Phyrra

KBShimmer Enchanted Forest Collection

Phyrra — Sat, 13 Mar 2021 15:08:18 +0000

Hello beautiful creatures! Today I’m sharing some of the jewels from the KBShimmer Enchanted Forest Collection. This collection launched at the end of February 2021. Thank you so much to KBShimmer for sending me the nail polishes that I’m featuring today. KBShimmer nail polishes ranges in price from $10 for cremes to $11 for other formulas. They are one of the most affordable nail polish brands out there and they make some of the most unique polish I’ve ever found.

Where to Buy
Amazon, KBShimmer, Etsy

About KBShimmer

For those of who you don’t know, KBShimmer is a 100% cruelty-free, 100% vegan indie beauty brand. They make some of the most beautiful multichromes in existance! KBShimmer also makes wonderful bath and body products. I use their Pink Sugar Body Lotion, I swear by their tri-level cuticle oil, and Dave is now hopelessly addicted to their matte cuticle balm.

Enchanted Forest Collection

The KBShimmer Enchanted Forest Collection is made up of 9 polishes. Frequent Flyer, a white-based multichrome that has all the hues of the rainbow. Amanita Moment, a green crelly with color shifting flakies. Mist Me, a slate blue with rose gold hues. Dawn to Earth, paying homage to the sun with a cobalt blue base and pink shimmer. Hidden Potential is a warm violet with golden green shift. No Illusions is a stunning multichrome that shifts from teal to emerald to purple and magenta. Branching Out is a tri-thermal that ranges from navy to dusty periwinkle to mint. I’d Pick You is a pastel orchid crelly with color changing flakies. What the Fudge is a milk chocolate creme polish.

In addition to showing you my favorites from the Enchanted Forest collection today, I’m also featuring Obsidian and White Here White Now.

Dawn to Earth

The top photo of Dawn to Earth was taken outdoors, while the bottom photo was taken indoors. Dawn to Earth is a gorgeous bright cobalt blue jelly. It has a strong pink shift that hits hues of rose, fuschia, peach and gold.

Frequent Flyer

The two photos below of KBShimmer Frequent Flyer were taken outdoors in sunlight. above the photos were taken indoors in natural light next to a window.

For the 3 nails on the left above I used 1 layer of KBShimmer White Here White Now as a base and two coats of Frequent Flyer. For the 1 nail to the right I used 3 coats of Frequent Flyer. The difference I noticed between the two is that without a white base Frequent Flyer leans more pink. With the white base, the pastel tones really pop!

KBShimmer describes Frequent Flyer as shimmering shades of golden champagne that shift to spring green. You’ll see tones of aqua, blue, peach, rose, and violet. Worn on its own or layered over a white or neutral base the pastel rainbow hues come to life. On top of black you will see jewel rainbow tones of gold, green and aqua.

I love how Frequent Flyer looks on top of White Here White Now when paired with a stiletto nail shape. So pretty!

No Illusions

The above photos of No Illusions were taken outdoors except for the bottom photo, which was taken indoors next to indirect sunlight. I love that last photo so much! No Illusions is a jaw dropping multichrome. Starting as a bright teal that shifts into emerald with hints of blue, it quickly morphs into grape and magenta purples. No Illusions is absolutely one of the shiftiest multichromes I’ve ever seen.

Obsidian

For the photo above, Obsidian was photographed outside. Below, Obsidian is shown indoors next to natural light by a window.

Obsidian is not part of the KBShimmer Enchanted Forest Collection, but I wanted to make sure you saw this color if you’re a fan of multichromes and you like darker colors. Obsidian is a black multichrome that shifts to shades of umber, crimson, orange and gold. It is so stunning!

KBShimmer Enchanted Forest Collection Final Thoughts

Frequent Flyer and No Illusions are my absolute favorites from the KBShimmer Enchanted Forest Collection. I can’t choose between them! If you only want to pick up 1 or 2, they are my top recommendations. They’re too beautiful!

If you love thermal nail polish, I recommend the shade Branching Out, as it is a beautiful navy to aqua. I’ve still got my eye on Hidden Potential, as I may pick that one up!

Many apologies for my absense here on the blog as well as on my YouTube channel. I have been struggling in my personal life. If you’ve missed chatting with me and seeing my posts, please visit the PhyrraNyx Facebook Group, as I pop in there at least once a day to say hello, comment on people’s gorgeous makeup looks, and offer makeup advice.

Want to learn how to do your own nails at home like I do? Check out my How to DIY Gel Nails at Home! You can also get ideas for your nail desk by checking out my nail polish work station.

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Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands List

Phyrra — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 18:13:14 +0000

Last Updated March 15, 2021

Welcome to my Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands List 2021! I choose to support cruelty-free brands even if they have a parent company that is not cruelty free. I believe that supporting animal-friendly companies goes a long way toward the eventual elimination of animal testing. If a brand is not cruelty free but decides to go cruelty free, I will support them! I want brands to stop testing on animals.

How to Start Going Cruelty-Free

Bookmark my Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands List.
Join the PhyrraNyx Facebook Group to make new friends, share makeup looks & talk about cruelty-free beauty.
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for cruelty-free beauty.
Watch my Practical Guide to Going Cruelty-Free.
Visit Leaping Bunny.

Hooded Eyes Makeup Manual

I wrote a book called Hooded Eyes Makeup Manual just for you! It has real people with unfiltered tutorials and guides. Every brand in the book is on my Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands List! If you are new to makeup, a makeup enthusiast, a cruelty-free beauty lover, or someone with hooded eyes, you will love this book! Get your copy from Amazon!

Favorite Content To Get You Started

New Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands List

My new Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands List is easily searchable! You can choose a letter from the drop down, or click any of the boxes to refine your search.

When you see the green dot for vegan next to a brand, that means that the brand is either 100% vegan or has an easy to shop vegan section on their website.
The grey dot means that the brand is cruelty-free but has a non-cruelty-free parent company.
When you see the pink dot, it means a brand is Leaping Bunny Certified, the gold standard for cruelty-free beauty!
See a list of grey area brands and brands that test on animals.

Please Note: I now believe that all PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies Program Brands are cruelty-free. Here’s why. I’m still working on adding all PETA brands to my list.

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Lime Crime Aura Palette

Phyrra — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 15:19:48 +0000

Hello beautiful creatures and happy Sunday! Today I’m sharing swatches of the Lime Crime Aura palette with you. Lime Crime sent me this palette as a PR sample. Aura is described as a cool-toned metallic and matte eyeshadow palette. On LC’s website this is labeled an eye and face palette.

