My Sailor Moon Tee from Allied Shirts!

Press Sample

Now that Sailor Moon is reviving and the new Anime is coming out, there are a lot of new merchandise coming out. Unfortunately, most of the items are only being released in Japan and it's difficult and expensive to get them in the US! Luckily for me, I have a very talented friend who drew me a beautiful picture that I ( with a little help from photoshop) turned into a shirt design... Then ordering from Allied Shirts, I made myself a pretty Sailor Moon tee! Best of all, nobody else is going to have the same tee, since it's an original fan drawing :D

The Japanese text says 'Tsukino Usagi', although she's in her Sailor Moon incarnation here. 'Sailor Moon' in katakana just didn't have the right look that I wanted.  I love it soooooooo much! The print looks a little darker over the black t-shirt than it actually is, but I think it has a 'drawn' look which I like.

Shipping+Handling time with Allied shirts can take up to 2 and a half weeks (although I got mine sooner), which is ok for a custom printed shirt (although it annoyed my impatient husband who ordered some shirts for his Martial Arts school), so just be aware that it can take a bit longer than ordering a normal t-shirt.

If you want more than shirts, check out their other websites which I've ordered from before, BuildASign.com and Printcopia. I have been happy with every order I've received so far and the prices are reasonable. I want to make more Sailor Moon stuff!! I'll have to hit up Desiree for some more pretty drawings :) If you design your own shirts, let me know! I would love to see them.

Hue In The City Girls Chat 2: What Makeup Rules Do You Ignore?

Question of the Week:

What makeup rules do you ignore?

Let's be honest... I ignore a whole lot of 'makeup rules'. Makeup is so much fun to play with, why should there be so many rules?? I think you should just go with what you like and what makes you feel good. Some rules are common sense, like using primer to make your products more vibrant and long lasting, but some rules are just silly and frankly outdated. Here are the rules I think need to be thrown out!

1. Don't match your eyeshadow with your lipstick - actually I think having all one shade can look really pretty and fresh when done well. I like to use shades of pink! Nowadays this is getting popular, it's called the monochomatic look.

2. Never apply makeup with your fingers - if you wash your hands before applying your makeup, there's nothing wrong with it. In fact, I think my Missha BB cream looks best when blended with my fingers, and to get a pretty, natural lip look I dab on colour with a fingertip.

3. Only focus on one feature - Yes, for everyday, for picking up the kids from school or for work it might be better to keep the focus on one feature, but makeup is getting so much more daring and colourful now! A striking smoky eye with a bold lip can look polished and complete your overall look.

What makeup rules do you ignore?

The best reads of the week from the Hue in the City girls:

• Leticia is going to show you how to do awesome nail art with short nails.
• Ishah reviews the infamous Diamond Candle. Did she score a diamond?
• Eugenia creates a nice green and orange look using Fyrinnae.
• Mina reviews L’Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder makeup.
• Jessica thinks your lips should be ruby red during the fall.
• Melody played with the Maybelline Master Duo liners.
• Quinn found five blushes that are Fall perfect.
• Mai has perfect swatches of the Dreamworld Hermetica Hocus Pocus Eyeshadow collection.
• Aprill wants to know what you have to hide with toe concealer.

Halloween Inspiration: Cat Makeup Tutorials

I decided I'd do the good old cat for Halloween, since it's easy and fun and I have this super cute cat ear headband from Forever 21. I wanted to kick it up a notch and do a cat makeup look to really take the costume to the next level, so I searched for some tutorials and found these beautiful looks.

1. Last Minute Halloween Party Cat Makeup by fashionista804 on Youtube - a sultry, bold red lipped cat look that can be easily put together last minute.
2. Lion Halloween Makeup Tutorial by Jen @ From Head to Toe - this lion look can be easily adapted to a kitty cat and is more subtle and natural.
3. Sexy Cat Halloween Makeup by Julia @ MissChievous.tv - an intricate leopard print eye with two toned lips, that's one high fashion kitty!
4. Halloween Tutorial: Leopard Cat Makeup - by Makeup by Aggie - a more stylized leopard makeup look, very daring and costume makeup-like.

I am loving all of these beautiful looks and will be drawing inspiration from all of them. Which one is your favourite??

Guest Post for Jeanie at Midnight Manicures: Halloween Jack O' Lantern Nails

Hey guys, I did a guest post for Jeanie at Midnight Manicures featuring these Jack O' Lantern nails for Halloween!

Go and check out my post on her blog!

Japan Trend: Cat Ears.

I Bought This Affiliate Links



Starting in 2011/2012 I started seeing a lot of Japanese and other Asian fashion bloggers wearing cat ear headbands and beanies. The trend has just recently become popular here in the US with celebrities like Taylor Swift and Lea Michele wearing them, so I am rejoicing! I bought a Cat Ear beanie from Amazon last winter, but didn't really get much of a chance to wear it (since it was cold for like... 2 weeks here in SoCal). I'm patiently waiting for the weather to get colder so I can wear it again! Come on Mother Nature, it's almost November!!!!

