Pastels and Flowers

Long time no see! I did a photoshoot on Saturday, it's been a while since the previous one. This was one lucky photoshoot, I have to say! My sister had found a gorgeous gown from a yard sale and got it for me, and it fit me. A friend had moved abroad and donated her wonderful headdresses for me, and there happened to be one that was perfect with the dress. Another friend suggested the spot, which turned out to be awesome. When we shot, it began to rain as soon as we started driving away from the location.

The photos will take a while, but I wanted to show you my make-up, hair and the headdress! The chains are a bit tangled, but I think it still looks pretty. These were taken after I got home from the shoot, so please allow for some wear and tear.

Model, make-up: Me

Hair: Anniina_E

Headdress: Agony von Grim

Little souvenirs I brought home ;D

I was shooting with Sanni Saarenmaa Photography and just can't wait to see the results! The location, dress, hair and everything just clicked.

Better Together Eyeshadow Palette + Mascara + Liner

Stockholm was good to me! The previous time I was there, I looked at this Too Faced x Kat von D set that was slightly discounted, but decided not to get it. It bugged me later, and I decided to go look the next time in Sephora if they still had it. Not only did they, but it was even cheaper! So I just had to buy it :>

The set has a full size Tattoo Liner in black, full size Better Than Sex mascara and a palette with two different sides that are held together by magnets, so you can easily take them apart if you want to use only one side.

The Too Faced side of the palette. Better Together is the perfect light smoky eye shade for pale skin!

Kat von D side of the palette.

I think the set was well worth the money. I paid around 27 euros for the set on discount, and even the Tattoo Liner alone would have cost about 20 euros. The mascara I sold, as my eyes water easily and water soluble mascara is really not an option. I've been using the Too Faced side of the palette quite a lot, and the Kat von D side looks very usable for evening and club looks too. I really like the design of the palette and the magnetic connection. Easy to use, nice looking and the shades are great!

Everlasting Lip Liner by Kat von D in Homegirl

I wasn't too excited when I heard Kat von D was releasing lip liners, but when I realized the line had the perfect shade for my brows, I just needed to give them a go. I bought this one from Vancouver. I always use lip liner when I wear traditional wax-based lipsticks, to get more wear out of them. My go-to liners are Mac lip pencils, but occasionally I use an OCC liner or a Nyx one. The Mac liners are very dry (I mostly use Nightmoth and Cyberworld) and stay on my lips well. Kat von D's liner is very different. Where the Macs, Nyxs and OCCs are waxy and will eventually melt, the Everlasting Lip Liner goes on just like a wax based liner, but then sets and stays on much better. Much like the Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks, it is very resistant to smudging and can be removed only with oil-based cleansers (or actual oil).

Homegirl was my choice of shade, as I just never get bored of dark reds! I own a lot of dark red lipsticks so the shade works with many lipsticks, but I also do my brows with lip liner so I wanted a shade that works also for that. I have to say that for brows the liner sets a little bit too fast. I would need more time to work the pencil. The skin on my forehead is also much more oily than on my lips, so the liner doesn't stay quite as well as on lips, but it's still very good.

The pencil is made of plastic and is of the twist up variety.

The tip straight out of package.

Kat von D Everlasting Lip Liner in Homegirl on pale skin.

I have to say I'm quite impressed with how well the liner stays! The shade is lovely and the packaging works well. I could happily buy this product in another shade too!

Nyx Lip Suede in Subversive Socialite

Moar dark purple lips! This is Nyx Lip Suede in Subversive Socialite, used with the matching lipliner. The liner looks a bit lighter on my lips than the Suede, but works well for fixing the outlines to get a very precise application with crisp borders. Usually liners tend to melt a bit on my lips and smudge, but this one is not very prone to it, possibly with the liquid to matte Suede keeping it free of any oils.

The shade is gorgeous, very me! I love my dark purple and Subversive Socialite is right up my alley. It's a plum purple, red based. On my lips the staying power is very good. While there is slight crumbling in the middle of the lips, the shade stays very nice for 5+ hours without touching it up. So it's not only beautiful, but also does what it's supposed to do. Perfect!

Outfit of the Day

Nothing fancy, just a very basic day off spent at home. My bangs are getting very long, need to trim them soon!

Top - H&M

Pants - Bik Bok

Earrings - Deadfine

Current Obsessions (May 2017)

I get easily excited, and I think that's a very good trait. I love technology and new gadgets, and I always need to have a project or two going on to not feel bored. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy lounging on the couch and taking walks, but I'm happiest when at the same time I can ponder on something. So here's a list of my latest crazes, tell me yours!