Price
$30 for a 9 pan palette.

Where to Buy
Lime Crime, Ulta

About Lime Crime

Lime Crime is a 100% cruelty-free and vegan beauty brand that is Leaping Bunny Certified as well as PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies Program certified. Their start in the makeup community was not great because their founder Xenia Vorotova, aka Doe Deere, did a lot of awful things. She also apologized for her mistakes and has not repeated them, unlike some controversial brand owners. In 2018 Xenia sold the company, which is why I gave them a try. In 2020, Xenia and her husband left Lime Crime’s board of directors to make room for BIPOC on the board.

Packaging

The Lime Crime Aura Palette packaging is very minimal and sleek. It’s just hard plastic with no metal pans in the palette. It fits into the palm of my hands and has a large mirror. One of the colors in my palette, Luna, popped out in transit and I had to carefully press it back into place. While the size is perfect for travel, because of the soft press of the palette I received, I would not travel with this item.

Lime Crime Aura Palette Swatches

I swatched these eyeshadows on Urban Decay Primer Potion. It’s my go-to primer for swatching. My skintone is a very fair neutral to cool yellow undertone. My current best foundation matches are Milk Makeup Flex Stick Foundation in Porcelain, Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 10 Ultra-Fair Neutral, Supergoop! CC Screen SPF 50 in 105N, Nyx Born to Glow! Naturally Radiant Foundation in Pale, and Juvia’s Place 3-in-1 Shade Stick Foundation in Tokyo.

I took the above photo of swatches outdoors in direct sunlight on a cloudy day.

The Lime Crime Aura Palette swatches above were taken indoors next to a window with indirect sunlight.

From the top left to the bottom left you see Crescent, Orbit, Luna, Stellar, and Nova. From the top right to the bottom right you see Starry, Pink Moon, Midnight, and Super Moon.

Stellar – metallic baby pink (face)
Starry – metallic baby blue
Orbit – metallic lilac (face)
Midnight – metallic deep plum
Crescent – metallic silver
Super Moon – metallic cobalt
Pink Moon – fuchsia matte (face)
Luna – deep purple matte (face)
Nova – indigo matte (face)

The colors Stellar, Orbit, Luna, Pink Moon and Nova state that they are for the face, while the rest of the colors are for the eyes. I personally think this looks like an eyeshadow palette and it is being marketed as an eyeshadow palette. It irks me a bit that there are shades included that aren’t considered eye safe.

Eyeshadow Inspiration

Here are two quick looks that I put together featuring the Lime Crime Aura Palette. Please note that while I took a chance and used these colors on my eyes, that they may cause irritation for others. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion for my eyeshadow base.

For this quick blue look I put Super Moon on the lid and Starry on the lower lid. I added a pop of Pink Moon at the inner crease, Crescent at the inner corner, and Nova at the outer lid.

For my quick purple look I put Stellar on the lid. I used Luna through the crease and outer corner of the lid. I put Orbit on the lower lid and used Midnight as liner.

Other Lime Crime Features

Lime Crime Aura Palette Review

I’m into super bright and cool-toned eyeshadows, so I love the mix of colors in the Lime Crime Aura Palette. I absolutely love that Lime Crime released an all cool-toned palette. I love the ultra-shiny shimmer metallic formula. The mattes are easy to blend out and build up.

While I used to like super bright blush on me, I’ve since moved to softer washes of blush. I could see me attempting to use Pink Moon as a blush with a duo fiber brush and a light hand. I might be able to use Stellar as a highlighter, again if I used a duo fiber brush and a light hand.

My favorite shades in the Lime Crime Aura Palette are Orbit, Luna, Stellar, Nova, Midnight, Crescent, and Starry.

If you are looking for a standalone eyeshadow palette, this might not be for you. I personally need to pull in more eyeshadow shades, such as a transition shade, to create a complete look on my hooded eyes.

If you are looking for a cool-toned eyeshadow palette with pinks, purples and blues, you might love this palette. Just keep in mind that not all shades are intended to be worn on the eyes. I recommend spot testing to see if your eyes can tolerate the formula.

What do you think of the 100% vegan, cool-toned Lime Crime Aura Palette?

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Foundations and Concealers for Fair Skin

Phyrra — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 20:20:42 +0000

Saturdays are for swatching! I wanted to share swatches of some of my Foundations and Concealers for Fair Skin with you. Right now I’m wearing makeup daily for my never ending Zoom meetings (4 to 6 hours of meetings a week). Because I have rosacea, I wear a minimum of foundation, lip oil or lip tint, and my brows right now. Otherwise I feel like all you see on zoom is a very pink face. On days when I’m feeling good and have more energy, I put on eyeshadow and do a full face of makeup.

The Urban Decay products were sent as PR samples. Everything else purchased by me. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Foundations and Concealers for Fair Skin Swatches

I applied the center swatches and waited 10 minutes, then added a dot of each product to the outside to try to show you how the products might oxidize.

I took the above photo of foundations and concealers for fair skin outside in direct afternoon sun.

This photo of foundations and concealers for fair skin was taken indoors in indirect sunlight in my bedroom.

Milk Makeup Flex Stick Foundation in Porcelain (v)
Em Cosmetics Daydream Cushion Foundation in Cloud Dream (v)
*Urban Decay Stay Naked Correcting Concealer in 10NN (v)
Kim Chi Chic Beauty the Most Concealer in TMC 01 Ivory
*Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 10 Ultra-Fair Neutral (v)
Supergoop! CC Screen SPF 50 in 105N (v)
Exa High Fidelity Foundation in 530 Terese (v)
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly (not cruelty-free, used as a reference shade)
XX Revolution Glow Skin FauXXdation Foundation in FX0.05
Huda Beauty Fauxfilter Stick in Angel Food
Nyx Born to Glow! Naturally Radiant Foundation in Pale (v)
Nyx Born to Glow Radiant Concealer in Pale (v)
Milani Conceal + Perfect Foundation Stick in Porcelain (v)
Milani Supercharged Brightening Undereye Tint in 110 Pink (v)
Milani Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer in Nude Glow (v)
Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover Adjustable Foundation & Concealer in N01 (v)
Juvia’s Place 3-in-1 Shade Stick Foundation in Tokyo (v)
Juvia’s Place I Am Magic Concealer in 24 (v)
Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer in Tone 01 (v)
The Ordinary Serum Foundation in 1.0 NS (v)

* denotes PR sample.

