Illamasqua Precision Ink Liners

Today I've got a review of the new Illamasqua Precision Ink Liners (£16.50) of which there are currently two colors available: Alchemy (gold glitter liner) and Abyss (jet black). They are liquid eyeliners with a felt tip that allow for precise application.

(Left: Alchemy, Right: Abyss)

Alchemy is quite interesting because it's not a typical glitter liner, which is often a clear gel with chunky glitter particles contained therein as I have seen from other brands. Rather, it seems to be a lot of micro-glitter so densely suspended in the liquid that it doesn't separate from glitter particle to the gel. Hard to explain but see what I mean from the picture below.

I decided to compare the Illamasqua liners to some budget alternatives from the drugstore. Below you can see the Illamasqua liners on the right hand side, on the left are two similar products from other brands.

(From left to right: Essence glitter liner in Angel's Eyes, L'Oreal Super Liner in Carbon Gloss, Illamasqua Alchemy, Illamasqua Abyss)

The Essence liner is one of those liners I talked about where the chunky glitter particles are suspensed in clear gel that forms the liner, I had to apply several coats of it to get the color payoff on this picture, whereas Illamasqua's Alchemy (and all other liners seen here) is one stroke.

But where these liners really shine is their longevity in staying power. The Illamasqua Precision Inks just do not fade, and last until the moment you decide to remove them with an oil-based makeup remover. I was told by Illamasqua that the liner contains a special type of adherent that behaves a little bit like cosmetic glue that helps the product to literally stick on, but doesn't contain latex. I noticed this especially with Alchemy. In the picture below, you'll see how all these liners behave after running cold water over them and a little bit of smudging with a finger.

The Essence and L'Oreal liners are well on their way to rubbing off, whereas the Illasmasqua liners still look flawless. In the final picture, I've added more water and rubbed a lot with my fingers.

The Essence and L'Oreal liners have completely rubbed off, and the Illamasqua liners have taken some damage, but are still going pretty strong.

Conclusion:

Hands down, these are the most long-lasting liquid liners I've ever used. The special adherents make for a very strong protective barrier against smudging and bleeding. The only down-side is that removal of these liners does take a little bit longer than conventional liquid liners. You must use an oil-based eye makeup remover doused on a cotton pad to take these off, and avoid scrubbing back and forth. (Baby oil will work in a pinch too.) I found it best to let the cotton pad with the remover sink into the product for a few seconds, then gently dabbing off. Especially with Alchemy, you might see some clear residue that takes a bit longer to remove. I also love the fact that a mixing ball has been added to the product bottle, which makes it much easier to shake up the product before applying.

I'm hoping that Illamasqua comes out with more of these liners, especially in the glitter variety, as Alchemy is really superb. It's easy to use, very opaque in one swipe, and the glitter really stays put. I would love to see these in colors like teal, silver, copper, and purple! I would recommend these liners to people who love wearing the dramatic winged liner and want it to really last all day, or suffer from watery eyes.

Myths & Legends Inspirations Pt. 1

I'm going to be doing a few posts to get you started if you're totally confused or stuck on on idea for my Myths and Legends contest. These are just some quick ideas I got from Google.




Sea serpents are a kind of sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine. Sightings have been reported for hundreds of years, and recent work by Bruce Champagne indicates that there have been 1,200 or more all told. Sea serpents have been seen from both ship and shore, and by multiple people at once, groups that sometimes count scientists among their number. Despite the numerous sightings, though, no credible physical evidence has been recorded and it is currently believed that the serpents do not actually exist. 

In Greek mythology the Sirens (Greek Σειρῆνας) were Naiads (sea nymphs) who lived on an island called Sirenum scopuli, or in some different traditions,some place them on cape Pelorum others in the island of Anthemusa, and others again in the Sirenusian islands near Paestum, or in Capreae which was surrounded by cliffs and rocks. Approaching sailors were drawn to them by their enchanting singing, causing them to sail into the cliffs and drown. 

