EDS Awareness

May is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Awareness month, and I wanted to help raise awareness (with super kudos to my friend Fay who has EDS and posted on her facebook about it being the awareness month – in my work-mountain-induced ignorance I had no idea!).

So, what is EDS? To quote the NHS Choices website:

 Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a collection of inherited conditions that fit into a larger group, known as heritable disorders of connective tissue. Connective tissues provide support in skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, internal organs and bones.

There are different types of EDS that may share some features, including:

• joint hypermobility – increased range of movement of joints
• stretchy skin
• fragile skin tissue

 People with EDS typically have loose joints, which means the limbs bend more than usual. This can cause floppy joints in infancy, and some affected children take longer to sit, stand and walk.

 The four most common types of EDS include:

• hypermobile EDS
• classical EDS
• vascular EDS
• kyphoscoliotic EDS

There are also other, rarer, types of EDS, including dermatosparaxis and arthrochalasic.

You can find more information at the NHS Choices site here or at EDS Support UK here and I do recommend reading as it’s a complex family of disorders and going into all of the different kinds would result in my writing an essay on a topic I’m not really qualified to talk about.

The awareness symbol for EDS is zebra stripes as the term zebra is often used in medical professions to reference rare diseases and conditions (“When you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras”). Generally this is good advice, but sometimes doctors forget that zebras do exist, and EDS is one of those “zebra” conditions. Hence the zebra stripes, which is really clever if you think about it! So in true beauty junkie fashion, I’ve done some makeup for EDS.

Used: Aromaleigh Crisp over the lid, Black Rose Minerals Jet for the stripes and my brows and the liner is Victorian Disco Halloween Town

I hope this maybe raised a little awareness for a rare and not often talked about condition, and if you have a few spare pennies lest and wish to donate to EDS then Ehlers-Danlos Support UK has a donations page

Maximoff Twins Inspired Look

This is a quick look I did inspired by Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, also known as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver! Though mostly it's Wanda inspired, Pietro is only there as a flash of silver, which I think is fitting.

Used: Black Rose Minerals Faye on the inner corner and above the crease, Fyrinnae Scarlet Macaw across the lid, Black Rose Minerals Scabbed Winds on the outer corner, Geek Chic Megaflare for liner and Victorian Disco For The Horde for my brows.

Ultron Inspired Makeup

With the new Avengers film on the horizon I decided to use some of the Ultron promo images to put together a look.

Used: Aromaleigh Gryphon on the inner third of the lid, Victorian Disco Hero Class on the inner corner and in the center of the lid with a little Victorian Disco For the Horde blended into it. Outer corner colour is Black Rose Minerals Jet and the liner is Collection extreme liner.

I tried to use hints of red for the glow from his eyes and mouth, as well as rounded circular shapes. Not quite as dramatic as I hoped, but I think this is a really wearable look (actually I wore it wandering around town all day).

Kirin Tor

In an effort to dig out and use some of my older eyeshadows that just don't get enough love I tried to incorporate a few of them into this look, I think I pulled it off okay what about you?

Used: Victorian Disco Kirin Tor over the whole lid, Geek Chic Old Fashioned Villain on the outer corner and Darling Girl The Seam blended into the crease. I think the liner was Victorian Disco Kidnap Sandy Claws and the brows were Black Rose Minerals Spike. White eyeliner was NYX Milk. 

Have you pulled out any neglected products recently? I reccommend it!

Birthstone Series: January Garnet

I didn't make this, credit goes to myjewelrycenter.com/

Hey look, a new series! I hoping this gives me a little more inspiration and as I'll be doing a different gemstone (and therefore a different look) every month, it will *fingers crossed* mean I get at least one makeup look uploaded on here a month :)

First off is January and the stone for January is the Garnet.