Milk Makeup Flex Stick Foundation in Porcelain

Milk Makeup Flex Foundation Stick in Porcelain is an amazing stick foundation, which is why I included it in my foundations and concealers for fair skin. The shade Porcelain, a very fair with neutral undertones, works well with my skin tone. It has buildable coverage, which I love. It blends in seamlessly and lasts all day on Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer. I prefer to apply it with the Urban Decay Optical Blurring brush. This has been my favorite foundation for about 2 years now because of the amazing shade match and formula. See my Milk Makeup Skin Care and Makeup Review for more Milk Makeup love.

Porcelain is a very fair neutral that blends seamlessly with my very fair neutral to cool yellow under tone.

Milk Makeup is a large indie brand that is 100% cruelty-free and 100% vegan.

Em Cosmetics Daydream Cushion Foundation in Cloud Dream

Em Cosmetics Daydream Cushion Foundation in Cloud Dream is touted as a multi-use formula that can be used as a primer under foundation, worn alone as a tinted SPF topper, or paired with concealer. I love the environmentally friendly, refillable compact packaging and that it comes with a refill when you buy it. The serum-infused formula is easy to apply and wear. The packaging recommends you apply every 2 hours if you’re going to be outside. They also state that this is a cosmetic product and not intended to replace your normal sunscreen. This is a great foundation if you love light coverage like I do and you’re looking for a cruelty-free cushion foundation for fair skin.

Cloud Dream is a fair neutral hue.

Em Cosmetics is a cruelty-free indie beauty brand.

Urban Decay Stay Naked Correcting Concealer in 10NN

The Urban Decay Stay Naked Concealer is a nice, lightweight concealer for covering dark spots and blemishes. UD recommends it for concealing around the face, as well as for shaping the face by highlighting with a lighter shade. You can contour with a concealer a few shades deeper than your skin tone.

10NN is a very fair neutral concealer.

Urban Decay is a cruelty-free beauty brand owned by L’Oreal. They are part of the Responsible Mica Initiative, which means they are child labor free.

The Kim Chic Chic Beauty The Most Concealer in TMC 01 Ivory

The Kim Chic Chic Beauty The Most Concealer is pretty amazing. It’s a very dry, heavily pigmented formula that is somehow not drying. It’s also a multi-tasking wonder since it has a buildable full coverage and water resistant formula, can hide blemishes, dark circles, and other skin imperfections.

TMC 01 Ivory is for fair skin with a neutral undertone.

KimChi Chic Beauty is by the fabulous drag queen, KimChi Chic. They’re a 100% cruelty-free indie beauty brand.

Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 10 Ultra Fair Neutral

The Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator foundation is the best foundation for my skin type that Urban Decay has released in a decade. I LOVE this lightweight formula. It has buildable, medium coverage, which is more than enough for my taste. I adore the glow it gives, especially when I wear it with Danessa Myricks Prism FX Hydrating Lotion. I feel radiant in this foundation. The coverage from Hydromaniac is perfect for me for daily wear. See more Urban Decay Features.

The shade 10 Ultra-Fair Neutral is a fair neutral foundation.

Supergoop CC Screen SPF 50 in 105N

Wearing Supergoop CC Screen 105N

The Supergoop CC Screen SPF 50 in 105N is another product that I’ve been loving and wearing the hell out of. I do still wear another SPF underneath it, my Supergoop Unseen SPF 40. One of the best things about this CC Screen is that it is reef-safe, environmentally friendly packaging, and made without oxybenzone. Supergoop says if you want to wear only the CC Screen that they recommend you apply it, let it set, and then apply a second layer. This product is the perfect amount of coverage for my taste for daily wear, which is why I included it in my foundations and concealers for fair skin. You may want to check out should I use moisturizer and sunscreen.

105N is for very fair neutral skin tones.

Supergoop! is owned by Holly Thaggard. They’re a cruelty-free indie skin care brand

Exa High Fidelity Foundation in Terese

My beautiful friend Justina from Justina’s Gems told me I NEEDED to try the Exa High Fidelity Foundation. It has a flexible formula that can be worn sheer or built up to full luminous coverage. It’s gluten free and vegan. It contains soothing ingredients like aloe vera and maqui berry, as well as microalgae. The High Fidelity foundation comes in 43 shades. The foundation is a lovely, buildable formula and it has a beautiful finish.

530 Terese is fair with neutral undertones.

Exa is a private label makeup brand owned by Credo Beauty. They’re a clean beauty brand.

XX Revolution Glow Skin FauXXdation Foundation FX0.05

The XX Revolution Glow Skin FauXXdation Foundation in FX0.05 is a foundation I found on Beauty Bay. It’s a lightweight buildable coverage foundation that gives you medium to full coverage with a glow. It comes in 55 shades catering to yellow, olive, pink, neutral, cool, golden, orange and warm undertones. If you have dry skin and you need medium to full coverage, this is definitely a foundation to check out, which is why I included it in this foundations and concealers for fair skin swatch fest.

FX0.05 is for the fairest skin with yellow undertone.

Revolution Beauty is a cruelty free beauty brand.

Huda Beauty FauxFilter Skin Finish Foundation Stick in 110N Angel Food

I am in love with the Huda Beauty Faux Filter Foundation Stick. It’s fragrance-free, which is a big deal to me, because I hate added fragrance in foundations. It’s transfer-proof, waterproof, humidity and sweat resistant. Because it’s a stick, it’s easy to build up the coverage to full if you want, but you know me. I prefer light to light-medium coverage. The finish on this foundation is beautiful.

110N Angel Food is a very fair with neutral undertone. I feel it’s a neutral to cool yellow.

Huda Beauty is a cruelty-free beauty brand.

Nyx Born to Glow Radiant Foundation in Pale

Nyx Born to Glow! Naturally Radiant Foundation in Pale is a beautiful glowy drugstore foundation perfect for dry skin like mine. It’s got buildable medium coverage and comes in 45 shades. Not to mention it’s $10, which is hard to beat! That’s why I included it in this foundations and concealers for fair skin roundup.

Pale is described as a white ivory with warm undertone.

Nyx is a cruelty-free beauty brand.

Nyx Born to Glow Radiant Concealer in Pale

The Nyx Born to Glow Radiant Concealer is lovely! It does a great job at brightening and blurring imperfections. It’s very blendable and easy to work with, but not a full coverage product.

The concealer shade Pale is described as a white ivory with warm undertone.

