale for only $3. I'm really amazed at the quality for the price. This brush is fully synthetic and vegan.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Stray Dog This was party of the 24/7 Travel Set in Naked. I don't believe this color is part of the permanent range. I picked the set up when it was Hautelook last time. The color is a nice taupe brown. It just happens to go perfectly with the eyeshadow combination I've been using from my MUA palette.
• MUA Heaven & Earth Palette MUA is a UK drugstore brand that lots of bloggers rave about. I finally got my hands on some of their products. Here's my haul post if you missed it. Their products are well priced even with the exchange rate. I'm happy to report that they live up to the hype. This palette is pigmented with a nice texture. I've been creating some really nice smokey daytime looks. I'll try to do a full review soon. 
• Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment This was from my first Beauty Army. This smells amazing and leaves my hair very shiny and soft. I definitely plan on purchasing the full size version in the future. 
• e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set This is another of those products that I use everyday and tend to take for granted. I really notice a difference in how long my makeup lasts when I don't use it. The ingredients include aloe, green Tea, cucumber and vitamins A, C & E. There are probably better setting sprays out there but for $3 I don't think you can beat this one. It also tends to last. I've had this bottle for awhile and I'm just now getting to the halfway point..

What are your August favorites?

My First MUA Haul!!

I always thought that MUA products were something that I would just have to admire on the pages of the UK beauty bloggers. Late in July when I was deep into my No-Buy, I told myself it wouldn't hurt to see if they shipped internationally. They do! I put a ton of stuff in my cart but didn't checkout. A few weeks later (and in August after my No-Buy was over), MUA hit 25,000 likes on Facebook and released a 25% off coupon with free international shipping. I was all over it!

Heaven & Earth Palette, Starry Night Palette, Nail Polish #1, Lipstick #13, LipBoom LMK, Liquid Liner in Black, 3 in 1 Contour in Smoked Plum, Blush in #4

Everything arrived safely from across the pond! I am so excited I had to make a quick haul post. Full reviews will be upcoming. I got the Heaven & Earth and Starry Night palettes, Nail Polish in Shade #1 which is a dark sparkly blue, Lipstick #13 red!, LipBoom LMK Deep Vampy and sparkly pink gloss, Liquid Liner in Black, 3 in 1 Contour Pen in Smoked Plum, and finally Blush in #4. All of this was a little over £12 with the exchange rate it was a little over $19.

I did this swatches really quickly while I was sitting in my chair catching up on episodes of What Not to Wear.

Liquid Liner, Smoked Plum, LipBoom LMK Pink Gloss, LipBoom LMK Lipstick Side, Lipstick #13

I really can't decide which of these products to try out first! I'm so excited. I plan on doing full reviews with better swatches and all that soon. I have a back log of reviews but these might move to the front of the line.

What are your favorite MUA products? It's never too early to start putting together my next shopping list.