When real things happen to imaginary people

3 Custom Color will match discontinued lipstick. (This is not news to me, I've known about them for years.)

Do I want to sent them the last smidge of my long-hoarded Original Formula Chanel Vamp lipstick, so I can get it duplicated?

PRO: I'd finally have more Vamp! I could stop searching!

CON: $60 for two tubes, minimum two tube order.

Even more ridiculous, I am vaguely thinking of doing this with my discontinued One True WnW lipstick. (Instead of the Vamp, not in addition to. I'm not yet willing to spend $120 + shipping on 4 tubes of lipstick.)

This is going to lead to me swatching Vamp vs the WnW color, isn't it?

My skin is getting paler.

Which is not a problem, really, except that finding foundation that works for me is already difficult! Seriously, I've been resorting to adding some of Ye Olde Manic Panic Dreamtone white liquid into my BB Cream, and it still oxidizes to darker than my skin tone. The Kat von D Lock-It foundations (in liquid and powder) oxidize just enough to be darker than my face.

I've got a compact of Manic Panic "Creature of the Night" powder foundation that I'm going to try again, but I seem to recall I stopped using it because it was too chalky of a consistency, and just wouldn't blend. I'm pretty sure I've also got a jar of Aromaleigh foundation in 00 (Ghost) that I need to try again.

I know, I know. Go ahead and stamp my goth/vampire card - I'll be over here under a parasol, hissing at the sun.

I was very productive last night, and even convinced myself to do 40 minutes on the exercise bike. (The trick, apparently, is to bribe myself with watching part of Life on the Murder Scene (the "Revenge"-era MCR documentary) while pedaling. Shut up, I own my fangirlish ways.)

This morning, I posted a new Gothic Charm School, applied extra-sparkly eye makeup, and while applying my eyeliner decided that to really make today better than yesterday, I needed to wear one of my favorite outfits, not the outfit I had set out last night.

( Olde Skool text-version Shallow Fashion Details! )

(The Goth at the Office photo will happen later.)

Now I focus on work stuff, and listen to the bandom playlist to remind myself that no matter how bad I felt yesterday, I am more emotionally stable than Pete Wentz. (That's a very comforting thing to remind myself, sometimes.)

I wish that the Back-2-MAC program let you trade empty packaging for eyeliner. Because I certainly don't need any more lipstick from MAC, but my goodness, do I need another tube of Liquidlast Point Black. It's my One True Liquid Liner, because it lasts through EVERYTHING. Events? No problem. Sudden weather changes? Sure. Allergy attacks? Yep. Crying, crying, and more crying? Oh thank goodness, YES. Sure, it takes longer than other liquid liners to dry, but I find using a hairdryer set on "low" to speed it up strangely soothing. (It helps with my sinus migraines, okay? It's not entirely because I'm a crazy person.)

While I'm thinking about shallow makeup things, it would also be nice if MAC started making more colors of Liquidlast again. In addition to Point Black, I have Powerplum (dark burgundy) and Visionaire (pearlized candy pink), and I love them.

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In other news, I am having a day where I feel like I've been beaten with a pillowcase full of rocks. I'm not sure if this is just a flare-up of my ongoing health issues (CFS and Lyme Disease, with a side of Cat Scratch Fever, yes really), or if I'm coming down with something. Either way, I'm not thrilled with this.

Hey ElderGoths! Remember the Dior Plastic Shine lip lacquers? I would kill to have those re-released. Okay, I would kill to have the "Memorable Violet" and "Outspoken Violet" re-released. "Memorable Violet" was as close to the perfect color as I had ever found. I'm assuming that even if I still *had* a tube of it, it's probably a little beyond the use-by date, drat it all.

(This post is prompted by this photo, btw.)

The changing weather (noooooo! Not the Burning Orb again!) means that demons have taken over my sinuses. This, combined with PMS, means that I am working from home. And wearing bloomers that have an embroidered patch that says "Cranky", because I can. The Stroppy One, because he loves me, is going to Go Forth and get me an iced double-tall Americano.

