Archive | January, 2010

GudonyaToo Soap – Review

By Phyrra on January 31, 2010

Edit: After the shabby treatment of Ana from Lipsticks & Lightsabers and Grey from LeGothique and Joelle I no longer recommend GudonyaToo because of their customer service. You can read on to see what I think of their products, however, BE WARNED, I do not recommend their products. I have now received several emails complaining about the customer service of this company. It seems the decent treatment I received was an anomaly. Also, Gudonya has not left me feedback for my last purchase on Etsy, so I fear they’ll leave me nasty feedback.

So a while ago I decided I wanted to find a vegan sulfate free shampoo. I’ve been on the sulfate free kick for a long time (at least 5 years) because it helps my color to last longer. I decided Etsy would be the place to search for such a product and I hit the jackpot with GudonyaToo Soap.

Shampoo $4.50 to $8.00
Their vegan shampoo is called Salty Dawg Creme shampoo. It’s got sea salt, creme soap, panthenol (Provitamiin B5) and hydrolyzed wheat protein. It’s supposed to be similar to Lush shampoos. I had never tried a salt shampoo or lush shampoo before, but after reading the description, I decided to give it a try.

I picked up the Acai Acai scent. Its description is:
This fresh scent has REALLY tangy top notes of lemon and citrus fruits. The middle notes are complex and SUPER fruity, with a very subtle hint of lily. The base notes are sweet, musky and delicious. This is not a sugary-sweet scent, it is fresh, tangy and somewhat like a sweet, berry grapefruity yummy goodness treat.

While they recommend a nickel or dime sized amount, for my length of Hair I end up using a bit more than that. While I don’t feel like a ton of lather envelopes my hair, I definitely feel like it gets me clean. It’s something I always have to remind myself, that vegan sulfate free products don’t lather like traditional commercial soaps, and that’s ok. I’m still getting clean.

Edited to Add: I tried adding slightly more water before using the shampoo by scooping some on and that worked!

I really do love the scent. Now, it works wonderfully in my hair. I only wash my hair once to twice a week anyways, and this keeps me feeling nice and clean. For Ray, he normally has to wash his hair every day. Now that he’s been using this shampoo and conditioner, he can skip a day and his hair will still be nice, soft and clean, which is impressive.

Conditioner $7.00
I also tried the Acai Acai vegan conditioner. It’s an intense conditioner with Rice Bran oil, BTMS-50, Panthenol, and Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, as well as glycerin. This vegan formula is new. Ray absolutely loves the conditioner. I like the conditioner ok, but I definitely prefer a spray leave in conditioner formula, because I do feel like my hair responds better to a leave in formula.

Whipped Clean Body Wash $4.00 to $7.00
I tried the whipped clean vegan body wash in Chocolate Dream and Italian Lemon Cream. It’s a nice light body wash that cleanses you without leaving you feeling dried out. The bubbles are good, and with this a little does go a long way.

The description for Chocolate Dream is:
We had numerous requests to add a chocolate scent to the “stable” of whipped clean scents… so with much research and careful blending of chocolate fragrance oils and REAL cocoa we came up with a combination that is pure decadence. It is a not too sweet, or bitter, it is just right…Think of a tootsie roll floating in cup of hot chocolate with a shot of dark chocolate!!! Perfect for the chocoholic in all of us !!!

The description for Italian Lemon Cream is:
ITALIAN LEMON CREAM– Are you a lemon-lover? Not straight sour lemons, but smooth custard cream type. We’ve taken the tart but sweet taste of ripe lemons and cut the edges by enveloping them in a cool vanilla cream.The fragrance is unbelievable. Mmmmmmm…. A definite keeper!

The lemon scent is ok. Usually I love lemon scents and this one is just an ok for me. It actually smells like lemons and marshmallow peeps. However, the chocolate is FANTASTIC. I mean oh my god, I’ve thought about asking them to make this into a perfume because I love it so much. Ray and Dave both like it as well. It’s a yummy perfect chocolate scent.

Solid Perfume $3.50
Because of the interesting scent description, I decided to try their solid perfume in Mayan Gold.

Mayan Gold is described as:
Exotic, sweet, warm and spicy can all be used to describe this incredible fragrance. The most well-balanced bond of sandalwood, patchouli, musk and amber. With them, merge tangerine, mango and clary sage. Lastly, it’s all joined by a trace of vanilla, nutmeg and Mexican chocolate… sound like an odd blend? It’s truly a “must sniff” to believe – and believe, you WILL!

