Clothes, makeup, hair, and other such things

avoid everything with artificial fibers in it (you'll know because they LOVE advertising the hell out of that).
most waterproof mascaras are relatively speaking lower in lengthening and volumizing properties cuz the formulas don't work the same with wax based stuff (which waterproof mascara tends to be)
generally I'd test some stuff even if it says ten million years of lashes and the likes, because like... most mascara doesn't actually do all that much? if it doesn't have additional fibers in there? models in mascara commercials all wear false lashes :P

 

I'm not a mascara person (I have too many eyelashes) so all I can say is look up reviews

 

i missed the part of the thread where we showed off our makeup hoards and i just spent like an hour organizing some stuff so i'm posting pictures now

Spoiler: sparklehorde

lip stuff. including my lip tar rainbow. i only recently started wearing lipstick more often and then this happened. jeez. the mac one is called cyber, and it is my go-to Witch Lipstick. i walked up to the counter and someone asked me if they could help me find anything and i was like, "i want kind of a dark purple-y lipstick? like, Lorde dark." and they delivered. other highlights are my adorable little cat lip gloss & my other favorite lipstick by marc jacobs kinda hiding in the back there. i bought it solely for the packaging (it looks like a high-fashion crayon) but the color's nice, a very pretty orange-y red.


face stuff. i feel like my makeup priorities are clear here. the green primer is for when i'm cosplaying GlaDOS, it neutralizes the red tones in my face and gives me perfect robot skin. actually, most of this stuff i only wear when i'm cosplaying, i usually don't bother with the full face o' makeup unless i'm doing it for a costume or something fancy. i don't really use blush either because my cheeks are naturally super pink, so i only own the pink one i bought at sephora and that black one i stole from my mom.


and the best part, eye stuff! i used to only wear eyeshadow & eyeliner when i was an angsty young teen- i did the full raccoon eye, god it was awful. i've calmed down a bit now, usually i just do a cat eye unless i'm feeling fancy. my favorites are that neon pink eyeliner to the left (it is seriously super duper neon) and the two blue & one black marker-looking things to the right. they're kat von d's ink eyeliners and they are my literal favorite. every time i try and use anything but my ink eyeliner i'm always super disappointed with the results. i keep a back-up one in my wallet for eyeliner emergencies. that's how serious i am about this eyeliner. i was so excited when i saw they came in colors, i'm probably gonna end up buying one of each.


this is my leftover horde, either old stuff i don't use anymore that was taking up room in my main makeup case, or junk makeup i bought when i was a kid and my taste was questionable. i put all my random sephora samples and gifts in that black & white bag because i never use it.



and some pics of my vanity & a closeup shot of my brush holder. i've decided to keep all my eyeliners and some of my cuter lipglosses and stuff in there, and now i can actually find the stuff i'm looking for. crazy.

 

This is my newest acquisitions! I have gotta say i love highlighter a lot and these two have lovely warm colors. The lip quad is more of an impulse purchase, it looked cute


And that is my entire collection. I dont think i can take everything out to show it prkperly but yeah. That thing is p much full to fhe brim. And yes that shoebox is full of false lashes i almost never wear.
I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM YOU HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!!

 

AND! My new stuff arrived in the mail today, which means I officially had to get out another bag in addition to the big box o' stuff
All products by kleancolor through MissA

Spoiler: image heavy product review

This is how it was packaged! As you can see it is very carefully wrapped. The few parts where the packaging was slightly banged up was likely because customs had to open the package. I'm inclined to say 10/10 since it's also kind of cute as far as packaging goes.

Here's wha I got! six eyeliners (pencil and liquid combos in the same colors), 3 of their Madly Matte lipsticks and five of their Kleanista line.

These are the Madly Matte lipsticks, left to right:
Liberty, Catalina, Slate
Slate is the best of this bunch, it's a very matte, nice dark gray, very opaque. I am super pleased with this one!
Catalina is slightly less opaque, but still pretty nice! It feels a bit heavy, but it's also very matte.
Liberty I thought would be purple but it's actually a dark blue without any purple undertones! it's the least opaque of these three and I haven't worn it on my lips yet so idk but it felt a bit less heavy than Catalina, so I hope it isn't gonna be too bad. It's a nice color!


These are the VIBErant Duo Eyeliners. I got all colors and BOY am I pleased. I would actually really recommend these for cosplay makeup (Lookit these gorgeous troll blood colors. I'm fucking homestuck trash, what's news.) Liquid eyeliners in these colors are super hard to find and from just trying to get rid of the swatches here They seem to hold pretty well against rubbing and even moderate amounts of water! Also the packaging is adorable. Look at those cute as shit flask bottles. I think I'll keep these around even after using the eyeliners up because the bottles are so cute?