1. Apple Watch & Pokemon Go

I love new toys, and the Watch is one of them. I had been looking into smart watches for a while, and just when I was decided on getting a Pebble, the company was sold with no clear information on if support for the watches will continue. Luckily a few weeks later Pokemon Go announced the game will also work on the Apple Watch so I immediately went and ordered one ;D I love Pokemon Go, it's the perfect excuse for me to get some exercise while not feeling like exercising. I just plain hate exercising, but achievements, gaming and exploration work well for me, so I know I can trick myself into moving more by using games.

If you are not familiar with Pokemon Go, it's a location based game of collecting pokemon. It uses real world maps and requires you to actually travel to locations to be able to catch the pokemon there. You can also hatch pokemon eggs by walking. A big part is asking around for where certain pokemon appear so you know where to go to catch the ones you want or need. It was a huge hit when it came out last summer and I've been playing it ever since. I even bought a new phone cover to keep my iPhone from freezing during the winter ;D

2. Airplants

A plant without the hassle of soil that cats can then big up and spread around the apartment? YES PLEASE. I'm bad with plants, but airplants are not watered traditionally, but can be sprayed or let soak in a bowl for moisture. They look super cool and you can basically put them anywhere. I've got two glass globes to hang, because that way the kitties can't steal the plants. I'm totally sure one of the silly animals would just grab a plant and run if they had the chance.

I ordered a selection of plants from Spain and can't wait for the package to arrive! If it takes long, I think I have to go and buy one airplant locally just to get past this excitement.

Image from plantagen.fi

3. Photoshoots

Last year I didn't have much time for photoshoots and the beginning of this year has mainly consisted of running around the world, but now I finally have time! My closet is bursting with cool outfits and I have many ideas for locations!

This one is only couple of days old, me posing at an abandoned match factory. Photo by Arttu K.
Editing by me.

4. Videogames

Well, it might be a bit obvious that I like games, but now that I got a new computer finally and some time, I can play all the games I've been saving for the indefinite "later". Later is now! My favourites are tycoon games, god games and then on the other end of the spectrum story-driven games, adventure games and RPGs. Open world, platformers and shooters rarely catch my attention, but I'm willing to try anything. Date games seem especially interesting! Any recommendations?

Sugarpill Dark Lipsticks

I tried to resist these babies for a long time, saying to myself that I have many dark purple lipsticks and that I barely use wax-based lipsticks anyway. Well, then Sugarpill had a sale, and the glittery packaging just overwhelmed me and I ended up ordeting two lipsticks anyway ;D But just look at that glittery goodness!

I was already swooning for the pink and white packaging, bit when white switched to black for the Darkside collection, I almost knew I couldn't resist. I'm a highly visual person, I want my surroundings and belongings to please my eye. I would probably choose something visually pleasing with a slightly worse performance over something that looked ugly to me but was more efficient. I'm willing to pay extra for beautiful packaging and special colours. Especially if there's glitter involved!

So that's why I ended up owning Sugarpill's Anti-Socialite and Darksided lipsticks. I do love dark lipsticks (just see this post and you will understand how far my obsession goes) and Cyber is my favourite Mac lipstick, so these two were easy choices. The line also has a plain black and a dark blue, but I have found my perfect black lippie and blue I simply do not wear.

Sugarpill Anti-Socialite

Anti-Socialite is a dark rusty red. You can layer it a bit, to get a lighter or darker shade. In my picture it looks too light. The tone is fairly neutral, I can't say if it's cool or warm. A very nice and easy colour to wear for many skintones.

Sugarpill Darksided

Darksided is a dark purple. Despite my worries that it would be a match for Mac Cyber, it's not even close. Darksided is way brighter and more blue. A true purple, I would say. It's not plum but a plain, nice purple, just the way I like it!

From left to right: Sugarpill Anti-Socialite, Sugarpill Darksided, Mac Cyber and Urban Decay Pandemonium.

Here's a side by side comparison with some lipsticks I though might be close to Darksided. Mac Cyber looks like a blend between Anti-Socialite and Darksided, it's a lot more plum toned than Darksided. Urban Decay has lots of great purples in their new lipstick line, but Pandemonium looked like the closest match, but it's not at all close. So yay, I managed to buy a purple lipstick that does not look like my other purple lipsticks, go me!

I have to say I am happy I got these lipsticks. I've been using wax-based lippies to touch up liquid-to-mattes during the day, as they moisturize better and don't create the crumbling effect that sometimes happens when you try to add some more liquid-to-matte to the center of the lips and end up with a too thick layer. And just looking at the glittery packaging makes me happy!