Milani Conceal + Perfect Foundation Stick in Porcelain

This is the first Milani foundation that I found I could wear because they finally made a shade light enough to work with my skin tone. Unfortunately, it looks like they may be discontinuing this foundation because it’s on sale for $6.99 with limited shades available. See why I call this the best cruelty-free drugstore foundation for under $10.

My shade, Porcelain, is a fair neutral.

Milani is a cruelty-free beauty brand.

Milani Supercharged Brightening Undereye Tint in 110 Pink

Milani Supercharged Brightening Undereye Tint in 110 Pink is my biggest disappointment that I’ve purchased recently. I find this shade is too pink to actually brighten my under eyes, but it may be perfect for someone with very fair cool pink undertones.

110 Pink is for fair to light skin.

Milani Soft Focus Glow in Nude Glow

Milani Soft Focus Glow in Nude Glow is a light golden beige complexion perfection product. In the photo above I’m wearing it mixed with an iridescent glowy product and a bit of Milani’s Porcelain stick. If you’re looking for something to slightly warm up your complexion and blur imperfections for Zoom, this is a great choice, which is why I included it in this set of foundations and concealers for fair skin swatches.

I describe Nude Glow as a light golden beige pearl.

I’m really interested in seeing swatches or trying Milani’s Glow Hydrating Skin Tint, too. I really love most of Milani’s glowy products. Their After Glow Liquid Strobe Light is stunning.

Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover Adjustable Foundation & Concealer in N01

Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover Adjustable Foundation & Concealer in N01 is a fantastic product! I’m so happy to see Danessa Myricks Beauty available at Sephora now. Danessa is such a talented makeup artist and her all vegan makeup line is amazing! This product works well with oil, wax, and silicone-based products. A little goes a long way on me, but I prefer light to medium coverage. It is very easy to get full coverage with this product. I use shade N01 as foundation or concealer. N04 works as a contour for me. I love that this formula is very easy to turn into a glowy tinted moisturizer with the Danessa Myricks Prism FX Hydrating Lotion. See more of my Danessa Myricks features. See N01 & N04 swatched together here.

N01 is for very fair skin with a neutral undertone.

Danessa Myricks is a black-owned cruelty-free and vegan beauty brand.

Juvia’s Place 3-in-1 Shade Stick Foundation in Tokyo

I find the Juvia’s Place 3-in-1 Shade Stick Foundation in Tokyo to have an ultra creamy formula. It’s extremely comfortable for dry skin like mine to wear. Read more Juvia’s Place features.

Tokyo is for very light skin with a neutral undertone.

Juvia’s Place is a black-owned cruelty-free indie beauty brand.

Juvia’s Place I Am Magic Concealer in 24

Juvia’s Place I Am Magic Concealer is an amazing full coverage concealer.

24 is for the fairest skin with a neutral cool undertone.

Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer in Tone 01

Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer in Tone 01 is a very creamy concealer. It’s not a favorite of mine but I included it here so you could see how it compares to the other.

Tone 01 N is described as a light with neutral peach undertones.

Kosas is a cruelty-free clean beauty brand.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation in 1.0 NS

The Ordinary Serum Foundation in 1.0 NS has a pretty, skinlike finish.

1.0 NS is described as very fair with neutral undertones with silver highlights.

The Ordinary is a cruelty-free and vegan skin care company.

Foundations and Concealers for Fair Skin Final Thoughts

Out of the concealer products I’ve featured today, my favorite concealers are the Nyx Born to Glow Radiant Concealer in Pale, KimChi Chic Beauty the Most Concealer in TMC 01 Ivory, and Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover Adjustable Foundation & Concealer in N01. I really appreciate the pigmentation of the KimChi Chic and the Danessa Myricks. I love the brightening effect from the Nyx.

Out of the foundations I’ve featured today, my favorites are the Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator in 10 Ultra-Fair Neutral, Supergoop! CC Screen SPF 50 in 105N, Milk Makeup Flex Stick Foundation in Porcelain, Huda Beauty Fauxfilter Stick in Angel Food, Nyx Born to Glow! Naturally Radiant Foundation in Pale, Milani Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer in Nude Glow, Juvia’s Place 3-in-1 Shade Stick Foundation in Tokyo, and Em Cosmetics Daydream Cushion Foundation in Cloud Dream.

I’m hooked on foundation sticks and still feel like they’re great for daily wear when I’m running out and about, which I haven’t done for a year because of the pandemic. UD’s Hydromaniac, Supergoop’s CC Screen and Milani’s Soft Focus Glow are all three so easy to slap on with finger tips if you don’t want to bother with a brush and they’re perfect for my five minute face routine. I don’t need a ton of coverage, just something to help hide my redness.

What are you wearing on your face lately? Are there any foundations or complexion perfection products you’re excited for?

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Urban Decay Naked Wild West Palette

Phyrra — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 13:15:19 +0000

Hello beautiful creatures! I wanted to share my swatches and thoughts on the new Urban Decay Naked Wild West palette with you. UD says this palette is inspired by the California deserts, Joshua trees, and endless skies. Wild West is the first all vegan eyeshadow palette from Urban Decay ~~in a decade~~ (I clearly forgot Stoned Vibes was vegan too!). It has 12 desert-inspired neutrals with a pop of turquoise.

Where to Buy
Sephora, Urban Decay, Nordstrom

Price
$49

Urban Decay is a 100% cruelty-free beauty brand. Their parent company is L’Oreal, and they are a part of the child-free mica initiative. Thank you so much to Urban Decay for sending me this palette as a PR sample.

Wild West Theme

I’m personally of the opinion that the myth of the Old West and the cowboy has been very damaging. It is disturbing because of how it tries to culturally erase the Native Americans who lived here before the Old West was ‘discovered’. It minimizes the harm that was done.

Naked Wild West Palette Swatches

I swatched these on Urban Decay Original Primer Potion. The photos outdoors were taken on an overcast afternoon. The photos indoors were taken in indirect light by the window.

Standoff (soft beige matte)
Laredo (taupe matte)
Pony Up (cool slate matte)
Nudie (light warm-brown matte)
Spur (pale peach matte)
Ghost Town (terracotta matte)
Whiskey (rich brown matte)

Hold ‘Em (warm bronze creamy metallic)
Rustler (deep copper shimmer)
Cowboy Rick (warm silver creamy metallic)
Bud (soft turquoise shimmer)
Tex (deep blue-green matte)

My Thoughts

The Urban Decay Naked Wild West palette has fabulous packaging. I love the cool snakeskin print design. It’s a mix of cool and warm tones. You get a bunch of staple neutral hues and a pop of turquoise in the mix. The colors I like the best are Hold ‘Em, Cowboy Rick, Bud, Tex, Standoff, Laredo, and Pony Up.

