Tweaking the Foundation

Since I've been battling a cold/allergies/who knows what, my face has been quite pink, and my cheeks very red (rosacea).

My usual Aromaleigh Glissade Alabaster/Ghost White mix works well on a regular basis, but the last two days I've added in a pinch of 1YL to help tone down the pink. It works ok - from a distance I'm my normal pale self, but up close it looks off. Not tremendously off, but enough to make me say "lemme try again tomorrow!"

I've tried using Juane Coquille but that doesn't seem to cover enough, and Vert is only for super red days. Metamorphosis also works well but not for these super pinky days.

Still trying to figure out my Meow foundation mix, I think I'm not adding enough Snow Lynx. Inquisitive Siamese on its own doesn't match as well as the Alabaster on its own, so a little more playing around to get that.

I envy you ladies who can easily match your necks - I sweep my kabuki down my neck to help blend, but matching my neck while covering the redness is an impossibility.

Meow Christmas Color FOTD

**7/31/2010 updated** I accidentally deleted the picture, but take a peek through some of the other posts if you're looking for Meow's Snow Lynx foundation. I normally wear it mixed with their Inquisitive Siamese. Thanks and apologies for being a bonehead!**

I've been meaning to post a FOTD forever, but the weather doesn't usually cooperate. Snapped a few pics today, but it's so ridiculously bright out (due to all the snow) that it hurts my eyes to look up!

Face
sunscreen of course
Aromaleigh pink cream concealer under eyes
Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation - mix of "Inquisitive Siamese" & "Snow Lynx"
No blush/rouge, I'm red enough thank you

A while back, lovely Phyrra suggested I give Meow's foundation a try - on bad rosacea days, I need something heavier than my usual Aromaleigh Glissade foundation. Since my skin is so dry, I have to be careful not to apply it too heavy. The Pampered Puss provides heavier coverage but still looks like my skin, not cakey or made up. Inquisitive Siamese looks good on first application but within 15 mins or so it "settles" and is too dark. I contacted Meow and the owner (I forget her name, sorry, I'm a bit foggy right now, Tylenol Sinus) was kind enough to make a no color/white foundation for me. She added it to the website a few months ago, yay!

In this pic, it's roughly 70% Inquisitive Siamese and 30% Snow Lynx. But my rosacea is pretty red today (cold weather). When you compare my face to my neck, my face is much pinker. There's no way I can match my neck and still conceal some of the redness.

Eyes
Aromaleigh Eye & Lip Primer
Meow 12 Pains "Dirty Snow" on lid
Meow Merry Mayhem "Fa La La" in crease
Meow IdealEyes "Vindictive" outer 1/3 of lid, above crease & onto outer 1/3 of browbone
Meow Xmas Ghost "Vixen" inner 2/3 of browbone
NYX Jumbo pencil "Oyster" under eyes
L'oreal double extend mascara "Carbon Black"

Lips
Morgana Minerals Vegan lipstick in "Shrieking Violet" (I am so in love with this shade!)

Pics taken outside, no flash, on "snow" setting. Yes, I'm really that pinkish/pale. Bad rosacea day and I have a cold, which makes my whole face pinker. Ugggghhhh. Pardon my mile long brown roots.

**sorry, lost the pic!!**

Sorry I couldn't get an eye close up. It's been so long since I've done a FOTD, I'm out of practice!

I love silvery shadow but it doesn't love me. Dirty Snow is a whitish silver that works perfectly for me. Have to go get a full size before they disappear.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

One of those silly Facebook questionnaires asked "what store would you max out your credit card?" My answer is definitely Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab!

I love their scents. I've got their lovely sample imps scattered all over the place, with a dozen different favorites depending on my mood. I'm not good with scents and their descriptions, so I often pick scents with very different ingredients to try and figure out what it is I like. There's no real rhyme or reason, I adore so many! There are forums where other users can advise you, but I try to avoid them to avoid becoming hopelessly addicted!

BPAL offers "Imps Ears", 1/32 oz glass vials for $3.50 apiece or 6 for $19.50. I always order 6 at a time, how could anyone choose just one or two? Imps aren't available for certain collections (these are listed on their imps page) but you'll easily find a dozen scents you have to try. There are a handful of imp sets (samples for each scent in a particular collection); that info is also on the imp page.

My two go to scents are as follows:

From the "Rappaccini's Garden" collection, "Black Rose" which is described as - Exquisitely melancholy. The background scent to an ancient exequies. Heavy, dark and floral: a blend of roses, with a touch of amber and musk.

From the "Sin & Salvation - 7 Deadly Sins" collection, "Lust" which is described as - Uncontrollable passion and insatiable sexual desire: red musk, patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh.

If you haven't had the pleasure of sampling their scents, go order some! I'm not sure how long I've been using their products - a friend sent me a Black Rose imp years ago (6 1/2? 7 years? Thanks Redwitche!) and with each order I find another scent I can't live without. Don't be overwhelmed by all the categories and choices - simply scroll through and select a handful from various categories. Used imps are usually on eBay, often in lot form, frequently you can find limited editions as well. Just search for BPAL or Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.

If you order direct, check the home page for processing time. It often takes 14-21 days, a combination of hand blending their product and the overwhelming demand! Well worth the wait, just don't blame me if you get hooked.