Better Together Cheek and Lip Makeup Bag Set

I have many small pouches inside my large handbag to make it easy to find things. When they are in pouches and not floating all around the bag, my life is easier. That being said, when I saw the Better Together make-up collection that Kat von D and Too Faced made in collaboration, I just had to have the set with the super cute make-up bag! I love glitter and sphinx cats, so what could be better than a tiny bag with both? I resisted buying this for a long time, but when it was on sale at the Stockholm Sephora, I grabbed it.

Better Together Cheek & Lip Makeup Bag Set

The set, like the name says, has cheek and lip products. The mini Studded Kiss Lipstick is in shade Muse, a shimmery nude-ish brown, and the mini Everlasting Liquid Lipstick is XO, a bright red. On the Too Faced side there are two products, a mini Candlelight Glow Highligher in Rosy Glow and a mini Love Flush Blush in an exclusive shade So Happy Together.

The glittery doggie side...

...and the matte black kitty side.

The products are all mini sized. I understand that for some people they may seem weird, as they really are tiny, but I just love small things so they look super cute to me. Sometime small blushes are tricky to use if you can't get them on a large brush evenly, but I have not found this to be a problem with the blush or highlighter in this set. It could be after there's a dent in the blush, possibly then it might be hard to reach with a brush. I don't know if the highlighter is supposed to be used as two separate shades, but I've just swirled it all together. It's not too shimmery, but quite subtle, which I like.

XO is the liquid to matte lipstick and it's a very stunning red. Blue based and bold, the classic red I'd say! Muse is quite the opposite, a muted brown-red, very natural and easy to wear.

Of this set, the blush has become my favourite. It's a cool red, which works very well on my skintone, and it has just the right amount of pigment for my use. I want my blush to show a bit, not be just a flush of colour. Muse has been the trickiest one to use, but that's mostly because I don't wear wax-based lipsticks that often, they are just too high maintenance for me. For the discounted price of about 19 euros this felt like really good value for my money. For full price the products are too tiny and feel too plastic-y, and the bag is quite small. But yay for the glitter and the cute little nekkid kitty!

Flying Around

Whew, it's been busy! This is my fifth week of at least one trip abroad per week. After I get home on Monday, I'll just lounge on the sofa with my husband and kitties and enjoy being home. I've been to Stockholm, Vancouver, Brno and now Stockholm again, then southern Sweden on Monday. I love traveling and seeing the world, and always think that you have to strike while the iron is hot, so as long as I am booked to do presentations, I will do them. In time this will pass and I'll settle back to normal office hours and I do enjoy that too. I work as a game designer, being creative and coming up with both solutions to problems and new kinds of features is my job. Doing presentations is what I do on the side, as I enjoy public talking and like to tell of the awesome work we do at the office.

Sushi bento in Vienna. That miso soup was so delicious!

I have to say Stockholm has become one of my favourite cities. I've been there three times this year already, two of the visits being for pleasure. Lots of wonderful museums, and most of them are free, delicious food and decently priced easy-to-use public transportation. Now that EU is banishing the roaming charges, moving around is so much easier as I no longer need to rely on offline maps or finding an open wifi. That and I can play Pokemon Go where I want ;D

Saint George and the dragon in Stockholm old town.

London is my other favourite! I got to visit it a week before my five week travel streak. It had been years since my last visit, but London just has that unique charm that always draws me back. It was a business trip, but I had more free time than usually, so I managed to squeeze in a visit to Tower Hamlets cemetery, a Jack the Ripper walk and the Jack the Ripper museum, since I was staying in Whitechapel. I've been planning a trip to go see the Victorian cemetaries around London, and Tower Hamlets is one of them, so one off my list! It was a beautiful place, although it suffered badly in the Second World War and looks more like a park nowadays. The beautiful old gravestones and monuments looked oddly fitting in the midst of the nature at springtime, with flowers budding, trees with small leaves and singing birds all around.

Saint Clementiane in the Capuchin monk crypt in Brno. Saints seem to be a recurring theme in my travels!

I have a long list of places I want to visit: the viking museum in Oslo, Iceland with more time than on my last visit, Prague because I loved the Czech Republic, Spain because I've never been there, Edinburgh just because, Dublin because I want to see the neolithic mound that was closed the last time I was there...

But being home is also wonderful <3

ArtboxWolf Hand Painted Clothing

Vaiva from ArtboxWolf contacted me to ask for a collaboration. As soon as I saw her beautiful designs, I knew this was something I really wanted to do. I was traveling at the time, but when I got home, a wonderfully packed gift from ArtboxWolf was waiting for me.