 I am really obsessed with cat ear everything and there are a variety of really cute and affordable options to choose from! Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe have some really nice cat ear accessories for $10 or less.

Forever 21
Sweet Stud Cat Beanie

Charlotte Russe
Studded Cat Ears Headband

I bought this lace cat ear headband from Forever 21 and I am planning to buy more! Cat Ears ALL THE THINGS!

What do you think about the Cat Ears trend? Love it or leave it?

My Diamond Candles Cupcake Candle and Ring Reveal!

Press Sample


Every year around this time I start seeing people go absolutely bat sh__ crazy for candles. All Pumpkin Everything candles, Holiday candles, Apple Cider Caramel Whipped Cream with a Cherry on Top candles, you name it, someone on my Facebook feed/Twitter TL has posted about it. I was contacted to review one of the candles from Diamond Candles and my first thought was "Yay! Now I can join in on the candle craziness!", but absolutely no Pumpkin Spice whatever candles please... They all seem to contain some kind of cinnamony scent, which I just can't handle. Sorry cinnamon lovers (including my husband) please keep your cinnamonness away from my nose.

So of course, I chose the Cupcake candle... I love cupcakes (who doesn't??) and it looks so sweet and cute I couldn't resist!

Diamond Candles makes all natural soy candles which contain a ring worth either $10, $100, $1000 or $5000.

From the Diamond Candles website:

Cupcake Candle $24.95

SCENT:
What is the perfect dessert that basically has no calories because compared to a whole cake is almost nothing? What's really more like a cake vitamin? Cupcakes are one of our favorites treats for all occasions. Let's enjoy the smell even when we aren't taking our vitamins.

RING?

Haven't you heard? Every Diamond Candle hides a special ring, valued between $10 and $5,000!

How much is it worth?

If you discover a 14k symbol inside the band, take it to a jeweler for a verbal appraisal.

Sizes?

While random, each ring comes in the most popular sizes.

How long do I have to wait?

Patience is a virtue, but we don't blame you for wondering. It takes about 10-15 hours to uncover most rings. The impatient ones among us use a spoon to speed things along.

Don't they get hot in there?

Each ring is carefully placed in a tiny plastic bag, then wrapped in gold foil for safekeeping.

Ok, first of all.. the scent. It smells GORGEOUS! My son said it smells like marshmallows and it definitely has a vanilla sweetness about it. I thought it smelled like cake baking in the oven and my husband asked if there was something cooking (so sorry to disappoint, but no). The candle is also huge, I  had it burning all day for 2 days and it hardly went down at all. Shipping time was pretty quick and the candle was packaged really well, no fears of it breaking in transit.

I couldn't wait for the candle to burn down, so I dug the ring out while the candle wax was hot. It got a little waxy, but I cleaned it off and here it is!

Unfortunately it's not an expensive ring, but for $24.95 and with such a big candle, the ring is an extra bonus anyway! It's a pretty piece of costume jewelry that I am happy with. I will definitely be ordering one of their other delicious sounding scents soon, maybe the Hawaiian Coconut candle, or the Caramel Apple Cider candle.... and I can't wait to see what other kind of rings I get!

Check out Diamond Candles on Facebook.

Hue In The City Girls Chat 1: What 3 makeup items can you NOT live without and why?

Question of the Week:

What 3 makeup items can you NOT live without and why?

This one is actually pretty easy for me and one of the items is in my post for the Roundup links below! I am a pretty low-maintenance kind of gal and my basics are mascara, lip balm and a good blush. I love my BB Cream too, but some days I don't mind skipping it and letting my skin breathe. My 3 absolute faves that I use on a daily basis are:

1. Dolly Wink Long Mascara - this is THE BEST mascara ever for lengthening. It gives me long, soft water resistant lashes.
2. Maybelline Baby Lips - my absolute FAVE lip balm. I have 3 in my purse at all times to hydrate and condition my lips while giving a soft pop of colour.
3. Smashbox Blush/Soft Lights Duo in Under/Cover - This is the softest, prettiest, most glowingiest (is that a word? No?) blush and highlighter duo everrrrrrrrrr. It makes me look almost airbrushed, even without foundation.

I would probably wither away without these 3 makeup items, since they keep me looking pretty and fresh without looking like I caked on the makeup. I love playing with a full face of makeup as much as the next girl, but honestly I usually don't have a lot of time so I just make sure I have the basics. If you're low on time, but still want to look 'naturally' beautiful *wink wink* these three products are a lifesaver. I might even be able to survive on a desert island with just these three things o_o okay, I'm sorry I'm exaggerating. But they are quite awesome.

Here are some recent good reads from the other Hue in the City girls, a group of amazing bloggers!

