This Week's Looks: Hellow Waffle and Fyrinnae

I hope everyone had a good week. On top of everything else health-wise that is going on with me, I also got slapped with a nasty cold because the weather in NYC has decided to be terrible. I always tell people that winter lingers in NYC until May, and everyone always tells me that I'm crazy. Well, it's mid-May, and temperatures range from the 40s to the 60s. But because it's May and people think it should be warm, the heat in all the building is switched over to air conditioning, and then I am left freezing all day at work and then I get sick. 

In terms of makeup, I had a good week this week. I started an anti-haul post that I was excited about and then got sidelined with this cold, so hopefully I'll get that up later today or tomorrow. I continue to be really drawn to my indie shadows, and I am also happy to say that I have not purchased any makeup in a really long time. I actually can't event remember the last time I bought anything, but I imagine it might have been in early March when I was preparing for indie month. I feel I have finally gotten to a place where I am just happy with what I have and am not looking to fill any "holes."

Here are the looks I did this week. 

Look 1: Hello Waffle Heavy Breathing Cat

Heavy Breathing Cat on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy) and Melt Unseen blended into the crease. 

Look 2: Fyrinnae Sunlit Boudoir

Sunlit Boudoir on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy) and Melt Rust Stack blended into the crease. 

Look 3: Fyrinnae Princess for a Day

Princess for a Day (over Pixie Epoxy) on the lid and Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Quad in Plum blended into the crease. 

Look 4: Fyrinnae Chrisom Ghost

Crimson Ghost on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy), Makeup Geek Cupcake blended into the crease, and Colourpop 143 padded onto the outer corner and blended into the crease. 

Look 5: Fyrinnae Winter Again 

Winter Again (over Pixie Epoxy) on the lid and Melt Rust Stack blended into the crease. 

Hello Waffle Heavy Breathing Cat

Status: Love

I really enjoyed this shadow and was quite surprised by its quality. I've mentioned before that Hello Waffle seems more hit and miss to me than brands like Fyrinnae, Femme Fatale, and Notoriously Morbid, but this shade was certainly a winner. It's a golden taupe, and that's a color that I don't see too often. I really enjoyed wearing this and think it is in the top colors from Hello Waffle. 

Fyrinnae Sunlit Boudoir

Status: Really enjoy

I received this shadow as a free sample in one of my previous Fyrinnae orders, and it has taken me a while to get to it, but man, is this a pretty shadow. This is a really lovely bright, white gold on the lid. It looks much more subtle in pictures than it was in real life, but I thought it was just a really pretty color. What's also interesting to me is that is seems like such an obvious color to be flattering on multiple skin tones, but it's a color that I haven't actually seen all that often. I certainly didn't have a color like this in my collection, and I have quite a few white gold colors. I'm really glad I received this as a sample as I don't think I would have discovered it on my own. 

Fyrinnae Princess for a Day

Status: Possible declutter 

I don't know what it is about me, but this shadow has proven to be a difficult one to declutter. Don't get me wrong, this is a really pretty color, and it's much prettier than it shows up in photos, but the fallout was horrendous. We're talking glitter raining down the cheeks when I tried to apply it. Like I said, the color was pretty, and it actually reminded me a lot of one of my Stila Glitter and Glow liquid eyeshadows, but I just wasn't feeling it. I was fully expecting to declutter it until someone complimented my eyeshadow. This person typically notices my eyeshadow and compliments it, but the way they talked about this one was like it was something special. They said it was subtler than what I normally wear, but that is was still so pretty. And because of that, I'm having a hard time decluttering.  

Fyrinnae Chrisom Ghost
Status: Favorite

Okay, so, confession time. I actually bought this shadow and Winter Again a really long time ago, and I was excited when I saw the swatches, but when I saw both shadows arrive, they didn't look in the pot how they looked in swatches. And I was really disappointed and avoided using them throughout my entire indie month project. I don't want to be in a situation where makeup just sits unused in my collection, so I make an effort to get through everything so that I can try it, evaluate, and declutter if it's not something I really love. I decided to finally get there with those two shadows, and I fully expected to declutter both. So I was incredibly surprised to discover that Crimson Ghost, which I thought was going to be a sickly red on my eyes, was actually a gorgeous light pink. I paired it with some of my favorite matte pinks in my collection, and the look was very simple, but very pretty. As with a lot of these colors, it was prettier in person than on camera, but this is one of my favorite colors in my collection.

Fyrinnae Winter Again
Status: Favorite

As with Crimson Ghost, Winter Again was one of my favorite shadows I used this week. This is the first time that I have worn a blue color to work that wasn't a duochrome, and I didn't feel uncomfortable in it at all. I know Fyrinnae has a shadow called "Work-safe Blue," and I don't have this shadow, but I find it hard to believe there could be a more work-safe blue than Winter Again. I paired it with Melt Rust Stack (which I love more and move every day), and this was one of my favorite looks I have ever done. Every time I caught a glimpse of my eye look, I was always taken with the iciness of the lid and the warmth of the crease. I'm glad I finally tried these shadows as they both became instant favorites.