Thease are the Kleanista Lipsticks, from upper left to lower right: Sky Dive, After Hours, Cast of Spell, Envious Desire, Lightning Struck
Sky Dive is pretty oily and very weak on opacity, but I loved the color so I hope it will hold up in regular wear :/ Probably gonna wear it mostly with shironuri makeup so my lips will probably be glad for the additional creaminess.
After Hours feels drier but holy shit it is so light? It's a weird blue but kinda cute actually. You just gotta force it a bit to show up well. Easier with concealer underneath probably, but don't expect a rich dark blue. It's crayon blue or nothing.
Cast of Spell is GORGEOUS! Very matte, very opaque, just the right creaminess and that color! gosh! Such a cute lavender!
Envious Desire is a bit more muddy than I'd have liked, but it's a servicable green. I'd have liked a more vibrant more emerald green, but eh, this is cute too. I can probably mix it iwth Lightning Struck to give it more of an edge! It's not the best in opacity but at least it's not super oily.
Lightning Struck is nice and bright. For such a light color it goes on pretty opaque, and it's not too shiny or oily. Definitly not the most wearable color though lol.

Over all the kleancolor stuff can be a bit hit and miss but a lot of the stuff is really solid quality to actually surprisingly great for 1$ makeup! I definitly think I can wear all of this and I don't regret this order one bit :3

 

Whoo! that's all way nicer than I was expecting. Totally good for homestucking.

 

I know right? I am very used to low end drugstore makeup so I wasn't expecting much. Of course it doesn't hold up to the Mary Kay Cosmetics products I have or my MAC lipstick, but it's definitly on par with most drugstore makeup and the color range is absolutely worth it!
The eyeliners were such a surprise because I just thought 'aw cute bottle and good idea in neat colors, even if it's useless I cna keep the bottles for decor' but the colors are so vibrant!
(Btw the liquid eyeliner applicators are relatively firm silicone tips. I prefer sponge or brush but the silicone tips hold up better for extended use and can take more of a beating so I am actually quite okay wth that. It just makes application a bit more difficult)

 

that is super awesome! Most of my makeup is drugstore, so I have def found some really good ones, but it's always awesome when cheap makeup is super good.
:D
(ooh, cool!)

 

Oooh I also got a bunch of kleancolor stuff, been meaning to do a review, this reminded me. . .ill try to do that this weekend!!

 

I like Korean mascara; my go-to is Lioele Bubi-Bubi Mascara (also fun to say) which comes in black, clear, brown and blue. I use brown the most. It's waterproof, it stays on, it doesn't have that fibre crap in it and I've had numerous other lolitas tell me that they didn't know I don't wear fake eyelashes, so I think it does a really good job. Amazon has the black for like $5 if you want to give it a shot.

 

I am a big fan of Japanese and Korean makeup because high quality makeup costs less.

http://www.soompi.com/2015/05/29/17-amazing-korean-cosmetic-dupes/

Sometimes I will buy Shiseido, which is expensive, but I can usually find something cheaper. Target has recently started carrying Laneige around here; I don't know if you can find it at your Target, but it's a good skin care brand from Japan and it's cheap enough at Target that I can use the pore cleanser every day when I take a shower.

 

yeee makeup so pretty. I really wish I had the spoons to be all pretty but I have no real idea where to start apart from some eyeliner/mascara/lipstick/concealer for undereye circles and beard shadow, that never actually works very well. All the tutorials are videos and I can't videos at all, there doesn't seem to be anything that's just still pictures and text explaining what's in the pictures and how to do it.
and i mean, like, i'd totally love to be able to dress all punk-lolita, but... how do you even get started? Like, I have no idea how you do the... accessories and details and things that separate "lazy-ass jeans and t-shirt" from "jeans and tshirt, but feminine looking and pretty" ... the whole entire world of fashion and looking good is one of those things where there's so much I don't know, I don't even know where to start or what questions to ask.
and like... I *have* a wig, but no idea how to style it or anything to make it not Obviously A Wig if I'm not wearing a hat, or even if it's just too cheap to ever look like actual hair, or what.

how is learn pretty and do pretty with not many spoons or money?

 

@cryptoThelematrix I have recently developed a fierce love for Lioele. Their Triple Solution BB Cream is beyond fantastic.

Does anyone have recommendations for cream-based eyebrow stuff? I've been using a brow powder that looks decent enough for a few hours after I put it on, but seems to have magically vanished by the time I leave work. And I've finally made peace with the fact that brow pencils and I do not mix. I always end up with super fake looking caterpillar brows, and that's not a look I can pull off.

 

1) Wigs: I have no idea, I don't wear them. I style my hair by braiding it, then coiling it into one or two buns which I secure with bobby pins and hairspray. Sometimes I use a curling iron on my bangs. Sometimes I just use a lolita headband with a big bow and let my hair be loose and free. You do not need a wig to do lolita unless you want to go OTT (over the top).