For those who were born in the month of January the garnet is the traditional birthstone. The January birthstone poem reflects some of the properties with which the garnet is associated - purity, truth, faithfulness and friendship. The Traditional Metaphysical Properties for the January Birthstone Garnet are  awareness, commitment, regeneration, insight and removing negativity. The healing properties of the January birthstone are reputed to be effective for health problems relating to the blood, heart, lungs and infection. The garnet is also used to enhance sensuality and sexuality. From Birthday Gems

For this look I used Fyrinnae's Scarlet Macaw on the inner corner, Victorian Disco For The Horde over the lid and  Black Rose Minerals One Does Not Simply in the outer corner and crease. The liner is Victorian Disco Kidnap Sandy Claws mixed with Makeup Revolution Aqua Seal (I prefer ELF's Lock and Seal but shhh)

Pumpkin Spice

Autumn, time of the pumpkin. Also a great time to break out the oranges and greens for a seasonally appropriate eyeshadow look.

Used: Shiro Snake on the inner corner, Darling Girl Ripley's Cat over the lid, Victorian Disco Godric on the outer edge of the lid, Meow Telekenisis above the crease and Black Rose Minerals Spike as the liner and very lightly in the crease. Brows are probably Fyrinnae's Conjuror (if not they'll be Victorian Disco Hero Class, I forget).

Green and orange, it looks good. And Snake makes such a nice inner corner pop of brightness.

Green and Purple

 As you read this I'm in Croatia, probably packing my stuff so I'm ready to fly back home! Anyway, this is a quick look from a couple of weeks ago. In an effort to 'shop my stash' and get more use out of products I haven't touched in too long I rediscovered the stunning Snake eyeshadow from Shiro, which is a bright chartreuse shade that I really should use more. Perhaps not quite the quintessential autumn shade, but it was warm and sunny.

Used: Shiro Snake on the inner corner, Kiss My Sass Spellbound over most of the lid, Black Rose Minerals Lunar Reflection in/above the crease, Victorian Disco My Feels on the lower lashline Fyrinnae Mephisto as a liner. Brows are, I think, Task Force.

(also, have I mentioned how amazing Mephisto is as a liner? It looks SO GOOD.)

A Couple of Back to School(ish) Looks

Ish because I've never been very good at totally natural looking makeup and I have enjoyed playing with colour in my brows as of late. Whoops.

This is just a lazy day look that I did when I couldn't be bothered to try working with my brighter colours and I realised that it'd be a good one for going back to school/work as on the whole it's pretty subtle. Well, if you completely discount the brows, which I'd already done and didn't want to remove. Sorry (I had places to be and needed to do this while the light was good!).

For this I used: Innocent + Twisted Warm & Fuzzy over lid, Victorian Disco Off Is The Direction (dry) as a liner and I believe a small amount blended into outer corner and crease with a soft fluffy brush to give the lightest bit of colour..

And here's a bonus look I actually wore to work! Again, you could easily change the brows, though these are more subtle, and make it an easy work/school look as long as your place of employment or education is okay with liner.

Used: Victorian Disco Health Pack, Black Rose Minerals Scarab on outer corner and

Geek Chic We Are Coming (mixed with ELF Lock and Seal) as a liner. I believe the brows are Fyrinnae's Conjurer.

(disclaimer, I may have got the use of Health Pack vs Warm & Fuzzy mixed up. I can't totally remember which I used where)

Jinx Inspired Look

Another for the Dark Side of Beauty monthly challenge. Week 2 is Jinx, a new champion that I've never actually played. But I do like the character design (somewhat impractical clothing or lack thereof aside) and she seems like tonnes of fun. Plus this gave me a chance to try something a bit fun.

Jinx lives to wreak havoc without a thought for consequence, leaving a trail of mayhem and panic in her wake. A manic and impulsive criminal, she despises nothing more than boredom, and gleefully unleashes her own volatile brand of pandemonium to the one place she finds dullest: Piltover. With an arsenal of deadly toys, she unleashes the brightest explosions and loudest blasts - all the better to shock and surprise the hapless authorities. Always just out of the law's reach, Jinx's favorite game is to toy with Piltover's finest - especially Vi.

from the League of Legends wiki. Her full lore is actually pretty long and interesting so do pop over there to read it!

for this I used: Victorian Disco Arda (pink) and Evenstar (blue) over the right and left lids respectively. For crease colours I used Black Rose Minerals Annabele Lee (blue) and Shiro Wheeeeeee! (pink), brows are Shiro Wheeeeeee! (pink) and Geek Chic Little Albatross (blue). For liner I used Barry M black glitter kohl liner.The glitter on the lids is Victorian Disco Barrett (blue) and Darling Girl Freaky Friday (pink)

This was tonnes of fun! What do you guys think? Are you LoL players and if so have you played Jinx yet? 

