Super September Day 1: Another Challenge + Hogwarts-Inspired Looks!

Why indeed, I have set another goal for myself. I want to publish a blog post every other day... starting today! Some posts will include videos. I will be posting reviews, makeup looks, and anything else that just sounds fun.

It's not a secret that I am a Harry Potter fan. I first read the books in 2002/2003 when I was in fourth grade. I fell in love with the story and the action and just about everything else in the series. Any fan of the series will know that yesterday, September 1, was the day that Hogwarts students would board the Hogwarts Express, sit through the Sorting Ceremony, eat an endless supply of food (but only because of house elves), and then be on their way for a new school year. So for Super September Day 1, I wanted to post pictures of looks inspired by the Hogwarts Houses!

As I've said before... I'm not particularly good at applying makeup. I may try just as much as everybody else, but the end result just looks average (or worse). I also decided that even if the end result to each look was bad, it didn't really matter that much. Why? Because this is just for fun. And I need to step out of my comfort zone every now and then. This is way out of my comfort zone! Oh, and I realized as I was creating these looks that my eyebrows were looking very unkempt and my tweezers were nowhere to be found. Ah, my first world problems ;)

I will actually begin by listing the face makeup I used in each look (as well as mini-reviews because I can't resist sharing my thoughts). Any different products used (blush, highlighter, etc.) will be listed below each picture!

• Benefit "That Gal" Brightening Face Primer - I got this as a sample a long time ago and was afraid to use it. I like how it gives my skin a glow without looking greasy, but I won't purchase the full size version. 
• Revlon Colorstay Foundation (Normal/Dry formula) in 110 Ivory - I like this foundation, but I also have some major issues with it. Ivory is too pink for my skin. The next shade up (Buff) is the right undertone, but it is too dark. Mixing the two colors doesn't help (I tried that back in the day). Why did I repurchase it? To be honest, I had $10 in CVS ExtraBucks and I forgot to pack foundation when I was on a trip. Had I been thinking clearly, I would have chosen something else. It's a good formula, but the color is not right for me. Oddly enough, I've used about 1/3 of the product inside the bottle. I honestly have a love/hate relationship with this stuff. Odds are, I will repurchase it at some point in my life (assuming I finish this bottle, of course!) Also - why does it have a pump in some countries? Come on Revlon. You know you want to include a pump for this foundation in EVERY country you sell it in ;)
• Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder (Oil control) in 510 Classic Ivory - I think I mentioned having this a long time ago. I knew it was in a makeup bag in one of my purses, but I didn't have the motivation to find and finish it... until I started using up the powders in my collection. I doubt I would repurchase this powder, but I do want to try the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. I had it years ago, but I can't remember what I thought about it.
• And in every look I used the Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara. Not face makeup, but I never used a different mascara.

Now that I have bored you with the face makeup used for this look, I am finally going to show you my Hogwarts House-inspired looks!

Gryffindor (scarlet and gold)

• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold
• The plum & gold colors from the Revlon Colorstay palette (Embellish) - I would recommend MAC Cranberry over the plum color, but I don't have Cranberry and I probably wouldn't use it too often, so I tried using something comparable. Fail.
• This is the only look with a corresponding lip color. I used the L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in British Red

Hufflepuff (canary yellow and black) 

• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold
• Mark i-Mark in Stellar
• Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero (I tried to wing my eyeliner out to make this look more interesting)
• Burt's Bees Honey Lip balm (it's an inside joke. I had to put it in)

Ravenclaw (blue and bronze - yes, I realize that in the movies it is blue and gray, but I am basing this off the books)

• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
• Wet N Wild Idol Eyes in Distress (or MAC Freshwater)

Slytherin (green and silver)

• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Silver Strike
• The silver color in the Revlon Colorstay Palette (Embellish)
• Wet N Wild Idol Eyes in Envy (or MAC Humid)

I'll probably try this again in a couple years. Hopefully by then I have the courage and skills to create a tutorial instead. Watch out for Super September #2!

Makeup Collection: Lips

I have mentioned in the past that I am not as much of a fan of lip products as I am of eye or face makeup. However, the right lip color can really pull a look together, so I try not to underestimate the power of lip products. I think this is my least impressive portion of my makeup collection, so I'll try to get through it quickly.

Here are my lip treatments, lip balms, lip stains, and lipsticks (and a wild Stila Lip Glaze).

At the very top of the picture there is the C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Buffer.

For some reason, I have five Lip Smackers. The flavors I have are Barq's Root Beer, Coca Cola, Sprite, Cotton Candy, and Vanilla.

As for real/standard lipsticks, I only have three at school with me. The first is by Revlon and it is the Super Lustrous Lipstick in Wink For Pink (616), which has a pearl finish. The other two I have are both from Wet 'N Wild. I have the colors 968 (Pinkerbell) and 901B. The last product in the row is a Maybelline Color Sensational Pop Stick (from Summer/Fall 2011) in Pink Lollipop.

In the next row I have a Stila Lip Glaze in Guava (I'm not sure why I included it in this picture... it is a lip gloss, after all). Following that is my only Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey.

Next I have... a "few" Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms: Pink Wink, Coral Crush, Peach Kiss, Twinkle, Pink Punch, Cherry Me, and Peppermint.

Finally (at least for this picture) are my Revlon Lip Butters. Since my review a few months back, I've bought two more. The colors I have are Pink Truffle, Cherry Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, Sugar Plum, and Sweet Tart.

Not pictured: Burt's Bees Honey lip balm, Mox Botanicals Lip Butter (Pomegranate & Fig), Benefit Posietint, Benefit Benetint, my NYX round lipsticks, and a Revlon Colorstay lip gloss.

These are all of my lip glosses. I have the Revlon called the Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Pursuit, Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Naked.

I have quite a few miniature tubes of the Bare Minerals Moxie Lip Glosses. The colors I have are: Hot Ticket, Socialite, Gutsy, Fashionably Late, Rebel, and two of Dare Devil (one came in one of my beauty subscription services and the others came in the Bare Minerals holiday collection).

Now, for the three lip glosses that are hanging around the others... I have the Mirenesse Lip Bomb in 9, the MyGlam Glam Gloss in 1, and the Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess.

I have 4 products by C.O. Bigelow: the Mentha Lip Shines in Vanillamint, Bubblemint, and Peppermint Mocha. I also have the Mentha Lip Tint in Plum Mint. Finally, I have the Jane Sparkle Gloss in Sparkle Pink.

That concludes this edition of my makeup collection. I'll probably do this again sometime in the distant future. Feel free to share a link to your makeup collection below! (or any of the other posts from this series, really)