Unfortunately, I did NOT like this scent at all. It smelled overpoweringly like sandalwood and patchouli, and while I like sandalwood, I felt like it stank. However, it did seem to last pretty well, even through me trying to wash it off twice. I think it’s probably a good product if you get it in a scent you like.

Overall, I liked the products but will not support such shabby customer service.
I will not order from them again – updated Feb. 12, 2010

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Haus of Gloi Review

By Phyrra on January 31, 2010

Now that I’ve had time to use these products, I wanted to review the Haus of Gloi.

Sugar Cremes
The scents I tried were:
Satyr – Absolutely fiendish creature! And quite frolicsome: Italian blood orange drizzled with blackened vanilla.
Honey Tree – Right from the bee hive honey, amplified by seductive essence of vanilla, darkened by a passing waft of woody smoke.
Elevenses – Tiny, little, fluffy orange cakes, sugar coated toasty almonds and a wee steaming cup of black tea.

Elevenses is a soft sweet orange scent to me.
Satyr is my favorite, and smells very much like dark orange and vanilla. Ray actually likes this scent on me and he’s not much for perfumes.
Honey Tree is really nice, because the woody smoke smell isn’t overpowering and is a nice mixture with the honey.

These sugar creme scrubs are nice. They’re a mixture of organic cane sugar, shea butter, coconut oil, apricot oil, almond oil and olive oils. They’re an exfoliant for your body, however I was daring and tried it on my face as well. While I don’t prefer it on my face, I love how it feels on my skin and I like the light scent that clings to it afterwards.

Bathing Dust
I’ve never really been a person to enjoy salt baths, but I wanted to try the bathing dust. I tend to prefer bubble baths or just soaking in super hot water. So I was pleasantly surprised when I really enjoyed the bathing dust.

I tried the Satyr scent for this.

It’s made of sea salt, epsom salt, dead sea salt, shea butter, and vitamin E. While I definitely felt more relaxed and had the faint scent of Satyr on my skin after the bath, I didn’t notice that my skin seemed overly moisturized from it. I did definitely feel more relaxed.

(This image belongs to Haus of Gloi)

Perfume
I convo’d Haus of Gloi to see if Satyr could be made into a perfume, and was very happy that the answer was yes. It’s a really nice scent, and once applied to the wrists, you can happily smell Satyr. It’s definitely a highly concentrated scent that lasted on me for several hours, which I like.

Because I like it so much, I’m debating picking up Honey Tree in perfume as well.

Cold Pressed Soap
I received samples of their cold pressed soap in Lavender and Glogg. While I absolutely hate lavender scent and wouldn’t even try it to discern how the soap felt, I did try Glogg.

I don’t care for the Glogg scent, but the soap does work nicely. I used it on my hands. It’s got olive oil and coconut oil and cream in it. It really works beautifully. I’m tempted to try the Honey Tree Soap, but since I prefer shower cremes to bar soaps, I just don’t think I’d end up using it much.

Overall, I would buy from Haus of Gloi again. I like their products.
The Satyr scent and Honey Tree scent are my favorite.
I really like the sugar scrubs and perfume.
I’m not sure if I’d buy the bathing dust again, because I do prefer bubble baths.
The cold pressed soaps are nice if you like soap like that, but I don’t think I would purchase them.
The products are all vegan, which is cool. The packaging is adorable and sturdy. The labels are cute.
A lot of thought went into making them, which i really like.

So have you tried Haus of Gloi? Do you like them?

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Kim Kardashian Eau de Parfum Review

By Phyrra on January 31, 2010

So recently when I ordered from Sephora, I chose a sample of Kim Kardashian’s perfume for one of my free samples. I finally had a chance to wear it.

It’s supposed to have notes of:
Mandarin, Honey Suckle, Orange Blossom, Pink Jasmine, Tuberose, Sensual Spice, Lush Gardenia, Jacaranda Wood, Tonka Bean, Vanilla Orchid, Sexy Musk, Creamy Sandalwood.

The first smell of it on my skin was overwhelming. There were so many floral scents I couldn’t tell them apart.
After it had been on my skin for a while, it was still an overwhelming cacophony of scents.
This was not something I enjoyed, and Dave asked me what the heck I was wearing, and to not wear it again.
A few hours later it had died down and I think all I could smell was the vanilla orchid, and that smelled nice.
Surprisingly, just a little squirt on my wrist lasted very strongly for several hours.

While it was interesting to try this, I would not buy it. It’s definitely not my cup o’ tea.

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Friday Fyrinnae Candy

By Phyrra on January 29, 2010

I wanted to do a candy look today, and I’m really happy with the lid color I chose. I think I should have blended the inner and outer v’s a bit more.