I found the eyeshadow formula to be thinner to work with than my UD eyeshadow singles, which is unfortunate. I love the Urban Decay eyeshadow single formula, but I don’t feel like the eyeshadows in this palette are the same quality. They’re more difficult to work with. Are they unworkable? No, but I feel like I have to spend extra time building up these shades and then blending them out. I’d rather reach for shades that don’t require so much extra work.

Who is this palette for? The Urban Decay Naked Wild West palette is for those individuals who are new to makeup and looking for a palette filled with neutrals and a pop of turquoise. If you are someone who loves bright eyeshadows, skip this one. If you’re a UD collector, you’ll want this one for the packaging.

I love Urban Decay and have adored their products for more than a decade. The Naked train has been ridden into the ground. As many people elsewhere around the internet have mused, Urban Decay could stand to revamp their line. They need to figure out what is up with their palette eyeshadow formula and improve it.

I would love to see more smaller, tightly curated palettes from Urban Decay. Palettes like the Aphrodisiac, Detour, or Shortcut, where they’re not trying to be everything to everyone, but instead focus on a stand-out color story and formula.

What do you think of the new Urban Decay Naked Wild West palette? Will you be picking it up?

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Natasha Denona Mini Palettes

Phyrra — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 15:18:24 +0000

Hello beautiful creatures and Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m sharing my Natasha Denona Mini Palettes with you. The mini palettes ignited my love for Natasha Denona. This post will tell you why, as well as share swatches of the ones I own.

Where to Buy
Sephora, Natasha Denona, Beautylish

Price
$25 per mini palette

About Natasha Denona

Natasha Denona is a luxury cruelty-free beauty brand. They are also an independent brand (indie), meaning they have no parent company.

About My Skin Tone

My skin tone is a very fair neutral to cool yellow undertone, my natural hair color is a very dark brown mistaken for black, and my eyes are blue-green. I’m a high contrast individual. I find my best foundation matches are neutrals or cool yellows.

Currently my best matches are Urban Decay Hydromaniac in 10, Supergoop CC Screen in 105N, Milk Makeup Flex Stick Foundation in Porcelain, Nyx Born to Glow Radiant Foundation in Pale, Smashbox Studio Skin Foundation in .1, and Juvia’s Place Shade Stick in Tokyo.

Mini Palette Swatches

The above photo was swatched with indirect sunlight indoors.

I took these swatches outdoors in natural light on a cloudy afternoon.

Mini Gold

Antheia (taupe with green reflects)
Bia (matte olive green)
D’or (high shine vibrant yellow gold)
Dark Sepia (dark taupe with pink shimmer)
Lodge (matte light tawny brown)

The Mini Gold is my most used mini palette right now. It just looks so good with my green hair! For quick looks I like to put Bia all over and then pop D’or onto the lid.

Mini Zendo

Uncovered (matte dusty coral)
Dazz (shimmering coral with light bronze shift)
Stripped (shimmering warm silver)
Bare (matte pastel pink)
Stark (shimmering, dark, cool burgundy)

Uncovered is my go-to color in my crease, Bare to blend it out, and pop a duochrome or multichrome on my lid. The Mini Zendo makes my blue-green eyes appear more blue. See my original Mini Zendo Review & Tutorial for Hooded Eyes.

Mini Glam

Faye (metallic gold)
Seed (matte brown)
Anjo (metallic bronze)
Harlow (matte nude)
Golden Flesh (metallic gold)

I like using Faye and Golden Flesh on my lid with Harlow in the crease. The Mini Glam is super cute if you’re a neutrals lover.

Mini Lila

Flint (nude sand matte)
Linen (nude champagne metallic)
Raisin (medium cool burgundy matte)
Blue Dahlia (purple with blue duochrome sparkle effect)
Poison Berry (vibrant fuchsia matte)

Mini Lila was limited edition. You can see my original Mini Lila Review, as well as a Mini Lila Tutorial for Hooded Eyes. Blue Dahlia looks great layered on top of Raisin or Poison Berry to create a vibrant look. Linen + Flint is an effortless neutral combo.

Other Natasha Denona Features

Cranberry Palette

Daisy (sparkly pink)
Sakura (red matte)
Botanic (sparkly orange with pink shift)
Blossom (berry matte)
Nude (golden peach sparkle)

The Natasha Denona Cranberry Palette is not a mini, but I believe it was one of the first 5 pan palettes I purchased from ND and I included it in my set of swatches. I believe this palette was $48 and was limited edition. I like Nude or Botanic on the lid with Sakura in the crease.

Mini Retro

Pixie (pink with champagne shift)
Vintage Taupe (antique rose)
60s (greenish grey)
Industrial (green taupe with silver reflect)
Galaxia (light nude with green and blue sparks)

I like to apply a wash of Vintage Taupe all over and pop Galaxia onto the lid. The Mini Retro has such an interesting mix of colors with the greenish grey + pinks.

Mini Love

You (mauvey rose gold)
Are (matte antique lilac)
My (aubergine)
True (matte icy pastel pink)
Love (matte medium pink)

The Mini Love evokes not only the Natasha Denona Love palette for me, but also the Melt She’s in Parties palette! I love to apply Are all over, deepen the crease with My, pop You onto the lid, and highlight with True at the inner corner.

Why I Love Minis

I love mini palettes for so many reasons! First, because they’re so easy to use to create quick eyeshadow combos. Only 5 shades to choose between, so that makes it easy for me to come up with fast looks to make my eyes pop. Second, because they’re ultra portable and sturdy. I love the simple, small case because it fits in any size of my makeup bags. Third, the price tag. At $25 each they’re a very affordable way for you to get a taste of Natasha Denona’s eyeshadows. Fourth, they also make great gifts.

On a personal note, I’m still adjusting to my new job and it sucks up most of my time and energy. Right now when I have time, here’s who I’m watching on YouTube and whose blogs I read:

Robert Welsh – I’m addicted to his videos, especially the ghost stories. Love his aesthetic, fashion, and makeup.
The Neidharts – My friends Nattie & Jenni. I’m doing their 5 Pounds Dance daily!
Slashed Beauty– My friend Miranda is so funny! She does so many great drugstore beauty reviews and tests.
Angelica Nyqvist – I love her taste and bright colors! I ordered her Kaleidos palette and it finally got here yesterday.
Glitter Fallout – She has so many great tutorials and videos, check them out!
Alex the Alchemist – Lots of fun videos, including discussing WandaVsion!
Blushing Noir – My friend Brooke does so many great reviews, including on the new brand, Auric.
My Beauty Bunny – You know I love Jen! She does so many great cruelty-free skin care reviews.