Goth Annie

I'm taking part in the Dark Side of Beauty Monthly Challenge again! Well, when I saw it was League of Legends related I couldn't really say no. Admittedly I haven't played any games in a long time but I did enjoy it back in uni and I do like the aesthetics, even if most of the female champions suffer from female game character syndrome (unrealistic figures and extremely revealing outfits).

The character for week 1 is Goth Annie. Annie being the champion and Goth Annie being one of the available for purchase skins, which got a visual upgrade not so long ago as she was one of the original characters and as such had some very basic graphics. I have played Annie as a character fairly often, and she's immense fun, her ultimate can be pretty lethal - darned bear!

In the time shortly before the League, there were those within the sinister city-state of Noxus who did not agree with the evils perpetrated by the Noxian High Command. The High Command had just put down a coup attempt from the self-proclaimed Crown Prince Raschallion, and a crack down on any form of dissent against the new government was underway. These political and social outcasts, known as the Gray Order, sought to leave their neighbors in peace as they pursued dark arcane knowledge. The leaders of this outcast society were a married couple: Gregori Hastur, the Gray Warlock, and his wife Amoline, the Shadow Witch. Together they led an exodus of magicians and other intelligentsia from Noxus, resettling their followers beyond the Great Barrier to the northern reaches of the unforgiving Voodoo Lands. Though survival was a challenge at times, the Gray Order's colony managed to thrive in a land where so many others would have failed.Years after the exodus, Gregori and Amoline had a child: Annie. Early on, Annie's parents knew there was something special about their daughter. At the age of two, Annie miraculously ensorcelled a shadow bear - a ferocious denizen of the petrified forests outside the colony - turning it into her pet. To this day she keeps her bear ''Tibbers'' by her side, often keeping him spellbound as a stuffed doll to be carried like a child's toy. The combination of Annie's lineage and the dark magic of her birthplace have given this little girl tremendous arcane power. It is this same girl who now finds herself as one of the most sought-after champions within the League of Legends - even by the city-state that would have exiled her parents had they not fled beforehand. via League of Legends

(I do love that her last name is Hastur, Lovecraft references <3)

Used: Barry M Kohl pencil in Black glitter as a base over the entire lid, lipline and for the liner on the lower lid. Victorian Disco Halloween Town over the liner as a black shadow. Black Rose Minerals Unicorn in the center of the lid with Victorian Disco Riot Shield glitter patted over it (kept in place using Darling Girl Glitter Glue). Center lip colour was Shiro Cosmetics Yo Dawg.

As you may have guessed I took inspiration from the makeup Annie herself wears, with a bit extra glowy purple to add a little pzazz,

Discworld Series: Sir Samuel Vimes

Sam Vimes is possibly my favourite Discworld character (it is a close call between him and Vetinari), I love his attitude and general outlook on the world. He is such a cynic but such an idealist at the same time, I can relate to at least 50% of that, and his unflappable and honourable nature is something worth aspiring to.

Samuel "Sam" Vimes is a fictional policeman from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Vimes is depicted in the novels as somewhere between an Inspector-Morse-type 'old-school' British policeman, and a film-noir-esque grizzled, jaded detective. His appearances throughout the Discworld sequence show him slowly and grudgingly rising through the ranks of both police force and society. As of his latest promotion, his full name and title is: "His Grace,His Excellency, The Duke of Ankh; Commander Sir Samuel Vimes": When serving as Ambassador for Ankh-Morpork, he is also referred to simply as "His Excellency", and is also nicknamed "Blackboard Monitor Vimes,", "Vimes the Butcher/Butcher Vimes" and "Vetinari's Terrier" (or hammer): According to his wife, Sybil, Vimes is recognised by many as Lord Vetinari's right-hand man.