Shade Descriptions:
OMGWTF – bright shimmery chartreuse
Looking Glass – Soft, nearly matte sky shade, leaning towards turquoise rather than pure blue. Slight satin finish.
Cupcake Sprinkles – satiny lavender with a subtle aqua shimmer
Charm – Bright, feminine pink with a slight lavender hue and touch of shimmer
Visual Kei – a bright pink, strawberry cotton candy scent
Cheeky – soft pink-beige with pink highlights and a touch of gold shimmer
Immortality – soft black with a rainbow of sparkles
Moon Child – Soft shimmery ivory-beige shade with subtle sparkle.

Eyes:
TFSI
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy – in crease
Fyrinnae OMGWTF – inner v, inner corner of lid, inner lower lash line
Fyrinnae Looking Glass – lid, middle lower lash line
Fyrinnae Cupcake Sprinkles – outer v, outer corner of lid, outer lower lash line
Fyrinnae Cheeky – from eyebrows to upper crease
Fyrinnae Immortality – crease
Fyrinnae Moon Child – under eyebrows
Maybelline Gel Liner in Charcoal – upper and lower lash line, lower water line
Urban Decay Lingerie Lash Primer – upper and lower lashes
Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe in Black Platinum – upper and lower lashes
Urban Decay Galoshes Waterproofer – lower lashes

Cheeks:
Fyrinnae Blush in Charm

Face:
Camellia Rose V2.0 Primer
Meow Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Siamese

Lips:
Aromaleigh Yuzu Lipbalm
Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Visual Kei

Trust me, this look has been the brightest part of my day. My friday has been awful.

However, here’s a cute Phaedra.

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Silk Naturals Retro Pink Look

By Phyrra on January 29, 2010

I wore this out to sushi last night.

Retro – MAC Kitschmas clone, a very shimmery light purplish pink. V
Hint – MAC Seedy Pearl clone, light pink/lavender shimmer
Cruise – Smashbox Muse Clone, muted medium blue
Meow – vivid cool toned pink frost

Eyes:
TFSI
Silk Naturals Retro – lid up into crease
Silk Naturals Hint – from eyebrows to crease
Silk Naturals Cruise – crease
pink – outer lid
UD 24/7 liner in Zero – upper and lower lash line
UD Lingerie Mascara Primer
Covergirl LashBlast Luxe in Black Platinum

Cheeks:
Meow Heliconia

Lips:
Fyrinnae Visual Kei

I was trying so hard not to laugh in this image.

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Blue Valentine Look

By Phyrra on January 28, 2010

Since I did a Green Look for Valentine’s Day last year (and wow you can see really how much my blending and application has improved), I wanted to do a Blue Look this year. This look was inspired by the Bright Cat Eye look by Zoffee.

Shade Descriptions:
Sonic – MAC Vanilla clone, light golden copper. (vegan)
Blizzard – deepest navy with teal and silver iridescent sparkle
Planetearth – subtly shimmering intense primary blue with pink sparkles.
Take Me – iridescent light reflective magenta & aqua
Coraline’s Kiss – A luscious, stunning coral with a pink highlight (vegan)
Heliconia – peachy pink infused with coral iridescence
Morpho – golden iridescent pink

Eyes:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy – lid, extended out and crease
Silk Naturals Sonic – from eyebrows to upper crease
Aromaleigh PlanetEarth – crease, blended upwards
Meow Blizzard – on lid, extended out, lower lash line, inner corners of eye, extended out
I Touch Roses Take Me – from crease to eyebrows, lightly
Gel Eyeliner in Raven – lightly along upper lash line
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero – lower water line
Mod 305 Lashes
Urban Decay Lingerie for Lashes
Covergirl LashBlast Luxe in Black Platinum
Urban Decay Brow Beater in Brunette Bombshell

Cheeks:
Meow blush in Heliconia
Meow Skinny Dipper in Medium Sphynx – to contour
Meow Morpho – to highlight

Face:
Fyrinnae Velvet-Gel Silica Primer
Aromaleigh Ultra Resolution Finishing Powder in clear

Lips:
Aromaleigh Minty Cocoa Chip Lipbalm
Covergirl Lipliner in Blush
Morgana Lipstick in Coraline’s Kiss

I really like how the teal flecks in Blizzard coordinate with PlanetEarth. I had debated doing my lid shade with a nearly matte dark navy blue but I do like how this turned out. I feel like Brunette Bombshell Brow Beater pencil by UD wasn’t dark enough. I think Coraline’s Kiss looks lovely. How do you like this blue look?

