I have this terrible habit of losing everything I own, and makeup is no exception. While I've been seeing tutorials for fixing broken pressed powder makeup around the internet for ages, I didn't have much reason to use it, as it's rare that I drop or break my own makeup. Then this week I was browsing Target's clearance makeup section, and had a revelation: much of the makeup in these sections are still perfectly good and fashionable, but have been dropped and broken by other patrons and therefore no longer deserve their initial price tags, despite otherwise being perfectly good and unused. I found a Pixi palette that I love, but which had two shattered shadows in it. I rolled up my sleeves, and decided to expand my arsenal of budget makeup skills by fixing the palette and scoring a $12 product on clearance for $3 and a little elbow grease!

The premise of this craft is that a powder eyeshadow mixed with liquid will turn into a malleable goop that can be molded back into its original shape. Water would take too long to dry or compromise the integrity of the powder, but rubbing alcohol evaporates after a short period, leaving the newly-formed solid makeup in whatever shape you mold it into. The makeup is now solid and good as new!

Fixing a broken makeup palette

You will need:

• Small, blunt tool: I cut one head off a cotton bud/Q-tip, but you could use a toothpick or the end of a makeup brush, depending on the size of your palette. The smaller it is, the smaller your tool should be
• 70% isopropyl alcohol: This is the type that all of the tutorials I saw online used, so I'm not sure if other concentrations will work as well as this one, or better
• Broken pressed powder makeup, obviously!
• Thin plastic wrap
• Optional, but recommended: angled makeup brush
• Completely optional: small spatula/butter knife for smoothing the top (I just used the flat side of my headless Q-tip)
• Completely optional: small eye dropper

First step: break up the broken powder even more to remove or lessen the size of the lumps that are present. This will ensure that the alcohol penetrates all of the powder evenly when you're stirring.

Next, mix in the isopropyl alcohol a few drops at a time. I just poured a small amount into the cap and used that to drip the alcohol into the powder, but if yo
u have an eyedropper handy it's probably much easier and more efficient to use that.

Stir the powder and alcohol together so that the powder is completely saturated. Make sure you get into the corners, and be careful - for me, making sure that the powder stayed in its little container within the palette was one of the hardest parts of the entire process!

Once the two substances are completely mixed comes the other hardest part: smoothing the goop over. I used the side of the Q-tip, like I said above, and gently ran it over the top, making sure to apply slight but even pressure over the whole thing. When I was done, I used my angled eyeshadow brush to squish any particles back into place which may have been moved by the Q-tip.

Now that it's mostly smooth, I used the plastic wrap (I used super thin stuff that I cut from a produce plastic bag - it seemed like it was probably twice as thin as regular plastic wrap you'd use for wrapping up leftovers, and that was really helpful, so I'd say the thinnest plastic you can find would probably be good, as long as it's food-safe!) to smooth it out even further. I gently covered the goop so the plastic was just barely touching all of it, and then slowly and gently dragged it all the way across toward the edge of the plastic. Once it was at the edge, I continued dragging it all the way off - if you just pull it off regularly, it could mark up the beautiful smooth goop with craters, which are definitely not what you're going for! This was the most frustrating part for me, because I don't have very steady hands (SO MUCH CAFFEINE), so I had trouble applying even amounts of pressure and moving slowly and gently enough over the surface.

Using the still-in-tact head of your cotton swab and/or your angled brush, clean the loose powder off of the rest of your palette so it looks shiny and new!

For me, the final step was using my angled brush again to slightly angle the edges so it looked a bit more like the other shadows in the palette, but at this point it took me so long to smooth it out that I didn't want to mess it up and have to start over again because I was angling them too much. It's a tad more obvious in the topmost white powder in the palette, which was also broken when I bought it and which was my test run of this whole process.

Tada! Your once-broken palette is almost as good as new. As you can see, a great budget makeup shopping tip that applies to makeup fanatics of all denominations (lolitas included!) is to buy broken palettes from the clearance section and fix them yourself! You could also try mixing multiple shades of broken powders together to make your own custom colors: imagine an iridescent blush made of your favorite pink with a white or peach highlighting color, or one with your favorite subtle bronzer mixed with a blush - there are so many possibilities!