Used: Victorian Disco Helga and Geek Chic Antediluvian over the lid and in my brows, Victorian Disco Great Lift in the crease and Black Rose Minerals Scabbed Wings on the outer corner. 

The gold and bronzes are from the Nights Watch uniform which is such an integral piece of Commander Vimes life and character, the smudge of black on the outer corner is from the 'Beast', the darkness inside him which he battles on a daily basis and you wouldn't want to get into a fight with.

Discworld Series: Lord Vetinari

First of the character inspired looks just had to go to Lord Vetinari, he's mentioned (either by name or as the Patrician) in practically every book in the series and appears in 16 of them so far I believe. He's such a big part of the Discworld universe I couldn't leave him out. And how can you not love a man so unflappable who can 'accomplish more with one eyebrow than most people can with two and a lifetime of practice'.

Havelock Vetinari is the current Patrician of Ankh-Morpork. He has been the supreme ruler for some years and is the successor of Mad Lord Snapcase. The Assassins' Guild have an AM$ 1,000,000 fee for his inhumation, though rumour says that they are not accepting contracts on him at present. As a former Assassin himself, he is probably just too difficult to kill. However, his greatest defence against would-be plotters is that he carefully sees to it that a reality with him as Patrician is slightly better than one without him. It was his discovery that people only really want stability and that tomorrow should pretty much resemble today, and this has been his greatest contribution to Ankh-Morpork. Impressively, he manages to keep this up even while he drags Ankh-Morpork, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the future.

Used: Maybelline Timeless Black colour tattoo as a base, Black Rose Minerals Jet on the center of

the lid, Black Rose Minerals Scabbed Wings on the outer corner, Geek Chic Tidal Wave on the lower lashline.

The black inspired by Havelock and his uniform of all black (his crest is even black on black), the hint of dark red at the corner and the sharp shape was inspired by the Patrician's fair but sometimes sharp attitude towards those he punishes. The ice blue on the lower lashline was an injection of colour from the Patrician's eyes.

Discworld Series: Unseen University

Part three of the Discworld series and the last of the locations (well, last of the locations I have planned so far, I might try and do looks for Uberwald, Quirm and Klatch at some point) is Unseen University, one of the recurring places in the series.

The Unseen University (UU) is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of fantasy novels. Located in the city of Ankh-Morpork, the UU is staffed by a faculty composed of mostly indolent and inept old wizards. The official motto of Unseen University is "Nunc Id Vides, Nunc Ne Vides", loosely translated as "Now you see it, now you don't". The unofficial motto is "η β π", or "Eta Beta Pi" ("Eat a Bit of Pie" or "Eat a Better Pie" (according to the Hogfather novel)).The coat of arms is azure, a livre des sortilèges, attaché en cuivre, sur un chapeau pointu. (That is: a blue field bearing a book of magic spells, with copper clasps, over a pointed hat.)

via Wikipedia 

Used: Black Rose Minerals Annabele Lee across the lid, Geek Chic Little Albatross on the outer corner and crease, Black Rose Minerals Lunar Reflection as liner and the glitter is Victorian Disco Tac Nuke. Green brows are my usual and because I'd had a driving lesson beforehand, the colours are both Shiro Cosmetics - Derp on the inner half and There and Back Again on the outer. Mascara is Maybelline Colossal Cat Eyes.

For this look I took my inspiration from the Unseen University coat of arms and pointy hat shape using what I think passes as an azure blue (I'm a terrible bblogger, my colour knowledge is horrific!). The glitter was added for a bit of sparkle and magic.

Discworld Series: Ankh-Morpork

After really loving the Sky adaptations of Discworld novels and being a fan of Terry Pratchett as a person for a while (and a big fan of his collaboration with Neil Gaiman - Good Omens), last year I finally started reading the Discworld series. I didn't exactly start from the beginning (I started with Snuff after someone at work insisted I would really enjoy it) but thankfully that doesn't change the enjoyment of the stories. I've read 18/40 so far (you can find my goodreads account here if you're interested).

Anyway, long story short, I've really fallen head over heels with the Discworld and what better way to express my love than with a series of looks inspired by the Discworld? I am a beauty blogger after all! 