In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is the sea, personified as a goddess, and a monstrous embodiment of primordial chaos.The depiction of Tiamat as a multi-headed dragon was popularized in the 1970s as a fixture of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game thanks to earlier sources associating Tiamat with later mythological characters such as Lotan and others.

An Elf is a mythical creature of Germanic mythology/paganism which still survives in northern European folklore. In Norse mythology they were originally a race of minor gods of nature and fertility. Elves are often pictured as youthful-seeming men and women of great beauty living in forests and other natural places, underground, or in wells and springs. 

The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. Griffins are normally known for guarding treasure and well valued priceless possession.

Unicorns are magnificent and noble creatures that have enchanted young and old across the globe and through the ages. They are both a symbol of purity and goodness and the personification of untamed freedom. Many cultures throughout the world have their own version of the unicorn myth, but most depict them as white horses with a long horn extending from the forehead. The horn is usually spiraled, which makes light dance across the body of the animal as the sun shines down upon it.

For the motherlode, try this comprehensive list on Wikipedia to get ideas. Another great tip - get inspired by folklore from your culture, for example Nordic, Native American, Chinese, Aztec, or Slavic stories!


I'll be posting some more inspiration pictures as the contest progresses.

200,000 Subscriber Contest!

To celebrate passing the 200,000 subscriber mark on my Youtube channel, I will be hosting a contest where subscribers will have a chance to win prizes worth over $1000 USD. There will be two parts for this contest. The first will be a video-response makeup competition judged on merit, the second part of the contest will be based on random luck draw and will not require a video response. Please watch my video, or be sure to read the full rules below.

Basic Rules for both contests:

1. You must be a Youtube subscriber to my channel and your subscriptions must be publicly displayed on your channel as this is the only way that I can easily see that you are indeed a subscriber. As I can't see if you are subscribed to my channel by Google Reader etc., you will need to have a Youtube account. This also applies for the random drawings.

2. If you are under 18 years old, please get parental or guardian permission to enter as I will require personal information from you (your address) if you win.

3. The contest is open worldwide for both the video response contest and the random giveaways. You may enter both contests, but you can only enter the Makeup Competition once.



Makeup Competition Rules:

1. Create ONE video response entry by showing me your most creative makeup look based on the theme "Myths and Legends". You can interpret the theme however you like, but it should have some kind of correlation. Please do not make a full length tutorial, just a short video that is maximum 2 minutes in length showing the look you have done. You must add your video as a video response to my original contest video. Either in the video itself or in the description box, you must say/write what inspired you or what your look is based on or what it represents. If you did use a picture for inspiration, please include a link to the picture. You can get as creative or as wild as you like, but please no special effects makeup (liquid latex, wounds, prosthetics, full body painting, etc. You can still use lashes, feathers, rhinestones however! Just no makeup that would fall under the special fx category.) Please use royalty free music if you must, if you use copyright music from major record labels, you run the risk of having your video disabled in some countries and I won't be able to view it.

2. I prefer live video, but you can do a picture slideshow video if you don't have the capacity to film yourself. If you decide on the picture slideshow, you must include a picture of yourself holding up a piece of paper with your Youtube username written on it. This is to prevent image and identity theft. Use Windows Movie Maker or iMovie (Mac) to create your movie and upload it to your Youtube account, or do it online at OneTrueMedia.com

3. The video and the look must be new. You cannot use one of your old videos as I will be checking the date. The title of your video has to include something about my contest, for example "Contest Entry for MissChievous". You do not have to apply the makeup on yourself, you can use a model, but the makeup must be done by you.

4. You must send a picture of your final look to my email: misschievous.contest@gmail.com , the file name must be your Youtube user name for easy reference. Please do not send me full size pictures, please resize your image, but not too small please. Try to take a good quality picture that accurately reflects the makeup (I have a tutorial for photo taking here) and keep photo editing to a minimum, the makeup must be true to life.

5. Judging will be done by myself. There will be no voting from contestants or subscribers. I have the final call.

Prizes


There will be four winners for this part of the contest, one spot will be reserved for a beginner artist so as to create an inclusive atmosphere for all my subscribers. I will judge the entries according to skill level, it will be easy for me to see who is at a more advanced level, versus a beginner. The look you create will ultimately determine the appropriate skill level.