Ishah wants to show off her HG highlighter

Genia shows us the wonders of a $5 blue eyeliner

Leticia, her smoky brown eye, and Urban Decay Bang
Jessica reviews Foreo’s Luna- The Ultimate Skin Saver 
Mai swatched OCC Pro's Pick Lip Tar Set in v2.0
Mina died and went to makeup heaven
Sephora Friends and Family sale? Aprill pooped that party. 

How to Get a Natural Airbrushed Glow: My All-Time Favourite HG Highlighter (and its blush BFF)!

I Bought This Affiliate Links

As much as I love trying new makeup, there are some products that I keep going back to and this one is a daily driver. For your viewing (reading?) pleasure today, I have my absolute Holy Grail highlighter/blush product which gives the perfect natural airbrushed glow, the Smashbox Blush/Soft Lights Duo in Under/Cover. This was my very first Smashbox product; I had heard many good things about the brand and in regards to this beautiful duo, they're aaalll true.

I got this duo a long time ago on Hautelook for around $5. I had really wanted to try Smashbox’s Soft Lights and thought this was a great way to try it out (as well as a lovely blush) for a super inexpensive price. Scroll down for swatches and my highlighting chart.

L: Soft Lights, Under R: Blush, Cover

L: Soft Lights, Under R: Blush, Cover

Soft Lights are a highly acclaimed highlighting and illuminating powder and Under is a light, pearly beige, almost ivory, with a slight shimmer. It is perfect for getting that glowing, airbrushed look and I love the fact that it still looks beautifully natural. The Blush, Cover is a soft peachy pink which would be great for warm or neutral toned skin. The pressed powder is quite soft, so you don’t need to swatch too hard to get a decent amount onto your brush. Both shades are softly pigmented, but buildable. They give a gorgeous, soft glow which looks pretty and natural.

Where to put Soft Lights to get a natural, soft airbrushed glow:

Gently brushing Soft Lights onto the high points of your face (or wherever you want to emphasise and make stand out) and blending will produce a much brighter, more dimensional look. Especially with photography, since a camera can easily wash out your face and make it look flat. I really like the dewy glow I get when using this duo, the shades perfectly complement each other and look really natural. There’s nothing worse than a highlighter that makes you look sheened in sweat! The slight shimmer in the Soft Lights is subtle and not too shiny or sparkly at all and you only need a small amount to get a gorgeous result.

I’m pretty sure they discontinued these duos, but it’s allowed me to try two products that I will definitely be repurchasing in the future. You can still find them on ebay and around the web if you look for them and Smashbox has two shades available on their website, of the two SHIMMER looks closest to this one.

Have you tried Smashbox Soft Lights or Blush before? What is your favourite highlighter/illuminator?

Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Big Eyes Waterproof Mascara Review

I Bought This

When I go without mascara, I feel like I look like a male construction worker. Or that my eyes are really, really small. And ever since my Dolly Wink Long mascara ran out, I have been using a couple of mascaras I had lying around, but none of them were really making me feel (at least) like a female construction worker. So one day, when I was perusing the aisles of Walgreens (that darn money sinkhole), I happened to notice that all the Maybelline makeup was BOGO 1/2 off. I don't know about you, but for me Maybelline has been pretty solid in the mascara department and I decided to get not one, but two new mascaras. How could I not, they were BOGO 1/2 off after all (darn marketing tricks).

This is one of them, an intriguing little number from Maybelline, called Volum' Express The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara in Very Black.

From Maybelline.com:

Revolutionary dual-ended Mascara for 360° all around Lash Glam
Two brushes specifically designed for top and bottom lashes
Special quick-dry formula holds lashes in place

PRODUCT DETAILS

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

Now get bigger, wide-open eyes with 360 degrees of lash glam volume! The Upper Brush pushes lashes over the top while the lower Micro-Brush grabs every tiny bottom lash for a full circle effect.

FOR BEST RESULTS

Apply the Upper Brush against the top lashes and sweep from root to tip until a clean, voluminous look is achieved, followed by the lower lash line using the Micro Brush. Do not let dry between coats. Removes with soap and water or with Maybelline® Clean Express!® Classic Eye Makeup Remover.

^^Removes with soap and water.....??? Is anyone out there actually washing their eyes with soap??? Please tell me no. I would use an oil based cleanser/makeup remover with a cotton pad to remove waterproof mascara.

The dual brush is cool, but not really for those times when you're in a hurry and just want to put on a few swipes of mascara quickly. The lower lash brush is perfect for catching the small lashes and the ones at your inner corners. I really like the way this mascara makes my lashes look for about the first hour or so, then it starts drooping a bit, but they still look full and separated. One thing I hate is removing it and then the next day still getting panda eyes when I wake up... that's the problem with most waterproof mascaras though, they don't remove easily.  I think I may keep this and use the lower lash brush for those little tiny lashes. I like it for now but I think I just need to buy a new tube of the Dolly Wink Long mascara, or maybe try Fiberwig mascara, since they are pretty much everything I want as well as being water resistant and come off beautifully with warm water. Currently I haven't found a Western brand mascara that has all the attributes of an Asian mascara, please let me know if you have!