Anyway, I hope this helps you get more mileage out of your beauty budget, so you can put all that money you're saving into new brand (or offbrand!) Let me know if you try this out, okay? ♥

A few weeks ago, I was killing some time downtown while waiting for my boyfriend to get off work, and somehow I ended up, after a good bit of coaxing, in the makeover chair of a Benefit boutique. While we began by discussing concealers, after hearing that I had a couple minutes to waste, my sales associate ended up going to town and showing me a huge host of her best-sellers du jour. One of these was the brand new They're Real! Mascara, which I was told is currently the best-selling mascara in the world - and let me tell you, I can see why!

The marketing for this product is something I'm still on the fence with- it plays off of aspects of femininity which are often "faked" by women, alluding specifically to plastic surgery such as boob jobs, to go with the false-lash effect the mascara imparts. On the one hand, it's sexy without being demeaning, and in my opinion, kind of empowering - it says that whether you're "real" or "fake" (eg, whether yours is natural or artificially-enhanced beauty) is your own damn business, not the casual observer's, so why not keep them wondering? On the other hand, it does hold up this obsession with secretly-artificial beauty which, masquerading as natural, therefore means that people have to work harder to be considered attractive to society, which distances themselves from their own natural beauty.

However, as someone who really doesn't mind looking "fake" sometimes, I'm not terribly bothered by this. Which is convenient, really, because this mascara is honestly mind-blowing! As a lolita who's always had problems with false lashes (*shakes fist at latex allergy*), I'm a huge fan of over-the-top mascara. My associate put the mascara first on only one eye and held up the mirror - and I must admit, I was so shocked I burst out laughing! It honestly looked like I had just put on a pair of large and noticeable but still natural-style false lashes, and I immediately demanded the product be sold to me - after, of course, it was applied to my left eye as well as my right.

The mascara itself thickens, lengthens, AND curls- my eye shape is slightly asymmetrical, so I usually have to curl my left lashes even when I'm not curling my right so they look the same, but I was impressed to see that I didn't need to do that with this! My naturally long, thickish lashes were enhanced to falsie-proportions as well. This is combined with a pretty interesting wand, which has little spikes sticking off the ends- hard to see in this picture (indeed, hard to photograph at all, especially when you forget to clean it off first...). These are designed for getting in really close to the shorter, thinner lashes on the inner corners of the eyes and also the lower lashes, if you swing like that. It leads to greater accuracy when detail is needed and, therefore, a better end result with fewer mistakes.

Left: just with mascara. Top right: totally bare. Bottom right: with full make-up

It's a bit hard to see in these pictures, as, well, I'm still getting used to my new phone's camera (fancy phones with fancy phoneography! Welcome to the 21st, Lumps!), but even still, you can see how much thicker my lash line looks, as well as how much wider it makes my eyes. Combined with full make-up, my eyes are more prominent, rounder, and more doe-like.

As much as I love this product and don't regret the impulse buy, it's probably not something I would have bought if I'd thought about it a little more. I'm more inclined to buy mascara that can be layered so that I can put a less noticeable coat on for work or casual wear, and then add a bit more for nightwear or lolita, and at $23 a pop, this mascara isn't exactly as multi-faceted as I would have hoped. However, it works amazingly at what it's intended for. Also, it's worth it to point out that you're gonna wanna go with the industrial-strength makeup remover for this bad boy - if I don't, or if I only give it a quick, lazy wipe, I'm left with black gunk under my eyes for about three regular soap-and-water washes. While this reflects well on how long-lasting this mascara is (definitely not going to need to reapply over the course of the day!), it's also kind of frustrating, as it deters me from wearing this product on lazy days when I may not want a whole face-load of makeup. Again, works great, but makes it a much less versatile product than I'd prefer for the price point.
Verdict: Four out of Five. This can do amazing things, and I definitely recommend it, but its lack of versatility means it didn't deserve a perfect score, in my book.