Weekend Looks: Notoriously Morbid and Hello Waffle

I have received many comments lately that have remarked on my absence from posting, and I just wanted to take a moment to talk about that. The people who read my weekly and weekend looks are typically those who are regular readers of my blog, and those are the people who I would like to update. 

I started experiencing some health issues a couple months ago, and I have spent a lot of time since then having appointments, getting scans, and seeking out second and third opinions. And what I have learned is that I need two pretty big surgeries. This has been an incredibly stressful time for me as it is also the busiest time at work, which will last through the summer. I still put on makeup every day as it is something that I enjoy, and that is why I am able to do the weekly wrap ups of my looks on the weekend. I love writing anti-haul posts and really love being able to interact with my readers, but those posts take a lot of time that I just haven't had recently. 

There are still a lot of unknowns for me, and how often I will be able to update the blog is one, but I really do love this blog and interacting with people and I will eventually get back to posting frequently. 

Separately, this marks the official end of indie month. And I have to say, I think I really went out with a bang because I loved the shadows I used. 

Here are the looks I did this weekend, featuring Bobbi Brown Camel.

Look 1: Notoriously Morbid Philosophoscope

Philosophoscope on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy) and Camel blended into the crease.

Look 2: Hello Waffle The Great Catsby

The Great Catsby on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy) and Camel blended into the crease. 

Notoriously Morbid Philosophoscope

Status: Favorite 

When I bought this shadow, I thought it might look like Fyrinnae Serendipity, and I have said many times that that is a favorite shadow of mine. When I got the pot, however, it looked much deeper and I wasn't sure if I could pull it off, so I delayed wearing it. When I decided to use it yesterday, safely on the weekend, I was blown away by how beautiful it was. I paired it with Bobbi Brown Camel, which is easily one of my favorite shadows I own, and I thought the look was just lovely. I don't think the shadow pays off all that well on camera, because I feel this looks like an average cranberry shade, but in person it was really beautiful. Compared to some of the light and frosty looks I have been doing recently, this shadow made me feel really sophisticated. 

Hello Waffle The Great Catsby
Status: Favorite

This shadow has also become a favorite of mine. I somehow ended up with a lot of blue shades when I delved into indie shadows, and I have been trying to space them out. This one, however, feels very wearable to me. My first instinct when I wear color is to be as bold as I can, pairing it with other intense colors or meeting somewhere in the middle by pairing it with Viseart Dark Matte. And while I think this shadow would work well with either approach, I decided to pull out Camel again and see how I liked the blue paired with a mustard brown. And man, do I love it. For a shimmery blue shadow, I think this has a lot of dimension, and pairing it with Camel made it surprisingly wearable.

This Week's Looks: Femme Fatale, Notoriously Morbid, Hello Waffle, and Shiro Cosmetics

This was the last full week of indie month. I have not grown fatigued at all with using indie shadows, and in fact, this is the most fun I have had with makeup in a long time. For one, single shadows are totally my preference (a fact I did not know about myself until I started my one week, one palette project), and two, the colors are so unique and special. 

With every new release that has come out, I find myself thinking that all of those shadows don't hold a candle to my collection of single shadows, especially indie shadows. And for this revelation, I am grateful. I love feeling in control when a new palette releases and thinking that most of everything is an easy pass. 

And that's really interesting for me because when I watch a lot of people's makeup collection videos or declutter videos, I've noticed that most people don't have a ton of single shadows. Or they say how they never use their singles because palettes are just so much better. And I wonder if that phenomenon happens because most people genuinely feel that way or if it's because we continue to hear people hype palettes. When's the last time you heard about a collection of single shadows be hyped? And not in the sense that you can buy a ton of them and pop them into a custom palette. So, this excludes MAC, Makeup Geek, Make Up For Ever, Colourpop pressed shadows, etc. When's the last time people seriously hyped a single shadow that came in it's own distinct packaging? 

Or is the reason that singles are not hyped because we all have become so conscientious of saving space and putting everything into palettes because we have all accumulated so much?

Whatever it is, I'm happy I found singles again and am even happier I have a beautiful collection of unique indie shadows. 

Here are five looks I did this week. 

Look 1: Femme Fatale Faerie Fire and Shiro Cosmetics There's No Such Thing As Magic

Faerie Fire on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy) and There's No Such Thing As Magic blended into the crease.

Look 2: Shiro Cosmetics He Loves His Hammer

He Loves His Hammer on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy) and Kat Von D Shade and Light Quad in Plum blended into the crease. 