2) Oh lord I hate videos too, because I can read much faster than video goes. If you look, you can find some non video tutorials on some lolita blogs. F Yeah Lolita doesn't use videos.

3) Punk lolita is the cheapest and easiest style to do because you can get tops from Listen Flavor and Algonquins and Deorart from CD Japan or Tokyo Otaku Mode in the $30 range rather than the $60-200 for most lolita tops. Putumayo also is a more expensive punk brand that Harajuku Hearts and Tokyo Rebel sell. I have to recommend Harajuku Hearts because they usually have a better selection AND it is owned by my friends. (No pretence of impartiality as I am 100% snek.) Also, once you get familiar with the look, Nissen Global is a Japanese online department store that has even cheaper stuff that is similar in their juniors department and sometimes as well in their plus size department.

4) For a basic punk-lolita coordinate, here is what you need: a) a cute top from one of the brands listed above. Convert your bust measurement from inches to cm if you need to (inches x 2.54) and find a top that will fit you; b) a black skirt that is at or above the knee, with an asymmetrical hem, that is full enough to cover a petticoat; c) a short petticoat, for punk lolita you can even use a bright tutu type petti; d) cute punky tights or over-the-knee socks, which do not have to be brand--you can find some suitable items even at places like Target this time of year (Halloween) as long as the quality is good; e) gothic or punk shoes, which can definitely be creepers or Docs or something similar that you might already have. You can find inexpensive punk lolita jewellery on Etsy, just search the tags and look for shops that sell to lolitas. If you want creepy cute, check out Starlight Deco Dream (this is also a friend). These styles also work for fairy kei where you can even wear sneakers. Note: Western Lolitas will often disagree with me but if your skirt is kind of short you may not need a petticoat as long as you wear leggings/pants. This is however for punk lolita ONLY.

5) The easiest face makeup to wear is a good BB cream. You can get started on makeup with a BB cream, some mascara and lip gloss. Everything else comes with practise and time. BB cream is like a tinted moisturiser/base makeup, you rub it into your skin and the colour will change to match. I like eye pencils for basic eye colour when I don't have much time.

6) Sweet and classic lolita are where you get into the serious money or make your own or both. If sweet and classic lolita don't appeal to you, you're probably gonna be fine with punk.

7) if you're OK with pictures and don't need to read the text a lot of Japanese magazine scans include makeup tutorials. I can read Japanese pretty well but you don't actually need to be able to read it when there are big pictures. You may not be able to find the same makeup products but you can find things that look similar. Most of what I know about makeup I learned from Japanese magazines.

 

If you can get Dolly Wink products that's what I'd use. They make a decent eyebrow mascara and a brow pencil with a brush attached that takes care of the caterpillar problem.

 

@littlepinkbeast this is the world's easiest eyeshadow: http://www.amazon.com/Koji-Dolly-Wink-Point-Eyeshadow/dp/B00Z8AC9EW

It comes in pink, gold and silver.

 

LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE PRETTIES. MY KINGDOM FOR THOSE OCC PRODUCTS.

Also has anyone else used Missha M bb creams? I've been addicted to them for quite some time - entirely worth the ~$20. It pretty much renders my skin flawless.

This is my skin on Missha M.

 

I use a Missha BB cream but not that one -- Misa Cho Bo Yang. here's a review that I didn't write: http://skinandtonics.com/missha-misa-cho-bo-yang-bb-cream-review/

 

... I'd have to make them build a target first? I'm stuck in europe whazzup

A lot of how I make my wigs look realer is I stick decorations in there and like make pigtails/a super low pony tail/braid part of it. If you treat a wig like real hair and do a bit more with it than leaving it hanging the more people will think it's real hair. Wait a sec lemme hunt down pics of the wig i did the most with up until now

Spoiler: Twin Poofs

Spoiler: Half Ponytail

Spoiler: Twin braids

Braiding is a pretty easy way to snazz up wigs.
Ideally you always wanna hide the area where the part is because that is the most obviously 'false' part about a wig, so a hat, or a big hairband, or a flower corsage or a scarf or whatever are usually a good idea.
If you aren't afraid to handle the wig a bit more rough and it has a bit of a wave or curl pattern, you can do those cute poofs! I did these by sectioning off the shorter top layer of the wig (very easy to see in the twin braid look, this wig has two different lengths for top and bottom layer), putting them into two pig tails and then carefully pinching my fingers on a strand of hair and going against 'growth direction'. It's gentle finger backcombing basically. You should be able to comb it out easily enough, but just in case it IS probably a bit harsher on the fibers.

 

That's right, I keep thinking that Target is everywhere but it's Walmart that's everywhere. Sorry about that! We shouldn't have exported that one. Yout wigs look great!