Pretty things in Packages: Geek Chic

I was super excited to order from Geek Chic Cosmetics! I love the idea of nerdy themed cosmetics. (I have also ordered from Shiro Cosmetics, but we will get to that in another post.)

I placed my order and waited, but never received a tracking number. Concerned, after 10 days I finally contacted them.

They got back to me just a few hours after I emailed them. They were very helpful and kind. They had had an internet outage and let me know my order would be shipping tomorrow! The next day I received a tracking number and this morning I received this: This is the box it arrived in.

The little bag has all of my items and there was lovely tissue paper keeping it safe! It was a pretty small little box. The tissue paper was perfect packaging. 

Oh look a business card! and my bag of goodies. 

Aww how cute! The little blue one on top is a free sample. I only bought sample sizes except for my "JoyStick." When you buy a full sized product you get a free sample! Yay! 

I like that these samples aren't in bags, but rather little plastic containers. They pop open. I'm a little uncoordinated and always fear I'm going to accidentally dump the contents out when I go to open them.  (Codex - upper right corner - is NOT an eyeshadow. It's a foundation. )

I really like like that the label lets you know the ingredients, if it's lip safe, how much is in there, the collection it came from, along with a slew of other information. It's also quite easy to read considering these are about the size of a quarter. 

The little samples are PACKED! 

For all of the following swatches: The top dot is over a primer and the bottom dot is with out. I am really new to swatching so forgive me if they aren't perfect. I'm learning. 

These two are from Fang Banger's Quartet (True Blood). 

This is Viking King. I really love how gold this one shows up. I like the yellow tones, but with out a primer it's much more of a light brown. It almost blends in with my skin completely. When I layered it over other eyeshadow I had to play with it to be gold instead of brown, but I'm new to all of this. It was probably a user error. :P

The second one is Eyes of the Werewolf. This is a gorgeous color primed or not! Although it's pretty sheer with out a primer. It's very bright and lovely! 

When I saw the set Manna Screwed (Magic: The Gathering) I just knew I had to buy my two favorite colors to play. Swamp and Forest. 

Swamp is exactly what I'd hoped it would be. I needed a good sturdy black in my collection in progress. It has some sparkle, but isn't overly glittery. This photo didn't pick up much of the glitter at all.

I love how Forest leaps to life over a primer, but is subtle with out it. It also has a glimmer to it. 

For the Love of the Uniform is from the So Say We All (Battlestar Galactica) set. It was a little darker than I expected, but as with the rest of Geek Chic's colors it did not disappoint. 

Then for my free sample (which quickly became my favorite :p ) Across the Narrow Sea is from the Win or Die (Game of Thrones) set. It's just my kind of blue. All the colors in that set are AMAZING, but then again I had a hard time choosing the five that I picked.

However, when I went back to look at the photo of this color it's no where near the same color.

I'm not quite sure what's going on with this one. What I swatched for Across the Narrow Sea is more what I expected For the Love of the Uniform to look like.

Next is my Sweet Transvestite. Originally I was going to buy a similar dark rich color from Lime Crime, but then had an internet epiphany and bought from more indie companies instead. 

Here is what it looks like on my skin. 

Although I feel like it's a little more brown on my face. I RARELY wear lip products besides some lip gloss, because my lips are fairly big and pink. If I'm not careful I look like I was bitten by a snake. Hopefully I will work up the courage (or find the right outfit) to wear this out and get comfortable. It's suppose to taste like buttercream frosting, but I didn't taste that or any other flavor. It goes on incredible easy. I will probably buy some of their other lip stuff soon. 

Last but certainly not least is Codex. I love this foundation. I am probably going to get in full sized. It's perfect for my skin. It matches better than the bare minerals foundation that I'm using now.

Aww a little thank you note. 

Pretty things in Packages: Fyrinnae

I received both of my orders from last post. From Fyrinnae:

The best thing about indie companies is that you can order samples and they will also GIVE you samples. To someone who had previously bought all my makeup at Walmart. This is just astonishingly awesome!! 

What did I get?

(Fyrinnae Web Image)

"A must-have for shimmery, sparkling shadows! This is not an eye shadow primer, or really a base. It is to keep sparkles on or to make shimmery shadows appear "glossy": a foiled look without foiling. " (From Fyrinnae:  description)

What does that look like? The top row is eye shadow over Pixie Epoxy and the bottom row is just eyeshadow on my skin. 

Now to the eyeshdows!! 

STFU is the one I purchased (in sample size) and Nijiro was my free sample. The containers are the same size, but there is just a tiny little bit in Nijiro. I am SO glad these are in little jars instead of tiny plastic bags. 

On the right is STFU and on the right is Nijiro.

The top is with Fyrinnae: Pixie Epoxy and the bottom is without. 

Don't Lie to Me About Pretty Things

It's beautiful and luscious.

It's beautiful and bright.

... and apparently not all it's cracked up to be.

If you Google Lime Crime make-up (which I did today, on the way to buy something.)

Several sites about controversies come up.

Aw crap. 

I ended up clicking on Lipstick and Lightsabers' blog. After reading up I decide to NOT buy and continues to read all sorts of articles and Lipstick and Lightsabers.

I really never thought about my makeup, where it came from, and what the ingredients were. Suddenly I realize this is just one more way to invest in small businesses and find something unique. I never considered the quality. After reading a comparison that Lipstick and Lightsabers' did, I decided to take the money I was going to buy Lime Crime with (about $30) and spend it on better companies. 