I hope you’re having a lovely weekend!

The post Natasha Denona Mini Palettes appeared first on Phyrra.

Love Monster Rancher? You’ll Love Monster Sanctuary

Phyrra — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 17:34:56 +0000

Hello beautiful creatures! Today I’m talking about a new video game that launched in December 2020 called Monster Sanctuary. Anyone who has known me well knows that I love video games. You’ve probably heard me mention Monster Rancher, Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior, World of Warcraft, Soul Calibur, Viva Piñata or Pokemon at the very least. More recently I’ve been playing Jackbox Games like Trivia Murder Party 2 & Quiplash via Zoom with my friends during lockdown.

Read all about my World of Warcraft Obsession.

Where to Find Monster Sanctuary

Monster Sanctuary is currently available on Windows, MAC, and Linux (Steam only). You can also find it on the Nintendo Switch / Xbox One / Playstation 4 and Game pass. Dave bought it for us to try on Steam, but if I end up getting addicted to it the way I think I will, I’ll pick up a version for my Nintendo Switch.

It’s rated E for everyone 10+ by the ESRB.

Help with Monster Sanctuary

Monster Sanctuary has a thriving reddit community. If you need help with the game, you can check out the reddit forums or visit the Monster Sanctuary website. There’s also a helpful Monster Sanctuary wiki.

Monster Sanctuary Game Play

Monster Sanctuary blends monster catching with the feel of a classic platformer and gives it a twist with RPG elements. At times I’m getting hit with nostalgia from Dragon Warrior. Dave feels it strongly reminds him of Pokemon because you start as a young trainer and have tactical 3 vs 3 battles with your monsters. And of course, a lot of people mention the metriodvania genre aspect, which are defined by side scroller classics such as Metriod and Castlevania.

What I really love about the combat style is that it is turn-based. This throws me back to Shining Forces, Phantasy Star and some of the other classic turn-based strategy RPGs I used to thrive on.

It’s a really easy game to pick up and play for a while, but it’s just as easy to save the game and stop. I love games that are respectful of the player’s time and allow you to pause, save, and stop for real life. When games make pausing and saving difficult on top of requiring a huge time commitment to get through a chunk of content, it usually turns me off of the game. I play games to relax and entertain myself, not to become frustrated at game design that punishes the players.

PVP is offered in this game but I have not tried it.

Companions

You start with your choice of a spirit beast. I chose a spirit wolf that I promptly named Nyx. Each monster has its own unique talent tree so you can decide how to spend your points to strengthen your companions. I love the flexibility the talent tree provides for you to customize your companions.

For me, after completing my first battle I also ended up with a Blob, which reminds me of the Dragon Warrior Slime monster. It’s a healing pet. The way I crafted my team I keep my spirit wolf and my blob as my two main monsters. I rotate my third slot dependent upon each battle.

Monster Evolution

If you want to evolve your monster companion you have to head to a place called the Tree of Evolution. You’ll also need to bring a Catalyst with you. You’ll find Catalysts from loot drops and Reward Boxes. I’ve been treating this like Mario in the respect that I’m trying to open every box I can find. You’ll discover that certain monsters have special abilities to help you through challenges.

Catalysts

If you want to evolve your monster into another form, you’ll need to get a Catalyst. Here are the following Catalysts in the game so far: Cocoon, Dark Stone, Demonic Pact, Fire Stone, Giant Seed, Ice Stone, Magical Clay, Majestic Crown, Shard of Winter, Silver Feather, Stardust, Sun Stone, and Volcanic Ash.

Monster Exploration Abilities

My Vaero Monster flying me over to a ledge.

Many of the monsters have special exploration abilities. Some may help you fly over an obstacle. Others will move a wall, set things on fire, or use other abilities to help you obtain rare treasure chests. They help you navigate the terrain and find secrets you’ll need for later in the game.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a light-hearted pet collecting game with fun RPG aspects and turn-based strategy combat, check out Monster Sanctuary. It fills the void that Monster Rancher left in my gaming world.

What new games have you tried lately? What are your current favorite games to play?

The post Love Monster Rancher? You’ll Love Monster Sanctuary appeared first on Phyrra.

Multichrome Eyeshadow Magic

Phyrra — Sat, 06 Feb 2021 17:02:33 +0000

Hello beautiful creatures! Today I’m sharing some multichrome eyeshadow magic with you. For those of you who might be new here, duochromes and multichromes are my eyeshadow obsession! I love to make them the star of my makeup looks. They’re perfect for one and done makeup, too. If you’re looking for a single eyeshadow to make the most impact when wearing a mask, you need a multichrome!

In case it needs to be said, all of these were purchased by me. All opinions, as always, are my own.

The Indie Mood

I wanted to take a minute and say thank you to the Indie Mood and everyone here who has supported me over the past 13 years. I was thrilled to Phyrra.net named as one of the two best beauty blogs of 2020, with the other blog being Temptalia. Please check out the Indie Mood’s 2020 awards and give them a follow on Instagram. They always share new indie releases and I follow them!

Multichrome Eyeshadow Magic Swatches

Below are my multichrome eyeshadow magic swatches. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion as the base for swatches.

Fyrinnae Northwest Night (v) – metallic navy blue with golden green to vivid turquoise shimmer
Fyr Flawless (v) – bright moss green shifts to kelly green to turquoise to sapphire to blue-violet and rainbow sparkle
Fyrinnae Prismatic Thunderstorm (v) – burgundy wine matte with lime green to blue to deep pink shimmer
Fyr Edge of Space (v) – striking sky blue sparkle on a deep blackberry hue base with hints of silver turns vivid magenta then coral-pink
Fyrinnae Osiris & Orion (v) – icy blue shimmer with hints of turquoise on a pale grey-blue sheer base tint, the shimmer turns violet, to pink, to golden, then light green
Fyr Idolize (v) – dark violet turns magenta to copper to gold to lime
Fyrinnae Alpenglow (v) – vivid cool pink with lime green to hot pink shimmer
Baby Bat Beauty Amulet (v) – multichrome that shifts from purple to blue to pink
BBB Lucid (v) – multichrome that shifts from purpley-pink to gold to green
Baby Bat Beauty Druid (v) – pressed glitter that shifts from green to blue to orange and red
Devinah Morphinae (dc) – metallic with blue, purple and red shifts
D Parthenos (dc) – metallic green with green and blue shifts
Devinah Paralucia (dc) – metallic peach neutral with green, gold and red shifts
D Menelaus (dc) – metallic with blue, green and purple shifts
JD Glow See Weed (v) – green multichrome that shifts to grass green, lime green, teal blue, and dark teal blue
Sydney Grace Chamellionaire (v) – green multichrome that shifts to hunter green to vibrant yellow gold to dark sky blue
Terra Moon Zero Gravity (v) – iridescent white with glowing violet blue purple and pink shift
TM Cinnamon Sugar (v)- champagne pink base with gold and green shift
Terra Moon Interstellar (v) – burgundy wine base with pink, blue and purple shimmer
Kristen Leigh Sorcery (v) – metallic cool toned brown with purple to pink to blue shift

V denotes vegan
DC denotes discontinued

See these swatches in action in my video on Instagram.

