Rosettes, Transepts, and Groin Vaults!?

Foreign terms to you, perhaps?

Well, they were pretty foreign to me before I started taking art history this year. I'm not really a religious person either, so churches were pretty far away from my designated niche. However, I've become fascinated with churches as of late. The architecture of these buildings is truly spectacular. There is so much attention to detail in almost every inch of these churches. And so many of them were built a long time ago (some nearly 1000 years ago!), so I am so shell-shocked by how amazing and well-built they are. They are so magnificent and just so beautiful to look at.

Anyway, we were assigned to pick a church in Boston and analyze it. I chose the Old South Church, which was built in a Gothic revival style in 1874. The exterior isn't very impressive, but I found the interior to be quite lovely. It was intricate, but muted. It was simple, yet beautiful. Something I'm inevitably drawn to: simplicity. This church, in my opinion, was the perfect blend of traditional and modern architecture.

In this "Color Play," I wanted to emulate the warm browns and vibrant jewel tones of the church. These colors in the church itself created such an inviting and welcoming atmosphere.

1. Stila Charmed Eye Palette: Jewel tones and warm coppers? This is basically the church in one palette.
2. L'Oreal HiP Pigment in Valiant: I wanted to imitate the stained glass windows, and this blue was the one for the job. It has such a pretty multi-dimensional effect.
3. MAC Eyeshadow in Moth Brown: This complex purple-gray-taupe was the perfect match for the exterior of the church.
4. L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Smoldering Plum: Y'all know I love this eyeshadow. It's exactly the color of the regal purple robes in the stained glass windows and icons!
5. Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain in Plum Pout: What's Christmastime without a little red?
6. L'Oreal Hip Eyeshadow Pencil in Unmistakable: And some more red!
7. Revlon Beyond Natural Eye Pencil in Brown: The rich, reddish browns of the Cherrywood furnishing.
8. MAC Fluidline in Rich Ground: Another warm, cozy brown that reminds me of the nave of the church.
9. Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Rich Sable: There were darker brown bricks like this peppered throughout the faces of the church.
10. L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Sahara Treasure: To mimic the intricate caen limestone-carved screen, I decided to use this. The sheen adds some nice extra umph.
11. L'Oreal HiP Eyeshadow Duo in Gilded: A church has got to have some gold, so of course I added gold to my colors. In the church here, the gold is focused in the chandeliers and the cross hanging down from the ceiling.
12. MAC Blush in Loverush: This deep, maroon-y red is another jewel tone color that was used on the stained glass imagery and on the walls.

I thought it'd be nice to share these pictures since it's near Christmas! Like I said, I'm not really a religious person, but I've fallen (hard) in love with church architecture. Growing up I was a little creeped out by churches, but now I've come to really appreciate them! From an architectural and artistic standpoint, they are simply ah-may-zing. Unlike modern-day skyscrapers, these structures have been around for over a thousand years -- that in itself is something. Are you a fan of church architecture?

Overcast Blues

The past two weeks here in Boston have been gray and rainy. The ever-present clouds made me appreciate the little peeks of blue sky even more than usual. Clouds really do have their own kind of beauty. Their different shapes, sizes, and intensities can really make a day feel gloomy or cheery. They could be an eerie sign of forthcoming rain. Or they could just be stray clouds wandering the bright blue sky.

Another snap from last week's little hike.

It was a beautifully, clear, cloudless sky today, though, which made me miss them a little bit. I thought I'd put together some colors to remind me of the skies of yesterday.

I pulled together a few dark, cool-toned eyeshadows. They consisted of blues, grays, taupes, and a few other muted colors. There was nothing too loud in the colors I picked out. There's always this fragile serenity to clouds, so I used that conceptualize my colors.