I’m a bit baffled by how to use my UD Big Buddha brush. I tried to use it to put on my foundation but it didn’t look right, so I switched to my ecoTools brush and put the foundation on. After I put on my blush, contour and highlighter, I ended up using it with my finishing powder.

I will most likely do some more Valentine’s Day looks, because I like the holiday. Until then, you can check out some of my other looks from last year. Again, you can really see how far I’ve come with my blending and application! Yay for practice

Pink & Orange Look – Peek-A-Boo, Hot Stuff, LookingForAKiss, Heart & Soul, Pillowtalk

Chocolate Look – Nijiro, Snow Leopard & Feline Familiars

Strawberry Look – Jezebel, Strawberry, Supernova, Antique Lace

Pink & Teal Look – First Kiss, Sea of love, Wine & Dine, Heart & Soul, Pillowtalk

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Heirloom Valentine’s Day Collections from Spell Cosmetics

By Phyrra on January 28, 2010

The Heirloom Valentine Gloss Trio includes:
Heirloom – lusterous sweetheart pink with orchid undertones
Nostalgic – intoxicating mixture of bordeaux and zinfandel with a metallic gleam
Locket – gilded metallics with antiqued patina

The Heirloom Valentine Shadow Trio includes:
Faint – tobacco with prune influences
Corset – muslin neutral
Echoes – linen with soft gold sihmmer

I always feel like Spell’s LE packaging is pretty. This is no different, with the lovely rose on the top.

Will you be indulging in the Heirloom Valentine collections?

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First Day of Testing UD’s Eden Primer Potion

By Phyrra on January 27, 2010

So I have to say, my initial impression of Urban Decay’s Primer Potion in Eden is positive! Unlike my attempts with the original UDPP, I had very minimal creasing with Eden when worn today. I even wore it with Urban Decay shadows, to see how it was supposed to perform.

From 8:30 am this morning:

11:22 am this morning:

2 pm this afternoon:

4 pm this afternoon:

6:30 pm this evening:

As you can see, there’s really just minimal creasing, which isn’t bad. I get less with Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but this is by far heads and tails better than UDPP ever performed on me. I’m going to keep testing Eden to see how it does for vibrancy etc, and then do a new Big Primer Comparison.

What do you think? Have you tried Eden yet?

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Frigid in Fishnets

By Phyrra on January 27, 2010

I played with my Urban Decay shadows today because they really don’t get a lot of love, to be honest. Frigid and Fishnet are the Deluxe Shadow formula, so they’re really smooth with fairly good pigmentation. Fishnet wasn’t as pigmented as I would have liked, but as usual I love Frigid. I also used Sellout, which I really love and haven’t used in a while. It’s also got that silky smooth shimmer with no glitter. I used Grifter and of course got a ton of color fall out. To me, it looks like Fishnet is a more pigmented version of Asphyxia.

Shade Descriptions:
Valentine – Rich, vibrant, duochrome pink
Frigid – deep purple with blue sheen
Fishnet – iridescent purple
Sellout – pink champagne shimmer
Grifter – sheer lavender with lots of silver microglitter
Electric Blue – bright turquoise
Funtabulous – Purple with violet pearl

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
Urban Decay Fishnet – on lid, blended up into crease, applied with Medusa’s Makeup fluff shadow brush
Urban Decay Frigid – in crease and outer vee, applied with ecoTools angled crease brush and blended upward
Urban Decay Grifter – inner corners of eye, applied with chisel detail brush
Urban Decay Sellout – on browbone to highlight, blended downward, applied with ecoTools highlighter brush
Gel Eyeliner in Raven – upper lash line, applied with Fyrinnae bent eyeliner brush
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Yeyo – lower water line
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Electric – lower lash line
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Lust – outer lower water line
Aromaleigh Lash Primer
Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara in Electric Blue

So I think I’m actually getting a lot of length on my lashes from my Lash Primer. Look at how long my lashes look with UD’s mascara.

Cheeks:
Aromaleigh Blush in Candy
Hard Candy Blush in Living Doll

Face:
Fyrinnae Velvet-Gel Silica Primer
Meow Pampered Puss foundation in Inquisitive Siamese

Lips:
Aromaleigh Minty Cocoa Chip Lipbalm
Nyx Lipliner in Pinky
Morgana Minerals Vegan Lipstick in Valentine
MAC Dazzleglass in Funtabulous

Ok, Morgana’s Valentine is AMAZING! Gorgeous! AWESOME! I kept staring at my lips LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Really gorgeous! If you like pink, or duochrome colors, try this!