First up is the heart of Discworld the City of Ankh-Morpork. 

Ankh-Morpork is the largest city on the Disc with about a million inhabitants. It is also one of the most common locations for the Discworld stories. Its Latatian name is Ankhius et Morporkia. The city lies on the river Ankh, which resembles solid ground more than it does water. Originally two cities separated by the river, Ankh and Morpork today are governed as one (admittedly potentially schizophrenic) entity. Ankh-Morpork is a city state which governs few lands outside its perimeter, but it has a political and economic influence which "distorts the landscape for hundreds of miles".

(from the L-space wiki)

Used: Black Rose Minerals Skink on the inner corner, Innocent + Twisted Alchemy Contaminated Wastelands across the lid and for my brows, Shiro Cosmetics Oogie Boogie on the outer corner and crease, Femme Fatale Polymorph in the crease, Black Rose Minerals Jet as liner and Shiro Cosmetics Magnets on my lips

For this I took most of my inspiration from the grunge and grime, muddy browns with a green tinge taken from the River Ankh (because you know a River that doesn't move is going to grow slime), with darker colours in the crease to show the smog and darker side of the city and grey liner for the city streets. For the city this is a really wearable look (I wore it to work), one you could wear out in the city should you wish!

Earth Day Makeup (& First Tutorial!)

Hey look, it's my first ever attempt at an actual makeup tutorial. I'm not sure how well this worked, but if you like it and you'd like more please do let me know!

1. Start with a primed eyelid. I used Benefit's Stay Don't Stray. I also have my eyebrows drawn in, just because looking at them without whilst editing photos would have driven me mad, I usually leave them until the end just in case.

2. Apply a bright green all over the lid. This is Innocent + Twisted Alchemy No Fairytale, I used a large flat eyeshadow brush to cover the entire lid with colour.

3. On the inner corner and crease apply a dark forest green, this is Black Rose Minerals Spike applied with a slightly smaller and softer brush to prevent any harsh lines.

4. On the outer corner I applied a brown with a green shift. This one is Slugs from Victorian Disco Cosmetics, which I believe is the same shade as I used for my brows. I used the edge of the brush to get the line straight, though you can always use the tape method for true neatness. This is also where I blend everything.

5. Add a line of the dark green on the lower lashline as well. Again this is Spike, drawn out past the corner of my eye to give it a bit of interest.

6. Blue liner. For this I used Geek Chic Little Albatross for the inner half and Black Rose Minerals Annabele Lee for the outer wing, mixed with a small amount of ELF Lock and Seal and applied with a fine brush (an old art detailing brush), mostly because I am obsessed with gradient liner right now and all my bright and coloured liner is done using loose pigments.

7. Finally, mascara! And any additional touch ups you want to do to complete the look (for example making sure the blending is done and here is where I would normally do my brows).

Hannibal Inspired Makeup

So, we're half way through the current season of Hannibal and things are getting dramatic. I've really been loving the NBC Hannibal series, having enjoyed the films before them (though I still need to see Hannibal Rising and Manhunter) and after watching the first series read the books (again I still need to get around to reading Hannibal Rising). It does leave me feeling a bit peckish though, Hannibal prepares the most beautiful food, even if sometimes it's people...

Anyway, this look was inspired by the gorgeous, gorgeous suits Dr. Lecter (Mads Mikkleson) wears, namely the tan one seen in the image above which I chose because it is a understated work-safe kind of colour which I think Hannibal would approve of. The liner takes inspiration from the antlers of the Wendigo/Nightmare Stag that is used to represent Hannibal as the Chesapeake Ripper, with the colours used coming from his ties and navy suits. The red is for blood spatter, of course.

Used: Black Rose Minerals Skink on the inner corner and above the crease, Geek Chic Cosmetics Captain Tightpants over the lid, Black Rose Minerals Scabbed Wings on the outer corner. The liner is a combination of (working from inner corner out) Victorian Disco Jack and Sally, Geek Chic Little Albatross and Shiro Attercop Attercop. The red spatter is Victorian Disco For The Horde.

Anyone else a fan of Hannibal (in any of his incarnations)?