I ended up buying:

Fyrinnae: Pixie Epoxy

(Lipstick and Lightsabers raved about how well it keeps eyeshadow on and gives the foiled look with out foiling. --and in case you didn't know foiling is adding water to your eyeshadow so when applied it's brighter and shinier)

Fyrinnae: STFU Loose Eye Shadow (now discontinued)

It's a beautiful shimmery copper. I love the way coppers, browns, and greens look on me! 

I got the sample size of STFU and with shipping it cost about $10

As I continued to read through some Lipstick and Lightsaber arctics. I found this one. It's all about a company called Geek Chic! (simple put well made make up with geek themes.)

OF COURSE I BOUGHT SOME! 

Geek Chick: Sweet Transvestite (now discontinued)

I was going to buy a similar color from Lime Crime, but it cost more than twice as much :o Also this one maybe flavored like buttercream frosting. FTW! 

Mana Screwed Eyeshadow? YES!

I bought: Forest  

and Swamp

Two of my favorite colors to play and I just built an EDH deck using them!

Then I moved on to the True Blood Set 

It's called Fang Banger's Quartet

I picked up Viking King

And

Eyes of the Werewolf

Lastly I hit up the Battlestar Galactica set 

Called So Say We All

I grabbed Love of the Uniform

I also picked up some foundation, just to try it. I decided I was:

Codex! I'm excited to try it. 

The lipstick was the only thing I bought full size for $6 and the rest I bought sample size for $1.25 a piece. I bought samples because I don't go through eye shadow very fast and I wanted to try lots of colors.  This whole order came in at just over $18. 

I was expecting to spend about $30-$45 on Lime Crime for about 3-4 items, but instead got 9 items for $28!   

Saved some money + trying new companies + feeling like a total hipster = A+

Baking: Homemade pizza rolls

I decided to make my own pizza rolls. I had bread mix (Feel Your Oats) from a mill in MO.

This was my work area during the process.

Some powdered garlic

Chopped mozzarella 

Pizza sauce

I had pre-browned some venison and that thing to the left of it that looks like a stick of butter is actually the rest of my block of mozzarella. 

Once I had let my bread dough rise I began to roll it out and cut it into small squares.

Then I would press two squares together. Later, I started cutting strips of dough. 

Then I add a very small dollop of sauce. If you add too much it will come out the sides. I would sprinkle the sauce with a little pinch of garlic.    Top with some squared mozzarella. 

I would try to get my meat at small as possible. 

When they bake they won't get much bigger which means load up your pans! 

Finished product = pretty delicious. My roommate and I decided that these are the most hipster pizza rolls ever. We also took some left over sauce and stirred in some garlic to use as a dipping sauce. 

Review: Movie: Tangled

What a fantastic movie. I watched it with my ex-roommate Mark. He's very into cinamatography and oohed and awed over this great movie.

It's not classic Repunzel. It's a bit more exciting and fulfilling than just a girl stuck in a tower waiting to be rescued.

I find I identify with Repunzel (surprise the main female character.) She's naive. Everything is new. She is kind to the most cold hearted men, because she simply doesn't know better. Everything is wonderful, because everything is new. Her naivety makes her a bit reckless, but fearless as well.

She trust people she shouldn't and in doing so helps brings brigands back to a place of joy and dream fulfillment. They are now her friends.

Then there is bad boy Flynn (which just makes me think of Tron). Since he is the lead male they fall for each other and you hope he isn't going to break her heart?

Does he?
Doesn't he?
Watch the movie. It's on instant view on netflix right now. 

And then there were SHORTS!

I've had the fabric and the book, but I was held back by intemidation.
What kicked me out it? A family heirloom sewing machine.

I was suppose to get it from my grandma's house months ago, maybe even over a year. It's the old kind lives beneath a table top and then can pop up. I've previously done VERY light sewing with my mother's machine. A few t-shirt alterations. and some hole mending. However there is an unidentified issue where the machine gets stressed out and all the thread birdsnest. Since I can't identify the cause I don't know how to fix it.

When I received the very old sewing machine (it was my great grandmothers) it had the some problem. Wonderful, I thought, now I have 2 meh sewing machines. On the very old one the bobbin thread didn't even catch. What a mess. Finally I broke down and bought an online manual. Only to find the way you thread this thing is totally bizare!

Suddenly my sewing life was invigorated. I tried more complex things with T-shirts, mended things I never could before. Then I decided to really make something. Summer shorts. Cutting out all the pieces was simple. then the sewing began.

Pants aren't easy, but I've always learned new crafts by doing the more intricate projects. 

The back side is a little baggy, but otherwise they are a perfect fit. :D I wonder what I'll make next? I definately want to make more of these in different colors

Porco Rosso

I have been on such a Hayao Miyazaki kick lately. I think I will watch all of his films that I can get my hands on before I quit. He always has some whimsical young girl which I can’t help but connect with those character. In this one its Fio. In others it’s Mae (My Neighbor Totoro), and my very favorite Ponyo (Ponyo). 

OMG COMIC - Haters Gonna Hate

OMG COMIC: Heights

Oh shoot I figured out how to do this from my iPhone.

OMG (Oh My Ghost!) first comic EVER

I drank too much chai too close to bed time. Soooooo FIRST COMIC EVAR!!! DAG YO! I made it for you :)   If it's a big small you can click to enlarge. WEEEEE

And now back to our regularly scheduled programing...

Oh my, that was a huge accidental hiatus. Between 2 break-ups and quite a few holidays I suppose this blog was shoved to the side.

My life has been good. I got an iPhone and couldn't be happier.

Thanks for reading. I'm sure I'll post something interesting soon.