D&G Sadness, Red Lips, and Some Swatches

Guess what I'm doing my first Curvysta Haven post on? Yep, red lipstick! What else would I write about? The lipstick I'm rocking, by the way, is MAC Scarlet Ibis with a bit of Elizabeth Arden Crystal Clear Gloss on top, and the glowy cheeks came from Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow in Tansoleil and Makeup Forever Uplight #22.

But you know what I'm not writing about? How three--not one, but THREE--of my black eyeliners all died on me mid-cateye. Now, the Jordana Fabu-liner I can forgive, because I've had it for two years. But the Eyeko Skinny Brush liquid liner I've had for only a couple of months and barely used?! UNFORGIVEABLE! And I know for a fact I got a Wet n' Wild cream eyeliner from a bad batch, so I guess it drying up is no major loss. Still, annoying as heck to have to finish a cat eye with a creamy pencil like Milani Liquid Eyes. I'll be getting some new liquid liner ASAP. Maybe I'll even try a new product...?

And speaking of new products, here's one I had super-high hopes for, and it was such a close match to my skintone straight out of the bottle, and it cost so goddamn much, that I could nearly cry: Dolce & Gabbana Luminous Liquid foundation.

It seemed like a match made in Heaven when I tested it out in my bedroom that first night: perfectly pale and comfortable on my skin, with medium coverage and a luxurious texture. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. In the cold, harsh light of day, I realized that this product melted away on my oily nose and made the rest of my dry-but-well-moisturized skin look flakey and flat. I tried applying it different ways, using more or less product, layering it with primers, moisturizers, powders, and setting sprays...but it always just made my skin look worse. Alas, I must add this $63 purchase to the pile of products that managed to work for my skintone, but not my skin type.

Seriously, though. Why is it so hard for pale people who are also dry-skinned and not banana yellow or Pepto-Bismal pink to have nice foundations?! As soon as you find a foundation pale enough--which is a feat in and of itself--it'll be super-duper yellow or uber-pink. There's never a neutral pale foundation. If you DO manage to find one, it's gonna be a formula that's better suited to normal or oily skin. So if you're dry-skinned, tough shit; it's theater makeup or bust.

/ End rant. Here are some swatches.

Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Luminous foundation in 090, Dolce & Gabbana Luminous Liquid Foundation in 60 Classic, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in Sx02, Kevyn Aucoin Liquid Airbrush in Lq02, and MAC Face & Body foundation in N1. Please note that Liquid Airbrush applies slightly lighter than it swatches, and that I always mix MAC N1 with White to get a much lighter shade.