Makeup! Oh dear, MAC is releasing a Disney Villains collection. That clicky link leads to a makeup blog with some photos and color descriptions. Let me direct your attention to three particular products:

Maleficent Lipstick

Violetta Violet purple (Amplified) (Permanent at PRO)

Dark Deed Burgundy plum (Amplified) (Limited Edition)

Maleficent Beauty Powder

Briar Rose Soft violet pink with pearl (Limited Edition)

Argh. I do not need more makeup, and honest, I really do know that. Not to mention that MAC has developed a depressing trend of making lipsticks that look great in the tube, but are either brown-toned or just not vivid enough.

Hey, you know what I'm doing next week? Going to see Adam Lambert in concert! Tall, pretty, sparkly pop star! This means I need to make a decision on what I'm going to wear. ( Well, pink and black is kind of a given. )

Okay, time for more editing, more headache meds, and more water. I promise I will try not to give into the urge to drill a hole in my head.

From Miss K's blog:

This weekend, through 11:59 PM EST 6/2, save 35% OFF the entire Aromaleigh inventory!

Required coupon code at checkout: MEMORIAL35

Enter code in coupon code box and hit "apply" to see your discount taken prior to checkout!

Y'know, in case you've been staring covetously at the Victoria's Revenge collection or something ...

And now, I try to write. I don't know if I'm in the headspace for it, but I need to make an effort.

(EDITED TO ADD: for whatever reason, LJ times-stamped this really strangely. So I'm making it show up now.)

This morning involved exciting things like not being able to wake up AT ALL and sleeping for an extra half hour, tripping over cats, and sticking the mascara brush in my eye. Oh, and brewing a pot of tea, then remembering 15 minutes later that the cup of tea is sitting RIGHT THERE ON THE DESK, and maybe I should drink it and see if that helps with the lack of awake? Yeah, one of Those Sorts of mornings.

But! Today's outfit includes my glow-in-the-dark Skelly Docs, my new Medal for Heroic Tea Service (clicky-link!) (Mine, of course, is pink & black, not pink & grey.), and a jabot I made last night from a length of vintage crocheted lace. So those things make me happy.

Hey, I haven't wittered on about lipstick in a while, have I? ( A review of Lip Tar. )

We went and saw Zombieland this afternoon. Wheeee! I loved it. I now have "For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Metallica stuck in my head, and I want a Twinkie. A note for the squeamish: this is a gory, blood-spattered movie. If you don't do well with gore, you might want to give this one a miss. I, on the other hand, cannot wait until I can own my own copy of it.

Clicky-links!

If you wander over to the blog of Miss K of Aromaleigh, you can read all about how you can donate to a worthy cause AND get eye shadow custom-made for you. I think it's a great cause AND a tempting incentive. (I chose the school asking for books as my donation recipient, because books! Everyone needs books!)

The Victorian Dress-Up Doll for the novel Soulless! I love these sorts of online paper dolls (okay, I love paper dolls in general), and the fact that it's for one of my favorite new books is a bonus. (I'm also a smidge envious and coveting, because it's been a long-cherished dream of mine to eventually do some sort of Gothic Charm School paper doll thing. Someday, someday ...)

The Raven skirt from MorriganNYC. I covet this skirt SO MUCH. I'm waiting to hear back from them to find out if they have any of the black with silver print left in stock. I need to find someone who is capable of doing finely-detailed screen printing and talk over some ideas with them. But until I do, I'm going to be keeping a close eye on the offerings from MorriganNYC, yes indeed.

Dear Cosmetic Companies,

You know what you should do? You should study the color of very ripe Bing cherries, and match it exactly in a lipstick. No, don't give it a brown undertone, don't make it lighter, and don't make it only available in a sheer formula. An opaque, satin-finish lipstick. That's all I'm asking for.

(Dear NARS Cosmetics, yes, I know that your "Chandernagor" matte lip stain is almost exactly what I'm talking about. Could you please make it available in the USA again? That would be great.)

Fondly,

Cupcake Goth