I'm definitely not an beauty expert, but every lolita -hell, every PERSON - knows that make-up has two affects on your overall look: it either enhances or detracts. There are some lolita make-up moves that I've noticed in the past few years which seem, to me, rarely to do the former and almost always do the latter.

As with any part of your coordinate, everything you do with your make-up should be considered objectively to make sure it's enhancing the image you're going for. If you were wearing a completely sweet coordinate, for example, entirely of mint and pink, would you put on a big, black, gothic headdress? It may be interesting circumstantially, but for the most part, I'd advise against it. It's the same with make-up: if it detracts from the look of the rest of your outfit or overpowers it or negatively draws attention to itself, you're better off going without.

As always, remember: there are exceptions to every rule, so don't think of these as hard, concrete facts. Almost everything I mention here, while I'm typing, I think, "Yeah, but there was that really cute girl at the meet-up who..." or, "Yeah, but what about that picture you saw on Tumblr the other day?" So if I knock down your favorite make-up tip, please don't be offended! There are right ways and wrong ways to do everything.

A Loose List of Lolita Make-up Don'ts:

♥Over-concealing: One of the biggest parts of lolita make-up is a porcelain, doll-like appearance, and that's not always very easily-achieved by us humans, who're prone to redness, blemishes, and even skin tone. However, it's important to resist the urge to go really crazy on the Erase Paste, as concealers and foundations and primers and powders can cake up really easily and look overdone. Over-doing it will draw attention to whatever it is you're trying to cover up and can settle in the lines in your face and make you look old, which is not exactly the way to achieve effortless, light, child-like beauty. Lord knows I can be prone to this one myself, hence why it's right at the top of the list!

♥Lining the lower lash line: Now, this isn't always bad, but in a lot of alternative fashion I often see heavy black liner under the eye with nothing in the lid. Here's the problem with that: a dark, heavy line along the bottom of the eye pulls the onlooker's eye down and makes it look like the wearer has heavy undereye circles (could I have said the word "eye" more in that sentence?!) Instead, what looks better is a thin line of eyeliner all along the upper lash line (maybe getting a little thick toward the outer edge, or finish with a cat-eye if you're feeling fancy) and line only the outer third of your lower lash line- from the outer corner to the iris, or colored part, of your eye; this will make your eyes look wider and brighter, and therefore more awake. Bonus points if you use a soft shadow instead of thick, heavy liner on the lower lash line.

♥Pink or red eye shadow: To be perfectly honest, I almost didn't include this one, because I see it often, and it's very often done right. However, with certain skin tones, pink or red eye shadow or liner will make your eyes look red, making you look tired, like you've been crying, or like you have pink eye, none of which are very loli at all! If you're very gung-ho about using one of these colors in your make-up look, try to either find a shade that compliments your skin tone, or pair it with a neutral and use the pink/red as an accent color.

♥Wash your face at night!: This is such a big one for everyone, but especially lolitas, to go back to that porcelain look we try so hard to emulate. If you don't wash off your make-up and sweat and all the other nastiness we accumulate during the day, it'll cause breakouts. I'm pretty sure everyone knows this, but it bears repeating! A daily cleanser and a moisturizer should be used once a day, and deep exfoliation once a week. Another quick fix are make-up remover wipes. Or, if you're thrifty, bathroom wipes with vitamin E and aloe- they have to same active ingredients but are much less expensive!

What are your least-favorite make-up techniques that show up on lolitas often?

(No naming names!)

Make-up is definitely one of my passions. I'm not going to lie, I don't wear it every day (or even, really, on a regular basis), but I adore everything about it and have even acted as a make-up artist for a fashion show for I Do Declare. My problem with make-up? I just get bored so easily. I really need to be experimenting and trying new things at all times to keep my interest in the subject, and while I can try out different techniques for different products, eventually you need to branch out and widen your prospects. My other problem? Usually I'm quite the make-up snob. I flat-out refuse to use any mascara besides Smashbox Bionic, and I only wash my face with either tinctures I make myself or organic Boscia cleanser, both of which carry a notable price tag at Sephora. But times is tough, and I've realized that if I'm looking to flesh out my arsenal and expertice, I may need to cut some corners. That's why, a few weeks ago, armed with reviews from the forums at Glamour.com and holding my breath with slight trepidation, I ventured into my local drugstore and purchased not one, not two, but four new products for me to try out.

