theNotice: a beauty blog

I’ve always been a fan of more glamorous Halloween makeup looks; the sort that let you stretch your artistic muscles, but don’t necessarily translate into a character.

So, for this month, I put together three looks that are too over-the-top for everyday wear, but could totally pass at a Halloween party — without necessitating a trip to the local costume store. You’ve already seen the first of the three (last Monday’s vampy statement lips,) but I hope you enjoy this one, too.

Don’t miss the full lace makeup tutorial on She Said Beauty, and keep a lookout on theNotice for the secrets behind this smokey eye (later in the week).

I started the look with a basic black smokey eye; dramatic and glittery on a creme base (Annabelle SmudgePaint in Glitzy Black) and paired it with sculpted cheeks, fresh skin, and (perhaps most importantly) a nude-but-not-too-nude lip: in this case, Have A Lovely Day!, the MAC Casual Colour that I’m so in love with.

Then, for that extra bit of Halloween, I added a lace mask to the look. Rather than pinning actual lace to my hair, I’ve used Sweetart, an easy lace appliqué from the FaceLace range.

I was a bit iffy about the range at first (you want me to pay how much for a piece of lace??), but they might just be worth checking out. The masks stick directly onto the skin, making them less finicky than pinned-in fabric lace, and the flexible vinyl both wears comfortably & holds up to repeated uses.

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You’re going to be seeing a lot of this look this week, and I feel a bit bad about that, but. But.

One of my favourite things about photography is the way that you can take the same subject; the same person, or place, or feeling, and just by photographing the scene differently, the resulting product is changed right down to its core. The casual disregard, the too-easy twisting and tweaking of reality is almost a transcendent action in my eyes; the ability to fully manipulate the viewer’s perception of the scene through techniques and technologies made entirely of human ingenuity without having to make headway on even the smallest of paradigm shifts.

For me, it speaks volumes about the subjectivity of the world, not just in perspective, but in the overwhelmingly transient nature of the individual experience. You can feel it in everything from a magician’s death-defying illusion; to a trick of the light; to the optical aberration, translated metaphorically into every interpersonal interaction, and it shakes us to our bones.

What we see is almost entirely controlled by what is intended for prying eyes, and what we see through a lens even moreso: what we see of each other, then, is obfuscated so efficiently by what we are wanted and want to see. When you can be sixteen or twenty-six; when warm pink bends toward a dusty cyan; when lighting and technique have more sway on the observer than the subject’s own facets, when –

When the human experience is embodied with such fantastic intensity, what then could be more sublime?

Have you tried the new Burberry Lip Velvets yet? Take a look at Sophie’s glowing review at Makeup Wonderland!

Phyrra goes from nude to vampy with her Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tars review, part one.

Still on the fence about the whole split-fibre brush trend? Then you can’t miss Rae’s review of the Sephora + Pantone Universe Enchanting Dual-Sided Brush Set on theNotice — it might just change your mind.

Bun Bun Makeup Tips shares about her Holy Grail eyelash primer! Find out what she has to say about the Diorshow Lash Plumping Serum!

Addicted to Beauty gets spook-tacular with ten Halloween-themed nail art creations. It’s Franken-nails time!

Sometimes, you just have to find the beauty in fitness. Check out Krasey Beauty’s experience, doing boot camp with Under Armour.

Ever dreamt up a world without any dark circles and minimized under eye wrinkles? Lancôme Génifique Eye Light-Pearl may be what your dreams are made of! Come check out a before & after at Adorable On Your Vanity.

K from Beautifully Addicted To tries out nail art tattoos.

Not sure what you need now? Gouldylox has a list of beauties you shouldn’t pass up!

Fleurissante is comparing the older and newer version of Sisley Phyto Blush Eclat.

This week on Makeup Morsels, MM plays with Illamasqua’s Creator nail varnish and imparts a valuable life tip, all in one post.

The Pink Sith takes a trip to Sicily with a single spritz of the new Houbigant Paris Orangers en Fleurs Eau de Parfum. A bottle is certainly less than airfare these days.

Pammy Blogs Beauty might just have found her new favorite scent with Shiseido’s Zen Secret Bloom.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed thinks all things in life should be pink and sparkle including her lips! Come check out her swatches and see if they bring you over to the sparkly pink side too!

Beauty Info Zone wants you to go trick or treating with them and LUSH. You’ll love what treats you’ll get.

It’s that time of the year again, so check out which products Anita has hauled from Guerlain’s new Holiday 2012 Collection and what she thinks of them!

With the seasons changing, Hellcandy discovers Liz Earle’s new fragrance that is perfect for Autumn. Read her review here.

Anastasia’s Holiday 2012 collection is all about bringing back 70s glamour. Check out Lydia’s review and swatches on Perfectly Imperfect Beauty to see a preview of this limited edition collection.

—Jenn from Spiced Beauty is giving one lucky person the opportunity to win $50 MAC or Sephora e-giftcard. Enter today!

Don’t miss the Spook-tacular Halloween Sweepstakes from Prime Beauty and the Beauty Blog Coalition–you could win a $500 VISA gift card!

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The product: SEPHORA + PANTONE UNIVERSE Enchanting Dual-Sided Brush Set

Of all the Sephora + Pantone products to come out this season, this set was the only one to really grab! my attention. I missed out on the split fibre brushes in the MAC Semi-Precious and In Extra Dimension collections (last winter & this spring, respectively), so I was hoping these would fill the gap.

And they did, sort of. Maybe. Kind of.

The build: It’s always interesting to work with really novel tools, and these rather were. With a synthetic side (great for picking up and spreading out cream products) paired right up against a natural-fibre side (perfect for buffing and blending), they’re a different experience than normal brushes, and I think it really works in their favour.

What I’m not so crazy about, though, is the natural-hair side of these brushes. It’s a little on the rough side, and I find they shed, particularly when I’m working with heavier products, like concealer or cream foundation. For the results and expediency, I’ve been putting up with it, but the shedding really keeps these from being a HG brush set.

The individual brushes

I’m not crazy about the overly-fluffy powder brush, but I’m actually quite pleased with the other three shapes in this set. (It’s a first, for me — maybe it’s just because this one’s on the small side, but I find brush sets typically have at least three or four brushes that I just know I’ll never use.)

The eyeshadow brush is great for applying concealer to the eye/undereye area, as well as around the nose, and the foundation brush is kind of brilliant, at least in shape. The shedding’s a letdown, but I can finish my face in less than half the time with this than I’d need with a regular (all-synthetic) foundation brush, or even a kabuki brush.

But the true star of this set’s the blush brush. While it doesn’t look small, there’s just something about the build and shape that makes it surprisingly versatile. I can use it for sheer washes of colour, strong pops of pink… anything!

Since I started using this set, the blush brush is the only thing I’ve been using to contour – it puts down just the right amount of colour and blends with ridiculous ease.

The bag

Cases usually aren’t a selling point for me, but I actually really liked this one. Sleek and well-pocketed, it fits the brushes well, and has space to hold and sort a few basic products, too.

It’s easy to clean and travel with, and I think it manages to take the set from “pretty okay” to “actually rather impressive.”

The verdict?

If the Enchanting brush set had just one flaw, I’d say the $42 USD/$50 CAD price tag was a really good deal. With two, however (I could do without the powder brush, & the natural fibres do shed quite a bit with “stickier” cream products,) my praise is a bit more reserved.

That said, I do actually really like this set, and both the foundation & blush brushes have weaselled their way into my permanent (personal) brush collection. At $50, the price is a touch too high, but there are whispers that Sephora’s annual Friends & Family sale is coming up ;)

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