What to Pair with Multichromes

If you don’t want to use a duochrome or multichrome eyeshadow for a one and done eyeshadow look, I suggest using them with mattes. As a hooded eye gal, I have a lot of great mattes from my Viseart Editorial Brights, Cool Mattes 1 and Cool Mattes 2 palettes, as well as my Natasha Denona and Melt Cosmetics. Wondering if you have hooded eyes? Find out in my Do I have hooded eyes feature.

Looking for help picking out mattes to go with your multichrome eyeshadows? See my Natasha Denona Triochrome Palette Review or my Lethal Cosmetics Makeup Haul.

Multichrome Eyeshadow Magic Inspiration

Craving more magic? See my eye swatches of Kristen Leigh Glimmer Gels, which can be layered on top of any eyeshadow to create duochrome and multichrome eyeshadow magic!

Multichrome Eyeshadow Magic Thoughts

The world of indie cosmetics got me addicted to multichrome eyeshadow magic. While I’ve given away most of my loose eyeshadow collection, I’ve held onto my pressed eyeshadows. I find pressed eyeshadow easier to store and travel with, not that I’ve done any traveling over the past year.

The most similar colors I own are the greens – See Weed, Chamellionaire, Flawless and Paralucia. My favorite from among all the greens is JD Glow See Weed, followed by Fyrinnae Flawless. These two have the best pigmentation and formula for my oily hooded eyelids. See my JD Glow Liquid Multichromes Review.

Menelaus and Sorcery are both very similar, as they have a cool-toned brown base with strong blue shift. Between the two I prefer the formula of Menelaus.

Prismatic Thunderstorm and Interstellar are very similar. Between the two I prefer the formula of Prismatic Thunderstorm, as I feel you see the color shift more intensely.

Cinnamon Sugar and Parthenos are my two favorite neutrals with a twist. I prefer Cinnamon Sugar between the two because it has this magical quality that makes my eyes look bigger when worn on the lid.

What do you think of multichrome eyeshadow magic? What’s your favorite type of eyeshadow to wear?

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The Best Eyeshadow Palette I’ve Ever Bought for $7

Phyrra — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 22:36:49 +0000

Hello beautiful creatures! Today I wanted to share the best eyeshadow palette I’ve ever bought for $7: the Beauty Bay Book of Magic Palette. I bought this palette on sale from Beauty Bay’s site and the original price is only $15. The Book of Magic called my name because of the pretty purples, bewitching blues, stunning shimmers, and marvelous mattes. And best of all? It’s a 100% cruelty-free and 100% vegan eyeshadow palette!

Where to Buy
Beauty Bay

The Book of Magic palette is typically $15, but I was able to purchase it on sale. It’s currently out of stock at Beauty Bay’s site.

Book of Magic Palette

Charmed – rich purple shimmer
Jinx – deep navy shimmer
Spell – rich emerald green shimmer
Crystal – green brown duochrome
Potion – electric blue shimmer
Moonlight – white-silver shimmer
Alchemy – warm champagne shimmer
Stardust – vibrant copper shimmer
Vanish – warm cream matte
Manifest – neutral brown matte
Enchanted – soft lilac matte
Sorcery – electric purple matte
Voodoo – moody deep purple matte
Wish – bright turquoise matte
Elixir – rich powder blue matte
Bewitched – a sea blue-green matte
Cursed – deep navy matte
Trick – royal blue matte
Amulet – warm tan matte
Hex – deep black matte

In a sea of colorful eyeshadow palettes, the Book of Magic caught my eye because of the purples and teal blues. Those are my favorite colors to wear, and when I saw this palette on sale for $7, I knew I had to have it. I love that it is 100% cruelty-free and 100% vegan. As I had never used a Beauty Bay eyeshadow before, I didn’t know what to expect from their formula. This palette did not disappoint!

The Book of Magic palette packaging has pretty holographic foil on the lid. There’s a large mirror inside if you like mirrors in your palettes. It feels fairly sturdy.

I love the name Book of Magic, because I do think of makeup as magic. For me, it helps me transform into a more confident and calm person. The eyeshadow names are really cute to me.

Beauty Bay Book of Magic Swatches

The photo of Book of Magic swatches above was taken outdoors in natural sunlight on an overcast day. Below, the photo was taken indoors next to a window in natural light.

For the Beauty Bay Book of Magic swatches above the colors are:

Top Row = Manifest, Vanish, Stardust, Alchemy, Moonlight, Potion, Crystal, Spell, Jinx, Charmed
Bottom Row = Hex, Amulet, Trick, Cursed, Bewitched, Elixir, Wish, Voodoo, Sorcery, Enchanted

Top Row – Stardust, Alchemy, Moonlight
Bottom Row – Trick, Cursed, Bewitched, Elixir

Top Row – Moonlight, Potion, Crystal
Bottom Row – Bewitched, Elixir, Wish, Voodoo

Top Row – Crystal, Spell, Jinx, Charmed
Bottom Row -Wish, Voodoo, Sorcery, Enchanted

Purple Makeup Inspiration

I put together four quick looks with the Beauty Bay Book of Magic Palette for inspiration for you.

My signature look with the Book of Magic palette is all about purples. I used a Sigma E25 brush to apply Sorcery to the lid, crease, and lower lid. I used Enchanted to blend out the edges of Sorcery in the crease with a Nyx 44 brush. On a damp Sigma E54 brush I applied Charmed to the lid. I used an It Cosmetics Airbrush Smokey Liner 125 brush to line the eyes with Voodoo.

These 4 cool-toned purples work so well together! They’re my favorite ‘quad’ from this palette. Love purple makeup? See all my purple makeup looks and tutorials.