I must admit, I was not really in an adventuresome mood. I went in for liquid liner and dark brown eyeshadow, and of course, as I am wont to do, ended up straying a good amount from this path and into the unknown. Instead, I picked up L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Professional Crystal Shadow Duo in Darling (details), L'Oreal HiP Color Rich Cream Eyeliner in brown (details), Maybelline Lasting Drama by EyeStudio Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black (details), and Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb (details). All of these cost close to what one or two similar product would at Sephora or MAC - for twice the goods, how can you go wrong?! For this review, I'm going to focus mainly on the Maybelline gel eyeliner and the L'Oreal cream eyeliner, which I found to be the most interesting products in the purchase, though the others are included in some of the pictures.

First up was the gel eyeliner. This was what I was most intrigued about. I love eyeliner - if I chose one product to wear every single day, it would probably be eyeliner. It's like painting... on your face! But seriously, I feel like eyeliner is one of the most versatile, impactful parts of a look, and once you get a few techniques down, it's one simple tool that you can use in many different ways. On this evening, I was practicing a dolly-kei look to model for Martha's NYAF panel Out of the Woods (pictures and write-up here!); since I was going for a dark, dramatic look, I did something of a cat-eye.

This is dusted with a bit of the crystal eyeshadow, as well - the brown on the outer corner, the cream on the inner. It also has a slight, understated shimmer which the light caught a bit on the bottom corner! As you can see, the line is dark and smooth, with few inconsistencies. The brush's shape struck me as odd at first, as I'm used to a sharply angled brush and this one was smooth and round. I don't know the science behind this shape, and I don't have to - all I know is that it works beautifully. It was incredibly easy to apply and a cinch to layer - the brush by nature draws a very thin line, so it gives you more control with the shape and thickness of the line. I also love how crisp it looks - if you're more of a blender, I recommend applying a bit of pencil liner over the gel and blending (My rec? Maybelline Define-A-Line).

The liner from afar (also, the lip shimmer makes an appearance!):

Then, I moved onto the cream shadow. This one I was less-than-pleased with. The brush, for some reason, just did not sit in my hand right- it was awkward to use and, despite the thin shape, came out looking bulky and clumsy. Next time, I'll try my own liner brush and see how I feel, but I really think this one is destined to the Make-up Bag of No Return (the one shoved in the back of my closet).

See? I mean, there's nothing really wrong with it, something is just a touch... off. This may just be a question of personal preference, though - you may love it, and it's definitely a cool product to try out if you get the chance. I tried to camouflage it by adding some more of the crystal shadow, which I rather like - I'm unsurprised at this, as I also own the same product in black/silver (which I couldn't find online) and it's definitely my favorite eyeshadow I've tried (or at least up there!). I liked how layerable this was as well- it's easy to go light on this for a subtle shimmer, or dark and bold for a more dolly-appropriate look.

Here's another shot of the finished look:

Overall, I'm rather satisfied with my purchases. I've used all of these a few times since, and all I have to add is - Burt's Bees, what gives? The lip shimmer looks perfect here, but any time I've used it since the color looks much more awkward with my skin tone. Lighting, maybe? It's definitely still a joy to use - it's more of a lip balm than a lipstick, and it has peppermint extract in it, which isdeliciously tingly and smells lovely (no taste, though, so for the most part it stays on my lips and not my tongue). It's great to slap on before heading out in the brisk fall breeze (it seems like as soon as the temperature drops below 60F, my lips just instantly chap and remain that way until spring), but I think I'd chose something else for, say, a photoshoot or date night. However, the rest of these products are, as demonstarted, very versatile and can be used for everything from a meet-up to coffee with your S.O. - you should definitely go pick them up ASAP!