The Prizes for the makeup competition will be brush sets by Hakuhodo USA, which are exquisite handmade brushes made in Japan, made after an artisan style. (Please note these are not vegan brushes, they are made of animal hair but cruelty-free.) These are my absolute favorite makeup brushes and you can check out my review video if you want to know more. These prizes were not sponsored by Hakuhodo.


The First Place Prize will be the 8 piece Vermillion Handle Set (worth $369 USD)

The Second, Third, and Fourth place winners will get to choose their prizes in descending order from the other brush sets I have purchased. These include the 5 piece Vermillion Handle Set ($219), the Kokutan Ebony Portable Mini Set ($216), and the Basic 10 piece Set ($219).

Random Giveaway Contest Rules:


This contest will be open to everyone and will not require a video response. In fact, it requires very minimal effort. These giveaways will be random luck drawings, which I will be doing through my social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and my Blog. More details for these contests will be made available through these sites, and to enter, you will have to become a follower to keep up to date. You don't have to add all three if you don't want, just add the sites for which you have an account. Don't have an account? Make one! It's really easy and it's so much fun to interact with you all on there.


Follow me on Twitter
"Like" my Facebook Page
Become a Follower of this Blog


Contest prizes for this will be a surprise, but I have a whole drawer of things to give away, including nail polish, large makeup palettes, brushes, eyeshadows, and more! (Some of these prizes are sponsored by Jolieeeee Boutique.)

***THE DEADLINE FOR BOTH CONTESTS IS OCTOBER 31, 2010 @ MIDNIGHT (GMT)***

Please remember this contest is FOR FUN! Get creative, try something new, and don't get discouraged. I really appreciate you all and would love to give everyone a prize, but of course not everyone can win. So please let's keep it positive. I will not tolerate cattiness and mean-spiritedness. If I see a contestant leaving rude and nasty comments on other entry videos or trash-talking and acting discouragingly towards other contestants trying their best, I will disqualify that person from the contest. This is not the atmosphere I wish to give a platform to on my channel and I want to keep my contest positive and equal opportunity. I hate drama and BS. Remember it's just for fun, and it's just makeup, nothing to get nasty over.

I will try to have the winner results up in a timely manner but due to the amount of entries I will likely have, this will take some time so please be patient. I will try my very best to get the results announced on my channel as soon as possible.

So please enter!! I am so excited about this and look forward to seeing all your wonderful videos. I can't wait to see what you come up with. I have taken great care to come up with rules that are hopefully very fair and as inclusive as possible to prevent any ill feelings. So I hope you have fun and get creative!

xo,

Julia

Need some inspiration? Check this out!

Inspirations Part 1

Inspirations Part 2

Link to my contest video can be found here


FAQ (I'll update this as needed)

Can I add lashes, rhinestones, feathers, leaves?
Yes! This doesn't fall under typical special effects makeup and you can definitely use those on your face.

Can I do a hair or nail video instead of a makeup look?
No, sorry. This is a makeup competition only and it's too hard to judge different categories like that.

Can I do something cool with my hair too?
Yes, definitely! That would be great to see how you tie the look together rocking a cool hairstyle or accessories. But the judging will definitely focus on the makeup aspect, so even if you have a great hairstyle but the makeup is just so-so, I will be judging you on the makeup look. You don't have to do something with your hair if you don't want to.

Can I use face paints or is it just conventional makeup products?

You can use whatever medium you like, so facepaints are fine too. I'm not judging you on what brand or products you use, but the look you come up with.

Can I cover my eyebrows with glue/wax?

Yes.

Can I just send you the pictures and not do a video response?
No, you will have to post a video response and send me a picture. If you don't know how to edit, use OneTrueMedia.com and then upload to Youtube.