Teal Makeup Inspiration

With a Sigma E25 brush, I applied Bewitched all over the lid, crease and lower lid. I used Wish to blend out the edges with a Nyx 44 brush. Spell was applied damp to the lid with a Sigma E54 brush. Cursed lined the eyes with my It Cosmetics Airbrush Smokey Liner 125 brush.

I really love my teal blues, and these 4 colors together from the Book of Magic are perfection. Into teals? See my teal makeup looks.

Neutral Makeup Inspiration

When looking at my swatches for this palette, I was reminded of the Melt Cosmetics Blueprint stack because of the mix of neutrals and blues, so I decided to put together an easy neutral look for you too. Want more neutrals? Check out my neutral makeup looks.

Amulet was applied all over the lid, crease and lower lid with a Sigma E25. Vanish was used with a Nyx 44 brush to blend out the edges. Crystal was applied on a damp Sigma E54 brush to the lid. Manifest lined the eyes with an It Cosmetics Airbrush Smokey Liner 125 brush.

Blue Makeup Inspiration

For this last blue look I played with several colors. I used a stiff angled OCC brush to create a V shape at the inner and outer corner with Hex. Cursed was applied just inside the inner and outer V with the same angled brush. Bewitched was applied to the center of the lid, lower lid and crease with a Sigma E25 brush. Vanish was used on a Nyx 44 brush to blend out the edges of the crease. I layered Jinx at the inner and outer v, and because I used my finger tip instead of a brush it had a bit of fallout into my crease. Spell was applied to finish this look at the center of the lid and lower lid. See more blue makeup looks for inspiration.

Eyeshadow Combo Ideas

Purple Quad – Charmed, Enchanted, Sorcery, Voodoo
Teal Quad – Spell, Wish, Bewitched, Cursed
Neutral Quad – Crystal, Vanish, Amulet, Manifest
Blue Quad – Potion, Elixir, Trick, Cursed
Silver Quad – Moonlight, Vanish, Wish, Hex
Copper Quad – Stardust, Vanish, Amulet, Manifest
Gold Quad – Alchemy, Vanish, Amulet, Cursed
Navy Quad – Jinx, Wish, Trick, Cursed
Crystal Quad – Crystal, Sorcery, Voodoo, Bewitched

Eyeshadow Brushes Used

Sigma E25 Brush
Sigma E54 Brush
Nyx 44 Brush
It Cosmetics Airbrush Smokey Liner 125 Brush

The Sigma E25 Brush is my workhorse eyeshadow brush. I probably own 6 of this style. I love to use it to apply my color to the lid and crease, as well as to blend things out. The Nyx 44 Brush is a tiny brush, perfect for blending on hooded eyes like mine. If you like to smoke out powder eyeshadow as liner, you NEED the It Cosmetics Airbrush Smokey Liner 125 Brush, as it is perfect for this! The Sigma E54 Brush is nice for packing eyeshadow onto my lids.

Beauty Bay Book of Magic Palette Thoughts

The Beauty Bay Book of Magic Palette has a thin, buildable eyeshadow formula. The mattes are surprisingly pigmented and very easy to work with. I find the shimmers work best for me if applied with a damp brush. If I try to use my finger tip to tap them on, I end up with some fallout.

My favorite colors in this palette are Charmed (cool-toned light purple shimmer), Jinx (deep navy shimmer on a blackened navy base), Spell (rich emerald green shimmer on a teal base), Crystal (soft brown with golden-green shift), Moonlight (silvery white shimmer), Enchanted (soft cool-toned purple matte), Sorcery (bright purple matte), Voodoo (deep purple matte), Wish (bright turquoise matte), Bewitched (teal blue matte), Cursed (deep navy matte), Vanish (warm vanilla matte), Amulet (warm caramel matte), and Hex (black matte).

If you have the opportunity to pick up the Beauty Bay Book of Magic palette, don’t hesitate! It’s the prettiest teal and purple premade palette I’ve ever seen. What do you think of the Book of Magic?

The post The Best Eyeshadow Palette I’ve Ever Bought for $7 appeared first on Phyrra.

Heart Nail Designs Mani

Phyrra — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 19:16:36 +0000

Hello beautiful creatures and happy Sunday! I finally had the creativity, time, and energy to do a new mani: my heart nail designs mani. It’s just in time for Valentine’s Day.

I put my full coverage tips on the same way every time, no matter what nail shape I choose. Need help doing your nails at home? Watch my how to DIY gel nails tutorial. I take you step-by-step through the whole process.

Heart Nail Designs How To

I wanted the iGel Beauty Candy Aurora AC1 Chrome Powder Pen to be the centerpiece for this manicure.

First, I applied an even single coat of Madam Glam Spiced Up (dark red shimmer) gel polish and cured it. Second, I applied a thin coat of iGel Beauty No Wipe Top Coat and cured it. Third, I used the Candy Aurora AC1 Chrome Powder Pen to buff the powder onto each of my nails. I had to tap the tip of the pen inside the cap every other nail. Fourth, I dotted iGel Beauty Jewelry Gel at the center of each of my nails by the cuticle. Fifth, I used a nail art tool to pick up each large heart and small heart gem and carefully place it on top of the Jewelry Gel. Sixth, I applied a thin layer of iGel No Wipe Top Coat to the rest of the exposed nail and then cured my nails.

In my humble opinion, applying heart shaped nail art gems is the easiest way to come up with heart nail designs for your manicure. However, if nail art gems aren’t for you, you can always try some of the heart-themed stamping plates. These hollowed out iridescent heart shaped glitter would be beautiful. Heart nail art stickers are pretty easy to use, too.

Candy Aurora Heart Mani

Ever since I laid eyes on the iGel Beauty Candy Aurora AC1 Chrome Powder Pen, I’ve been obsessing with how I would use it. It’s supposed to be reminiscent of the celestial beauty of the Aurora lights. I had a strong suspicion it would look amazing on top of a red gel, and it did not disappoint! It shifts from rose gold to pink to gold to green on top of its red base. I love this multichrome magic for my Valentine’s Day mani.

On a more personal note, I’m enjoying my new job. My new coworkers are kind and easy to work with. It does leave me exhausted right now, but hopefully by the end of my second month I’ll start feeling more like myself again. Whenever I’m quiet on my blog, you can always find me in the PhyrraNyx Facebook Group, as I check in there daily.

What’s on your nails right now? Do you love chrome powder on nails? I love how it has an almost alien feel to it.

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