(Speaking of dates- and I just CANNOT keep this to myself, as anyone who's friends with me on Facebook knows - Stefan and I are making preparations for our most epic date ever: a week in Tokyo over spring break!! Nihon I've missed you sooooo~~~ ;;;o;;; look forward to a full write-up as well as planning tips, etc.!)

Summer is on its way back to the Northern Hemisphere! I'm psyched, personally - this means picnics after work, parties before class (yes, I'm taking a summer class as well - Biology of Local Plants! Totally stoked), and basically a lot of running around and doing a million fun things one after the other. Because of that, I needed a make-up look that was easy and classy, but could still transfer between work, school, and family events, then straight into lolita if it had to. That's why I designed this make-up look, inspired by that golden time of day right before sunset when I always seem to be outside in warm weather.

Eyes: A good amount of mascara (my technique: dust lashes with translucent powder, apply a tiny bit of mascara, curl, apply a bit more to seal the curl), and a thin line of liquid black liner to act as a base to the color, with a little wing at the outer corner to enhance the lashes. Cream shadow on the inner third of the lid and down into the inner corner of the eye to make the eye look wider and more awake, as well as a bit under the outer half of the browbone to enhance the eyebrows. I applied shimmery amber shadow on the outer corner, starting along the lashline and blended upwards, a bit heavier in the crease (but not much! Heavier dark make-up in the crease will look too mature for lolita, though it's lovely for daily wear). To finish, I lined my waterline with the same shimmery cream as above and dabbed a bit of translucent gold shimmer to just the inner corner.

Face: Start with SPF-added moisturizer to protect the complexion from the harsh summer sun. I then used a very lightweight foundation with a light dusting of mineral powder to cut shine &absorb oil. I didn't have any coral blush, which is what I really recommend for summer, so I only used a very light application of pink cream blush because it blends better. It also helps the bronzer stay on, which is really the secret star of this look and summer make-up in general. I played it up a bit more for the photograph than I would for daily wear so you could see where I applied it - just along the cheekbone. That's it! In the deep summer when I'm a bit tanner I'll apply it to the bridge of my nose and jawline too, but no more than that. Bronzer is meant only to enhance and add a healthy glow to the places on your face where the sun would kiss your skin, not to change your skin's entire color. Very common misconception! I've had so many people cringe when I say bronzer is one of my favorite types of make-up, because they think of something like spray-on tan. It's not so! In my opinion, no other type of make-up will make you look as healthy, refreshed, and awake as a good, tastefully-applied bronzer.

Lips: Since the eyes and complexion are the focus, I went light on the lips. I applied a light covering of Blistex with sun protection, and a light coral gloss over that. The lip balm not only locks in moisture and protects your lips, it will act as a primer and make your lip-gloss last longer. Remember with make-up that you should only have one major area of interest - a bright blush, intense eye make-up, or a killer shade on the lips. Combining too many of these will be totally overwhelming, even for dramatic wear.

The directions may look long, but mostly I'm just waxing poetic about bronzer- the whole look probably only took me about 5 to 10 minutes to apply, so it's perfect for throwing on before heading out in the morning and requires minimal touch-up during the day. I'm excited - it's going to be just as perfect for days on the beach as days at the office. Sigh... is it summer yet?!

image from weheartit.com

They're pretty common in lolita. Perfect make-up is almost a necessity, and eyeliner & mascara will do wonders to your eyes, but sometimes there's just one final, absolutely necessary step. Is it the rhinestones at the corners of her eyes? Is it the glitter shadow, or the perfectly-manicured brow? All are great ways to add to your look, but there's one last thing, and despite the fact that they're sometimes glaringly obvious when worn, it is by far one of the best ways to make your eyes look doll-wide, and no, I'm not talking about circle lenses. If a butterfly flapping its wings causes a hurricane by the time it travels around the globe, you'd hate to think what one wink from these babies could do.