1. Avon Big Color Eye Pencil in Bluesmoke: Like the name suggests, this is a nice, deep navy blue with this gray smokiness to it. I think this would create the perfect navy blue smokey eye along with Revlon's Matte eyeshadow in Riviera Blue (3).
2. MAC Pigment in Deep Blue Green: This is one heck of a pigment. It has a rich, deep bluish-charcoal base, but then it also has this gorgeous teal duochrome that makes it just so pretty.
3. Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Riviera Blue: I remember I thought these eyeshadows were the bomb when they came out. Oh silly young, makeup noob me. It's a nice, deep gray-blue color in the pan, but applies so unevely.
4. Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow in Frigid: In the pan, Frigid looks like a very promising, unique indigo color. However, it applies more purple rather than indigo. I still quite like it, though, because it's still a really different color. 
5. MAC Eyeshadow in Moth Brown: I received this from Dovey this past week. I've never had much luck with giveaways, so this was such a pleasant surprise! Moth Brown definitely did not disappoint. It's this complex purple-gray-taupe that's so darn pretty, she explains it better here.
6. MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe: Between the two cooler taupes, Satin Taupe looks so much more brown. It adds a layer of complexity to the colors I gathered.
7. Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad in Sandstorm (the last shade): This is a deep, almost completely gray taupe. This really reminds me of dark rain clouds.
8. Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit: I thought the group needed a little light, and this was the best fit. As a champagne color, though, it's not too bright nor too dark, which was perfect here.
9. Rimmel Lipstick in Airy Fairy: This is a cool-toned, mauve-pink with a gold sheen. It's such a unique shade because the color itself is very cool, but the gold sheen warms it up and creates a lovely lip color.
10. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle: What's a fall/cloudy color palette without a deep lip color? This is like my beloved Revlon Soft Rose's younger sister! It's a browny-rose pink that I just adore.

Is it just me, or would 5, 6, 7, and 8 make a lovely quad? I'd totally buy it.

Some close-ups of the swatches.

(I was too lazy to swatch it on my nails.)

Also, befitting with the theme is this Essie nail polish in Power Clutch. It's a rich, charcoal color -- totally reminiscent of smoke and dark clouds. 

The other goodies she packed into the package.

I really want to thank Dovey for hosting such an awesome giveaway and for being so generous with the samples! As you can tell already, I'm lovin' Moth Brown. I hope you guys enjoyed this post. It's been a while since I last played with some colors, huh? Have a great rest of the weekend! :)

MAC Je Joue

As promised, here are my thoughts on some recent acquisitions from the CCO. But before we get to the reviews, I'd love for you to watch this fun little stop motion clip I made with the products. Indeed, I play with my makeup more than I should.

Did you like it? I hope it wasn't too choppy because I was holding my camera between my knees (since I lack a tripod). Anyway, onto the actual reviews! I felt like being more creative with my product shots by the way, so don't mind me. :P

In order of appearance, first up is the MAC Fluidline in Rich Ground. This was the first product that caught my eye on the shelves of the CCO. The color was just beautiful. It screamed 'fall' to me, reminding me of cinnamon and honey roasted pecans. I swatched the tester gently and immediately asked the lady for a new one.

I finally understand what the hype around Fluidline is all about! It applies so so so smoothly, like fluid. The color is pigmented and stays put for hours without smudging. It's amazing! It has the loveliest subtle shimmer running through; it's totally not a boring brown eyeliner! I can tell I'll be using this very often this season in lieu of black liner. Here's a swatch of the Rich Ground in all its glorious beauty.

All the pretties, yes?

Next up is the MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Supreme Style. I remember when these first came out, people ran out to get them. Everyone was raving about how this was the perfect hybrid of gloss and lipstick. And that really appealed to me because my favorite type of lipstick is this hybrid. I never really got to getting these MAC ones, so when I saw this on the lip display, I had to snag one.

Supreme Style isn't very unique or out-there, it's basically a pale peachy pink with a pretty gold sheen. I chose a more neutral shade because I wanted to get more wear out of it. The texture and feel to this is reminiscent of the Revlon lip butters. It glides right on and feels lightweight and moisturizing. The lipstick has the signature MAC vanilla scent, which I actually quite enjoy. I wouldn't say that this product is as super amazing and revolutionary as it was raved to be, but it is nice to have. I really like the sleek glossy, black packaging for this, though, as opposed to the regular MAC lipsticks.

That sheen is really pretty though, I must say.

Lastly, I have the MAC Sheertone Blush in Loverush. It's a matte deep reddish plum, and I would say this is the quintessential fall blush color. It gives you a natural, flushed color, kind of like how your cheeks get really red when you're out in the cold.

The powder is so unbelievably smooth, and applies really well. The color is pretty pigmented though, so I would use a light hand in order to not look like I'm all bruised up. I think this color definitely suits a lot of skintones, and I read up that it's the perfect blush for dark-skinned ladies. Now, I'm not necessarily dark-skinned, but blush usually never shows up well on my skin, but this does! Praise tha lawd, this does!

I applied it rather heavily and messily here, but you get the gist, right? Perfectly flushed cheeks.

I have to say, I'm very pleased with these purchases. MAC re-promotes their colors a lot, so I wouldn't worry too much about these not being readily available. Be sure to check out a CCO if you must! I hope you're all having a great week. What products have you acquired recently?