Blog Sale: MAC, Video Games, & More!

So, I pretty much copied Imee by posting this, but like her, I owe Jackie and she's done alot for me. I unfortunately don't have money to help her cause. Blahhh... second best thing to do besides actually buying from a blog sale is spreading the news by word of mouth! So here it is! =]

She has ALOT of stuff up for grabs including some limited edition MAC! Check it out!

Image Credit: Imee @ Life As Icey It

Check out J.Rose's Blog Sale!

So check, check, check, check it out and see what, what, what's it all about! =] As the title notes, there's also non-mac makeup for sale, as well as video games, a couple of game boy advances, nail polishes from various brands, and much more! =]

FOTN: Halloween o9'

Hey guys! Long time no post! =P This post is going to be short & sweet. =] I'm just going to show you guys what I was for Halloween & a couple of pictures from the party that I went to. =]

So for Halloween, I was...

a vampire! You'd think it'd be obvious, but I got some crazy ass guesses... NO JOKE. LOL. Someone guessed Rhianna... how messed up is that? LOL. But I'll admit, I did laugh out loud at their guess... as messed up as it was. LOL. Here's a list of what I used in case anyone is interested.

WHAT I USED
FACE:
Sephora Brand Professionnel Perfection Makeup Base
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation in "Golden Beige"
Ben Nye Neutral Set Colorless Face Powder

EYES:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
"Black" from Mehron Paradise AQ Palette in "Basic" (on lid and a little bit above crease)
NYX's Single Eyeshadow in "Black" (on top of the Mehron base, smudged on lower lash line)
Burgundy eyeshadow from Sleek's i-Divine Palette in "Chaos" (in and above crease, smudged on lower lash line)
Pressed Mineral Pigment from TKB Trading in the color "Hot Mama" (in and above crease)
Milani's Single Eyeshadow in "Almondine" (highlight under brow)
Milani's Color Brilliance Pencil in "Black" (on waterline)
H.I.P. Gel Liner (on top lashline)
Covergirl Lash Blast in "Blackest Black" (on lashes)
two pairs of eyelashes on the top lash line
one pair of lashes on the bottom lash line

MASK ON THE OUTER C OF MY EYES:
NYX's Single Eyeshadow in "Black"
Burgundy Eyeshadow from Sleek's i-Divine Palette in "Chaos"
Pressed Mineral Pigment from TKB Trading in the color "Hot Mama"

ON LIPS:
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in "Zero" (liner around the lips, and filled in the lips)
Jordana Lipstick in "Cabaret" (on top of the black)

Moving right on to a few pictures from that night. =]

My little "Tinkerbell" & I. =] She already had taken off her costume by the time we took this picture. She didn't want to take the picture though, because my make-up was scaring her. She kept telling me to take it off. LOL.

@ the Halloween Party. That guy with the Pyramid Head is my boyfriend (LOL) and my brother's girlfriend Lennie is the Geisha. BTW... if you don't know who Pyramid Head is, google it, along with Silent Hill. My favorite video game series... EVER.

Pyramid Head trying to rape me. Again... google. LOL.

My boyfriend probably would kill me... if he could. LOL.

From Left to Right: Lennie (my brother's gf), Walter (my brother), Me, & my loser boyfriend. LOL. JK.

So my night consisted of booze, cigarettes, rock band, & some other drunken debauchery. Nothing too crazy though. =] Just a night to finally loosen up and take a small break.

I've been BUSY ever since my RT program started, which is why I haven't posted on here. I have like no social life as of late... no joke. It's okay I suppose, sacrifices must be made now to succeed in the future... that's how I see it at least. So yup, that's all really. I hope you guys had a great Halloween! =]

Haul & Information: Toki Doki Inspired Painting from Lena

Here's the picture of the painting that I promised!
Credits for this picture of the painting go to L (Lena), hence why her watermark is on it. ;)

The canvas size of my piece is 8x13" and it cost me around $100. L's pieces are HAND PAINTED on canvas so there is a good amount of work that goes into her work. She will do a variety of other paintings, not just toki doki ones, so contact her to speak to her specifically about what you want.

If you're interested in inquiring about a piece or purchasing a piece please contact Lena via her blog. Her blog address is: http://www.ladylonline.blogspot.com

Review: Sigma Makeup SS217 vs MAC 217

I want to start off by saying that my ABSOLUTE favorite MAC brush is the 217. If I could only have ONE MAC brush for the rest of my life, it'd be the 217. =]



The fact that I like my MAC 217 more than my Sigma SS217 doesn't mean it's because the Sigma SS217 is lacking in quality or anything of that sort, it's just not as similar to the MAC 217 as I'd like it to be.