Yes, today we're going to talk about false lashes. They might be intimidating, but if you find the right style &apply them correctly they can be SO worth it. They will make your eyes stand out more and look wider &brighter, making you look more awake - like you have big porcelain doll eyes. First, let's talk about styles (examples from Shu Uemura):

• Natural Lashes. These are usually black or brown and made to just enhance your natural eyes. Usually they're the same length as natural lashes or only a little longer and slightly thicker. These are good for daily dressups and non-lolita wear - they'll enhance but they won't POP like "fancy" ones will.
• Individual Lashes. These are individual clumps of a few lashes each that you place manually wherever you need. Directions for use here - I have never used them myself, but they seem to be an interesting idea &something I'd like to try in the future.
• "Fancy" Lashes. These are the lashes favored by most lolitas, in my experience. They are big &dramatic &impossible to ignore. They come in hundreds of styles, from feathered to jewelled to glittery to colored to lace to... basically, if you name it you can find it. My favorites that I've worn myself are these with little pearls stuck THROUGH the lashes. Unfortunately I left them at my parents house and found them "mysteriously" cut to pieces with all the pearls pulled off. I think I know who the culprits are...

These are the main styles - obviously, within each there are hundreds &hundreds of variations, so shop around. Speaking of, where can you buy them? If you're interested in lashes for everyday wear, I recommend going to a high-end cosmetics store like MAC or Sephora and getting a really nice, natural-looking pair. However, for the crazier once-in-a-while styles, I've had amazing luck with Halloween and costume stores like Party City. If it's out of season or you live in a country or area where Halloween isn't celebrated (poor thing!), you can find them online as well. My Diva's Closet is very popular and has a great selection, but I've never ordered from them myself. Another thing to think about is adhesive. Many companies include a small sample tube with their lashes, but not always - check the packaging to make sure. There are also self-adhesive lashes - I don't love them, but they work for some people &are good for beginners who don't wnat to have to worry about glue drying. I'd like to point out that most adhesive contains latex, to which many people (including myself) are allergic. I found latex-free adhesive at my local beauty store but I'm nervous to try it out because of the horror stories I've heard about it: I remember hearing about a lolita who wore used a supposedly "latex-free" adhesive, only to wake up the next day with her eyes swollen shut because it wasn't exactly as hypo-allergetic as the packaging made it out to be. My reaction isn't terrible, but it was only recently that I realized that my eyes aren't supposed to itch &sting the entire time I'm wearing my falsies, so pretty soon I'll probably bite the bullet and try the latex-free stuff soon.

Okay, so you have your lashes: now, let's apply. There are many companies that make eyelash applicators, but they kind of scare me - curlers are intimidating enough! Make-up is not supposed to need machines! I just apply them myself, by hand, the old-fashioned way. Everyone has their own method, but here's what I do:

• Apply all other make-up except mascara first - your primer, shadow, liner, etc.
• Before applying glue, take your lashes and put them against your lashline to make sure they're the right length- trim if necessary from the inside corner.
• Apply a thin line of glue on the lash band.
• Wait a few seconds to give glue time to "set". Once it becomes tacky, you can begin applying.
• Start at the outer corner and lay the lash on your eyelid as close to the lash line as possible. Press it into place &scootch it down a little further to ensure it stays as low as possible. Continue in the same manner with the center and inner corner, then repeat the whole process on the other eye.
• Apply mascara (black, brown, or clear for funky colors). If you want, you can apply some liquid liner over the band, but I've never found it necessary. Curl lightly with an eyelash curler so your natural lashes stick to the fake ones.

&you're done! They're a little strange at first, but you should get used to them in a minute or two. If they still feel uncomfortable or even painful, remove them &reapply. After removing them for the day, clean the band &lashes with a bit of eye make-up remover - whatever you're using on the rest of your eye should be fine. Depending on how healthy your natural lashes are, it may be good to rub some petrolium jelly/Vaseline on them, as mascara &chemicals in other makeup can dry out your lashes, making them brittle &weak - I've never done this myself but I've heard it helps others.

Besides that, there's not much to it. Just be careful - a well-timed wink from one of these babies and you'll be the apple of any onlooker's eye. Use with caution, &be careful where you aim these things!