How do I post a video response?
Upload the video to your Youtube channel, then go to the comment section below my contest video and click on "Attach a Video" which is located on the right side of the comment box. Then select your video and post as a response. All videos are set on approval by me, so don't worry if it doesn't show up right away. Check back later to see if it went through.

Can I do X creature/character/person?
Please use your own best judgement. I will be quite lenient with the theme, but the look should correlate somehow. You can explain in the video why you have chosen to do the look and how that ties in with the theme. I will evaluate you on the look and how well you have interpreted the theme with your look. Please, I cannot answer each person's question if they can do X character.

Nailcare tips for Long Natural Nails

This is one of my FAQs: How I grow my nails naturally so long, without having them break? Despite what some think, my nails are 100% natural and I've never had artificial nails like gels or acrylics. In this video I share my top tips on how to stop nail biting (reformed nail biter right here) and how to grow them to a nice long length using specific techniques and products.

Direct link to my video

Loose Sexy Curls Hairstyle

This look was inspired by the hair that is frequently worn by the Victoria's Secret Angels, sort of a long, loose tousled curl look. I wanted to try to re-create the style to the best of my abilities; here I'm using a 1.5 inch (38mm) barrel curling wand.

Try it out for yourself and let me know how it works out for you!

Products I used:
Garnier Fructis styling mousse, Wella hairspray, Sebastian Molding Mud

Link to the video here

Rockabilly Pin-Up Makeup

This look was inspired by the 1950s vintage pin-up style, Rockabilly, and Dita Von Teese. I wanted to do a new spin on the classic pin-up look, by paring down the look a little bit and making it more simple to wear for everyday if that is your style. I also needed an excuse to wear MAC Lady Danger lipstick, a new surprising favorite. Who knew that an orange-toned tomato red color would actually suit me? It's a nice change from the blue based red lipsticks I would normally go for.

Face
Lancome Teint Idole foundation, MAC Studio Finish concealer

Cheek
MAC Stereo Rose MSF, Bobbi Brown Clementine blush

Eyes
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk, MAC eyeshadows in Solar White, Malt, Soft Brown and Vanilla, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, Max Factor Natural Glaze eye kohl, Maybelline The Colossal mascara

Lips
MAC Redd lipliner, MAC Lady Danger lipstick



Link to the Video Tutorial

Models Own 50% off sale

Just a quick update to let you know that the cosmetic brand Models Own is going to be having a 50% off online sale when their Facebook page reaches 10,000 followers! Right now they're at about 8,700 so I'm going to try to help them get to 10,000 because I really want to get my hands on some of their nailpolishes which I've heard so much about. (I'm not affiliated with Models Own whatsoever.)

They do ship internationally, and with the sale the polish is going to cost £2.50 instead of £5 per bottle, so I'll definitely stock up! You can check out this page for lots more color swatches. Models Own also sells some makeup products on their website, but it's the polishes I'm most interested in.

So if you also want to take advantage of the upcoming sale, Like their page on Facebook. Click here to go there now. Once they hit 10,000 which should be soon, followers will get a discount code to use towards their purchase.

Models Own on Facebook

MissChievous at Museum of Design, Zurich

I'm back from holidays in Canada and have some exciting news to share. Not only did I pass 200,000 subscribers during my absence - which is pretty awesome in its own right - but I will also be exhibiting some of my videos at the Museum of Design in Zurich for an upcoming installation called "Makeup - Designing Surfaces". I am enthralled at the opportunity, as it will be a great way to reach a completely different audience. It feels great to have my work recognized in the artistic world, and I hope it will be a huge success.

The exhibition will run from August 25, 2010 until January 2, 2011 at the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich, during which time at least 5 of my videos will be displayed and running on a big screen. Here is a link to the museum if you would like more information.

This week has been very busy for me as I have had to re-film some of the videos for the exhibition on my new camera so that they can be in HD format, this has proven to be a huge amount of work but I hope it will be all worth it. The picture above is from my Fallen Angel tutorial, which I re-filmed today. I did a slightly different spin on the lips this time, and I like it better this way.