Look 3: Hello Waffle Furry Godmewther and Shiro Cosmetics Little Bird

Furry Godmother on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy) and Little Bird blended into the crease. 

Look 4: Femme Fatale Candied Apple

Candied Apple on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy) and Melt Rust Stack blended into the crease. 

Look 5: Notoriously Morbid Fight for Beauty

Fight for Beauty on the lid (over Pixie Epoxy) and Kat Von D Meow blended into the crease. 

Femme Fatale Faerie Fire

Status: Keep

I enjoyed this shadow, I just think that I am a bit over the duochromes that mainly look white or gold on the lid. I do like those shadows, but I have used a lot of them in this indie month challenge, and they are not always all that flattering on me. With this color, it looks so pink in the pot, but when applied to my eyes, it was lime green. It was a really cool color, and I'm glad that the camera picked up the duochrome of it. I think for work, it wasn't my favorite color, but it is certainly a color that I will wear again and enjoy. 

Shiro Cosmetics There's No Such Thing As Magic

Status: Love

I paired Faerie Fire with this shadow, and I really loved it. This was a lovely pink satin color that looked more matte than satin. I don't have a ton to say about nice mattes other than they are nice and I enjoy using them. And that's how I feel about this shadow. I don't think this is a "must have" if you have other mattes in your collection that you enjoy, but it is certainly a nice shadow. 

Shiro Cosmetics He Loves His Hammer

Status: Love

This color really took me by surprise. I have mentioned a lot during indie month that many of the colors in the pot have surprised me when applied to the lid, but it is usually in a slightly negative way. The opposite was true for this color. I actually avoided using this color for a long while because it looked so gray and dark in the pot. I just wasn't excited to use it. I finally forced myself to use it this week, and holy cow, was I surprised. It is a gorgeous taupe purple color, and may be one of my favorite taupes in my entire collection. 

Hello Waffle Furry Godmewther

Status: Love

I just love this color. This is definitely one of the best performing shadows from Hello Waffle that I've tried. It is a bit cool-toned for me, but I still love it. I think it gives that perfect soft, pretty color. I paired it with a pink in my crease, and I thought the look was really pretty. I would love to try this color with some of the shades in my Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Quad in Plum as well as some of the purple shadows from the Viseart Dark Matte palette. And I really appreciate that this shadow is one that can be versatile in that way while still being very unique. 

Shiro Cosmetics Little Bird

Status: Love

I liked this color a little more than There's No Such Thing As Magic, but I think both are really great. This was a shadow that was highly recommended, and I can see why. I have a few matte pinks in my collection, but they payoff is not as good as from this shadow. I thought it paired so beautifully with the shadow from Hello Waffle, and I imagine since it is a satin finish, that it would also be very lovely all over the lid. 

Femme Fatale Candied Apple
Status: Favorite

This was the biggest surprise of not only this week, but probably all of indie month for me. When I was researching which colors I wanted to buy in exploring these different indie brands, I kept hearing about this shadow from Femme Fatale. And I actually ordered it in a large size (most of the shadows I've purchased have been mini sizes) because of all the glowing recommendations. When it arrived and I swatched it on my hand, I was so, so disappointed. It looked just like any green-brown duochrome shadow, like MAC Club or the shadow from Wet N Wild Comfort Zone. And as I've mentioned before, I am actually not a huge fan of that kind of shadow. I think it looks interesting when swatched, but I just don't like how it looks on my warm olive skin. I was so sure that I was going to declutter this shadow, and it was also one that I put off wearing. I finally decided that I had to wear it in the last week and that I could just live with wearing a shadow that I didn't really like for one day.

But, oh my gosh, I was so wrong. I love this shadow. I think what's so special about it is that it is really soft, bight, and shiny. I don't know how else to describe it. The "brown" undertone in it is essentially not brown at all, and is more pink. And I guess that's what I didn't see when I swatched it for the first time. This shadow reminds me a lot of the concept of Femme Fatale Faerie Fire, but is much more successful (in my opinion) in application. I love this shadow and I could not be happier that I have it in my collection.

Notoriously Morbid Fight for Beauty

Status: Enjoy

This shadow was the one I was most looking forward to using this week. When I swatched it on my hand, I couldn't believe how stunning it was. It was a perfect light blue and pink duochrome that didn't seem to sacrifice on either color the way I feel a lot of duochomes do (like Faerie Fire). However, when I applied it onto my lid over Pixie Epoxy, It came of very heavily blue, but the concentration of color was also quite patchy, if that makes sense. It wasn't a smooth duochrome. Some areas looked blue and others looked pink instead of the color shifting. I don't know it that was due to user error, and maybe this is a shadow that doesn't work with Pixie Epoxy. I'm not sure. I liked it enough that I am happy to keep it in my collection, but I didn't fall as hard for it as I was expecting, and that is always a little disappointing.