The Winter Soldier Look

This is the second of the two looks I've done to celebrate the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier here in the UK, this look is inspired by the 'villain' of the film (and other half of the title) The Winter Soldier himself. I used a lot of dark colours for this look taken from his clothing and general demeanor, and silver for his arm.

Used: Geek Chic Megaflare, Geek Chic Don't Blink as liner, Black Rose Minerals Jet over the lid and Barry M Khol in number 27 on lower lashline.

Seven Deadly Sins: Pride

art used for banner is by dahlig, you can see the full series here

In almost every list, pride (Latin, superbia), or hubris (Greek), is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and the source of the others. It is identified as believing that one is essentially better than others, failing to acknowledge the accomplishments of others, and excessive admiration of the personal self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God). Dante's definition was "love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one's neighbour". In Jacob Bidermann's medieval miracle play, Cenodoxus, pride is the deadliest of all the sins and leads directly to the damnation of the titulary famed Parisian doctor. In perhaps the best-known example, the story of Lucifer, pride (his desire to compete with God) was what caused his fall from Heaven, and his resultant transformation into Satan. In Dante's Divine Comedy, the penitents are burdened with stone slabs on their necks which force them to keep their heads bowed.
The demon associated with this sin is Lucifer (who else?) 

We're finally here, the end of the sins series! I feel like it's taken me a long time. This is the final look and probably my second favourite aside from Lust, though the photos didn't take too well. There's lots of glitter and lots of purple. It's definitley a very dramatic look. 

Used: Shiro Alkahestry on the inner corner, Shiro Shinigami across the lid, Victorian Disco Shadowform on the outer corner, black is from the MUA Starry Night palette. Extra glitter is Black Rose Minerals Stardust. Eyebrows are Fyrinnae Mystical Hedgehog on the inner half and Victorian Disco I'm 100 Years Older Than You But It's Okay on the outer half. White liner is a Rimmel pencil. Lips are Rimmel Apocalips in Eclipse. Lashes are by Revlon [double wink I believe] and rhinestones are from eBay.

Dramatic Valentines Look

This is more of an artsy look than one you could wear out, although maybe without the extra adornments it could work for a Valentines clubnight. Either way it was good fun to do!

Used: Innocent + Twisted Alchemy Little Crush and Oops #2 on the inner corner and above the crease, Black Rose Minerals One Does Not Simply and Victorian Disco For The Horde on the other corner. Crease colour was Victorian Disco Halloweentown. Brows are a mix of Halloweentown and One Does Not Simply. The red hearts were drawn using For The Horde and ELF Lock and Seal. Lashes are by Eylure.

Seven Deadly Sins: Lust

[image for banner is from the stunning seven deadly sins series by dahlig on deviantART]

This is a series I've been meaning to do for a while, especially after seeing Deja and Klaire De Lys's amazing takes on the sins. I love the seven deadly sins as a thematic element in the bible and in pop culture with everything from horror movies like Se7en, to TV shows like Supernatural to the classic Dante's Inferno and the video game that inspired. 

Lust or lechery (carnal "luxuria") is an intense desire. It is usually thought of as excessive sexual want; however, the word was originally a general term for desire. Therefore lust could involve the intense desire of money, food, fame, or power as well.

In Dante's Purgatorio, the penitent walks within flames to purge himself of lustful/sexual thoughts and feelings. In Dante's Inferno, unforgiven souls of the sin of lust are blown about in restless hurricane-like winds symbolic of their own lack of self-control to their lustful passions in earthly life.
The demon associated with this sin is Asmodeus

Used: Shiro Cosmetics Zero on the inner corner, Victorian Disco For the Horde over the main lid, Black Rose Minerals One Does Not Simply on the outer corner. The black liner is Femme Fatale Unholy mixed with ELF Lock and Seal, brows are also done using Unholy and then blended out into For the Horde. Lashes are from Eylure. Black eyes are contacts by I think Titan, they're 17mm lenses, though unfortunatley they show way too much iris in the center.
Bonus full face shot, I used Revlon Red Laquer on my lips. 

PS. Don't forget to enter my giveaway