These two brushes are VERY similar in many ways, BUT there is a slight difference. There's only one SLIGHT difference between the two brushes, but the slight difference in bristle cut between the two does significantly change the way the two brushes function.

As shown in the picture, the MAC 217's bristles are cut so that the tip is more evened out/flat and tapers out only ever so slightly around the edges. The Sigma SS217 is cut so that it tapers much more drastically into a more refined tip.

I prefer the MAC one because the bristles are flatter on the tip and it gives you a stiffer/denser feel which makes blending a breeze. The MAC 217 also gives you more control since there's not too much play (looseness) in the bristles, and it allows you to blend quicker since more of the bristles are being used (covers more area & uses it's density to it's advantage) when blending with the tip of the brush.

The Sigma SS217 uses the same type of bristles as the MAC one, and the feel of the bristles are almost identical. It does have just as many hairs (denseness) as the MAC one, but the fact that it tapers so much more than the MAC one at the tip means that less hairs are being used (coming into contact) when using the tip of the brush to blend out harsh lines. This makes the brush feel too loose and flimsy even though it IS densely packed. This small detail actually does make a noticeable difference in performance. This brush can give a similar result as the MAC one, but it does take longer, and also it takes more work to achieve a nicely blended result.

I think if Sigma cut the bristles of the SS217 to look, work, and feel more similar to the MAC 217's they'd have a winner! They just need to make it so that the cut of the bristles results in a flatter and less tapered top, in order to make it as effective and functional as the MAC one. That's all they'd really have to change to make it an unbelievably EXCELLENT dupe.

I'm thinking they need a cut more similar to the their SS224's on their SS217's. I actually prefer the Sigma SS224 to the MAC 224. I think they DEFINITELY improved that brush and I'm SO GLAD they did! =] I absolutely hated the MAC 224 because it was too loose, too flimsy and didn't blend much of anything. =P The Sigma SS224 is denser and more firm which makes blending a breeze. The Sigma SS224 also has a better cut than the MAC 224; the MAC 224 tapers more to a point while the Sigma 224 has a flatter top. The flatter top gives you that firm/dense "control" that is especially helpful when blending.

I believe that if they made the cut of the bristles of the Sigma SS217 more similar to the MAC 217's or their SS224's, it'd be alot more comparable. The bristle cut of the Sigma SS217 has too strong of a taper which doesn't allow the full potential of the densely packed bristles (because the bristles on the SS217 are densely packed). A bristle cut that has more of a flattened out top/tip with an ever so SLIGHT taper around the very edges makes for a much more effective blending brush. This specific cut gives users more control, is more effective, and takes less work.

All in all, the Sigma SS217 is a decent dupe of the MAC 217 but it's not as great a dupe as it COULD be. The Sigma brush is made of great quality like all of the other Sigma brushes I own, but I think they could definitely improve on this specific brush and make it a little more comparable. It's NOT a bad brush, it's actually a very good brush. But if you're like me and absolutely LOVE your MAC 217 brush, you may not like the Sigma SS217 as much as your MAC 217. This is just my honest opinion based on using both brushes and comparing the two. I absolutely LOVE Sigma Brushes and DO recommend them to everybody. They make quality brushes at affordable prices. I was just a little disappointed in this specific brush by them. Then again, my favorite EYE BRUSH (not JUST among my MAC brushes, but ALL of my brushes) is my MAC 217, so it's a hard brush to follow/dupe.

I hope this review/comparison was helpful for those who requested it or for anyone who was curious about how they differ and compare. =] Have a great day!

Haul: Sigma Makeup Travel Kit in "Nice in Pink"

I bought this kit from the Sigma Makeup website: Sigma Makeup



The kit I bought is the "Nice in Pink" travel kit. =] I really like it. I have ONE MAC SE kit and I like the Sigma travel kit much better than my MAC SE kit. The Sigma travel kit's bristles are MUCH softer than my MAC SE kit's, and the quality is much better with the Sigma brushes (the SE versus travel kit). =]

I won't be reviewing them because there are TONS of reviews on Sigma brushes. =P The ONLY way I would review the Sigma brushes or do comparisons is if anyone specifically requests it.

Just so you guys know, I also have the Complete 12 Brush Kit with the brush roll, the SS182, the SS109, & the SS188. I also PAID for every single Sigma brush I own and was NOT given any of these for free (aside from the already free gifts with purchase). =] So yeah... that's that. =]

I hope this video gives anyone who's interested in the Travel Kits a better idea of what the brushes look/feel like. I know it's not as good as actually seeing/feeling the brushes in person, but I tried. =P If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments or cbox. =]

Have a great day!