If you live in Switzerland or in the surrounding area (Germany, France, etc) and would like to attend the museum with myself, please leave a comment below. If there is enough interest, I may organize a meet & greet to meet with fans and subscribers in Zurich, possibly do a communal viewing of the exhibition and then have some time afterwards to have fun together. This will only happen if there is enough interest and nothing is formally planned yet!

You can also watch my latest video below for an update from myself, and thanking my viewers.

Jungle Green Eyes

Eyes
NYX Teal eyeliner, NYX Serengeti Trio e/s (lightest lime green), MAC pigment in Golder's Green, MAC Humid e/s, MAC Carbon e/s, MAC Dazzlelight e/s, MAC Feline kohl pencil, mascara (forgot which one I used), random false lashes (forgot the brand)

Cheek
Clinique Shimmering Tones Powder in Peach Bronze

Lips
Rimmel Lipliner in Addiction, Barry M 147 Lipstick, random lipgloss from Margaret Astor

Nails
Illamasqua Rampage

Best Apple Pie Ever

I love this apple pie recipe! It's versatile and can be adjusted for lots of different kinds of fruits. In this video I make an apple-nectarine pie, but I've also tried it with just apples, or apple-rhubarb, strawberry-rhubarb and apple-peach; all combinations were delicious! This recipe is perfect for using up various summer fruit.

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch crust pie (28cm)
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons (25g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
• 1/2 cup (110g) packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced*

* In the video I used 5 apples and 5 nectarines, you can mix the fruit as you like.

• Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.

• Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. (Optional: Cover with a lattice work of crust. I skipped this part because I don't like so much dough.) Evenly pour the sauce over the fruits, and the lattice crust if you made one.

• Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

This pie is really simple to make, ready in no time at all, and is so delicious! Every time I make this I get nothing but compliments!

Link to the video tutorial

China Glaze Vintage Vixen Swatches

Clockwise Thumb to Pinkie: Jitterbug, Midnight Mission, First Class Ticket, Emerald Fitzgerald, Bogie

Clockwise Thumb to Pinkie: Riveter Rouge, Foxy, Goin' My Way, Hey Doll, Ingrid

Top to Bottom: Classic Camel, Swing Baby

Here you can see all the nailpolishes swatched from the China Glaze Vintage Vixen collection for Fall 2010 - all without topcoat. At first when I heard these were mostly frost finishes, I was a bit skeptical, but in fact the finishes are pretty varied. Some have a very metallic, foil texture, while others have a more glass flecked finish. Riveter Rouge is a bit bumpy so you would need a good topcoat to smooth it out, and Goin' My Way and Hey Doll were a bit on the runny side. But other than that, the formula of these is really good. Definitely check out the collection in nail salons, beauty supply stores, or online retailers because there are some great colors in here for fall.

Watch my video review on Youtube

Vacation Time + Upcoming Videos

Just letting you know that I'm going on holidays for 3 weeks to Vancouver on Saturday with my boyfriend, and I can't wait! I'm really looking forward to having some time off, and doing some traveling. We'll be going on a road- and camping trip to Vancouver Island as well, which is an absolutely beautiful part of Canada, and maybe even up to Whistler for a few days. Summer is definitely my favorite season to be in Vancouver because of the great weather and plethora of activities: biking, swimming, kiting, picnicking, hiking, camping, etc.

This means I'll be away from Youtube for 3 weeks, BUT I have pre-recorded lots of videos to upload during my holidays. (Not looking forward to uploading from my parent's slow Internet connection though, oy!)

Here's a list of upcoming videos, in random order:

Lime Crime Lipstick review
China Glaze Vintage Vixen Polish Overview
Soft, Wearable Colors for Summer Makeup Tutorial
Makeup Tutorial in German language
5 Minute Summer Updo Hair Tutorial
Cirque du Soleil Makeup Tutorial
My first cooking tutorial!

So fret not, there's bound to be something for everyone, and you'll be sure to get your "MissChievous fix" in those 3 weeks. (Not like you can't live without my videos, but you know what I mean, haha!) Now I still have to run some last minute errands, buy some gifts for family and friends, wash laundry and pack. Our flight is very early Saturday morning, so we'll probably have to get up at 5am or some inhuman hour.