What's inside, you ask? I brand new black harnessed top with Mystic Master design! What Vaiva does is that she uses the same sketch, but paints each picture by hand, so no two are similar. I'm really a big fan of painting by hand, I went to art school and have a soft spot for the extra work that goes into painting. Unique pieces with personal touches by the artist are wonderful! The themes of the designs are occult and nature related, and have Vaiva's touch on them, creating a lovely mystical atmosphere. I love forests and am interested in old pagan traditions of nature worship, so I feel like there designs speak to me. There is something very Nordic in them.

I paired the top with a long flowing skirt, a faux leather jacket and a faux leather harness. It is very comfortable to wear, nice soft fabric, and the painting feels like it will last for a long time. The black and white design is easy to pair with almost anything, but if black is not your thing, you can order this same design in many different colours, and the print can be done in different colours as well. I ordered the top in M just to make sure it would not be too snug, but the sizing is quite generous, no need go a size up. Especially with this top, I think it might look even better if it was a tiny bit tighter, but I'll just take it in a bit when I have the time :)

While the design is hand painted, it's doesn't require any extra care. I'm super lazy with high maintenance clothing, so I am very happy about this. You can wash the top in the machine inside out and even tumble dry on low heat.

I really love the harness detail on the top, it's the perfect addition to the slight sheen of the fabric and the lovely rough painting style. Looks good, has interesting details, and is easy to wash and dry. Just my kind of a thing!

Kat von D Shopping

Kat von D is quickly becoming my most used brand. Not only is the packaging gorgeous and tickles my aesthetic preferences, the products are very high quality. I've been traveling a lot so the products in this post have been bought from Sephora in San Francisco and Debenhams in London. The liquid lipsticks have been my go-to product for a long time, but now I'm extending my Kat von D collection to other products too.

The Shade + Light Eye Contour Quad has been on my want list for a long time. I like simple palettes that can do light smoky eyes and more neutral looks with just a shaded crease. This Quad in Plum is one of those very easy to use shades on my complexion and the shades compliment my green-blue eyes. I wrote a full review here.

The Lock-it Setting Powder is a new product, I had not seen if before I came across it at Debenhams. I had been unhappy with my powder, the NYX HD powder is just not for my skin type or does not like the BB-cream I use for foundation. So I definitely needed a new one, and without even checking out any reviews, picked this one up. Luckily it works really well on me and I think there's enough for the rest of my life, the jar is HUGE ;D The sales person gave me a tip that the sealing sticker should not be fully removed, as the holes in the sifter are so big. It was an excellent piece of advice, as four holes open gives enough powder and makes using easy, as I can swirl my brush on the sifter.

Then one of the coolest palettes I own, the Alchemy palette! I have to admit I have not used it yet very much, just for the occasional inner corner highlight or lightly brushed on cheek bones, but just owning this wonderful item makes me happy <3 Just the hologram print and the triangle shape are super cool! I have been so busy I have not had the free time to wear wacky eyeshadow, but I will definitely give this palette more love once I'm home more.

The Alchemy palette has four shades. All are pale shades with an intense metallic sheen/shift. Conveniently the shift colours are marked on the palette, as it is a bit difficult to see the sheen in the pan, it comes out much better on skin. The photos of the pans look lame, and the sheen is quite difficult to capture on camera, but the effect is gorgeous.

Actually I have had not had the time to take pictures of the latest thing from Kat von D I bought, which is one of the new lip liners I hauled back from Vancouver. It's sitting at home on my vanity in its package, just waiting for the time to give it a go! (And then there's the Better Together items I found on discount in the Stockholm Sephora, so plenty of posts to come!)

Milani Amore Matte Metallic Lip Crème in The Ultimatte

I have to say I simply love the new metallic matte lipsticks that are beginning to make their way to shops! This one is called The Ultimatte, and it's a Milani Amore Matte Metallic Lip Crème, what a mouthful! The shade is basically a cool dark pink with a metallic sheen. A simple and easy colour, and looks great with my skin tone. The product looks a bit darker in the tube, but on my lips this is the perfect tone. They staying power is amazing, I barely have to touch it up once or twice during an eight hour work day with lunch.

The Ultimatte is one of the newest shades in the range. I picked mine up from a CVS at San Francisco. It looks like the Nordic online shops don't yet carry this shade, but I hope they will get the new ones, as I'd love to try the other shades as well. 

Lets see if my matte lipstick obsession will move towards the metallics, as more appear. So far I only have this one and a metallic Velvetine from Lime Crime, and both look gorgeous. While matte finishes allow you to shape your lips easily, the metallics make lips look more plump and are maybe a little bit less drying than mattes. I still love the liquid-to-matte formula that makes the lippie stay in place with no smudging or feathering. This is the best of both worlds!