OK so that's it, I'm off! See you soon :)

You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook for updates and pictures during my time on holiday.

Purple Naughty Eyes

I saw the following editorial pic on MAC's website, for their Naughty Lash collection, and I just thought it was sooo pretty and dramatic, so I decided to do my own version. Here is the MAC picture:

Well, mine is a bit different but I have no idea what that picture actually looked like before photoshoping and what products were used, so I just took a guess. I also changed the brows a bit because they were too drag queen-ish for my taste. Not an everyday look by any means, but why wear "everyday" makeup every day? :p

Face & Cheek
Revlon Photo Ready and Colorstay foundation both in Ivory, La Femme Lilac Champagne blush, Illamasqua Intrigue blush

Eyes
MAC Bare Canvas Paint, Ben Nye Cosmic Violet, Makeup Forever Nr. 92 , MAC Carbon, NYX White, Essence Black Mania kohl pencil, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, lashes from ebay (generic brand), cosmetic glitter, Ben Nye Glitter Glue

Brows
MAC Brows in Spiked, MAC Carbon

Lips
Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Absorb

Link to the video tutorial on Youtube

My Makeup Collection

After so many requests on Facebook, I decided to film an updated makeup collection and storage ideas videos. I'm really happy with my current set-up, so hopefully this will give you some ideas on how to create your own beauty space! I realize a lot of this stuff is from IKEA, but even places like Office Depot, Target and Walmart might have some good storage solutions.

I don't go crazy with buying too much makeup anymore, but I like to add new pieces now and then that will further my variety. So I won't buy my 10th nude color lipstick, but rather now I'd buy stuff that is very unique and I don't already have a similar product.

Link to the video.

Eyeko Nailpolishes

Today I've got some Eyeko nailpolishes that were sent to me for review, so I gave them a whirl and also swatched the colors for you on my hand. Picture first, thoughts later!

Clockwise from thumb to pinkie: Eyeko polishes in Coral, Tea Rose, Posh, Vampira, Petite

My favorite from this collection is definitely Coral, it's such a bright, eye-popping shade, just the right blend of coral and red. I've seen swatch comparisons and it's a lot like MAC Scorcher nailpolish from the recent To The Beach collection, maybe a tinge less red and more coral. I've worn this several times as a manicure already and it also would look great on toes for the summer. I really do love this one!

Posh reminds me a lot of Sephora by OPI Metro Chic, it's in that mushroom taupe vein with a grey and brown undertone.

Vampira, which is hard to capture, is a black polish with lots of red glitter and shimmer inside. It didn't photograph so well on here, but it's in the same vein as China Glaze Lubu Heels.

Tea Rose is a slightly dusty pink-mauve shade, and Petite is a sheer light milky pink, great for French manicures. They were my least favorite of the bunch as these aren't the type of polishes I usually go for and I didn't find them unique or original in the slightest.

As for the quality, all except the sheer one were completely opaque in two coats with no visible nail line whatsoever. The texture is a bit on the thick side; they sort of remind me of Essie polishes but not streaky at all. The thing I didn't like so much is the inconsistency in the brushes, some had loose ends that make it hard to make a very neat application. But all in all, the quality was acceptable, even good.

Aside from Coral, I have to admit that I wasn't wowed in the originality department. While these are pretty shades, I feel like I've seen all of the colors before from other brands and they are easily duped, even with drugstore nailpolishes such as Barry M, Models Own, Sally Hansen, etc. I would be interested to see if Eyeko comes up with some more unique shades, instead of just following the current top nailpolish trends, to set themselves apart from other brands. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the colors, but I don't know how often I'll be reaching for these over more unique shades and finishes I have in my polish collection. Not exactly OMG-I-HAVE-TO-HAVE-IT colors, if you know what I mean, but nice nonetheless, and cute packaging if that's something you like.

These retail for £3.50 each for 8.5ml of product and are available at eyeko.com

Link to my video review