Con Fail

I won't be attending Hoshiicon. This makes me want to cry :(

I've been having back problems for several weeks now and it's only gotten worse. It went from 'ew that sucks' to 'OMG DOCTOR!'. So yeah, fun times.

While going to a con is always fun, it's the friends I'm going to miss most. I was going to stay with Marci (met her at Ichiban) and her sweet hubby, then see practically everyone from my usual con circuit. Cons are becoming giant reunions to me.

Anyway, my next con is Animazement in May. I'm going to go take some drugs now...

Oh Crap

I just realized that now I actually have to make something of this blog. XD

I guess the hardest part about trying to write an informational blog is figuring out what to do with it. I don't want to limit myself to just tutorials since honestly I'm making most of it up as I go. I don't want to focus on reviews because I don't have the cash to buy tons of stuff, nor the clout to get free swag from vendors. Finally I don't have the ego (haha) to make a 'ME!' blog...although, it's all about me anyway, isn't it? lol!

Anyway, I hope that those of you who willing to read this are just as willing to help me through my growing pains. I'm truly open to any and all suggestions and comments.

After all, I want you to want me! ;P

Mini progress report: Telma is doing well. I only need to cut out one side collar for her shirt and sew it all up. The apron is being a butt. I tried hand-drafting the design with fabric chalk, but failed miserably because I can't even draw a stick figure straight. When I get a moment at work I'm going to make a pattern from her only decent image. Once I get that painted it's all downhill!

Excited!

I'd like to thank Geek Chic for adding me to their Reviews section. I even have a follower now! Hehe!

*whip cracks in the background*

Woops! That's my inner task-master making me get back to my sewing. :) Hoshi is less than 5 days away and I still have a lot of fabric painting left.

A little bit of life

I think my warranty expired. I woke up on 4/3 with a killer backache, probably due to wearing high heels for 8+ hours the day before. I didn't help the situation much over the next few days either because I needed to move things at work and home. Today is the first day where I can move without having to keep from cursing. Yay? Add to it the bruised hip and knee from separate desk collisions, various paper cuts, a snapped rubber band welt, and one staple slice. >_<

This weekend is going to be BUSY. I desperately need to finish Telma for Hoshicon on the 23rd. Man did I get grief from Mom for going to a con Easter Weekend. Never mind that we're not religious...

If I can get it all done this con will mark my return to competitive costuming. Sure it's a 1st year, one day, teeny college con, but that's irrelevant since I know who I'm up against. I also know that the judges know me. Considering I'm usually the one doing the judging they'll expect more from me than others. Damn me and my notoriety!

Aside from that I'm looking forward to going to Charlotte, mainly because I'll get to see friends. If this keeps up I'll be moving to NC to save myself gas!

Geek Chic Cosmetics Review part 2

This weekend I did a test of Geek Chic's foundation and eye shadows. Since first reactions are the sincerest, here's an excerpt from my email to friend and owner of Gamer Grrlz, Bad Fish/Holly Green:

"The eye shadows are LOVE. I used the 'Are There Any Girls There?' for an all over then 'What's Under The Helmet?' on the lower lid (note: the N7 line hasn't been listed yet, so I was thrilled to get a sample of it). VERY dramatic without looking like a whore. The pigment is so dense that a container would last you forever. They should look into doing pressed pallets since loose powder doesn't always travel well."

See, I have this thing about eyeshadow. I rarely put it on properly and I always tend to set the make-up gun to 11 since I'm either in costume or having to show through my glasses. So to be able to be vibrant without being trashy is awesome. If all of GC's eyes are this good then I'm going to be buying every single one of their colors. No lie. These colors make me want to actually make an effort!

The foundation was another story, however not a bad one. I have a skin tone that changes from 'light' to 'porcelain' very easily. I've used mineral foundation since they first came out, and I keep about 4 different shades on hand. I bought and tested GC's Porcelain with decent results, however my skin was having different ideas. I guess it was having a light/tan day. Ah well.

Overall I was pleased with the foundation's texture. It feel somewhere between a standard mineral foundation and a finishing powder. I hardly felt it on my skin, which is a sign of a well-milled product. I did noticed that it only provided light coverage, however since my skin tone was working against it I really don't see this as a flaw. Additional applications in the right color will correct this. Another coverage option is to mix it with a basic moisturizer and use it as a base (a very similar technique to the tinted body powder from before). It will still sit lightly on your skin will giving you just a wee bit extra coverage.

Last Call! I am still enamored with their makeup, and will get more as finances allow. I'm very pleased with not only their shelf appeal, but their product as well.

Note: This is not a promotional review. I paid for my order out of pocket.

Geek Chic Cosmetics Review part 1

Geek Chic is a fairly new cottage make-up store out on the West Coast. They make a metric ton of make-up with a geek theme. Not a mere repackaging store, Geek Chic Cosmetics makes all of their own products from scratch, each nerdly named.

I thought I'd go all out and review my sample of Time is Money Friend!. This is honestly what makes this store stand out. TiMF is a full-body powder. Think of green mineral make-up. I was very excited to try this out since I have a Troll costume in the works. Fair warning, not only do I suck at taking good pictures, I also suck at layouts.



(Starting Supplies)

Per the instructions I mixed some of the loose powder with some moisturizer and used it as a base coat. As with any body make-up you need to let it dry. It took a little while since I probably used too much moisturizer. I did a test on both sides of my arm to see how it would look both on my body and my face. The wet-set alone covered incredibly well. It was also felt very light on my skin.



Once everything dried I applied several coats of loose powder using a kabuki face brush. All told I did about 4 applications. Even with all this on my arm it still felt very light. There's no greasy feeling at all, which is amazing.



In the above pictures you can see where I put powder on over my skin as well as over the wet-set. It would be perfect for adding a little ick to a Zombie costume or any time you want to look a little green around the gills.



Finally a shot of the applications outside in direct sunlight. Here you can see a light shimmer that disappears inside.

Review and Impressions: I like this. I like it a lot. While it doesn't have the gold tones shown on the site, it's an easy thing to add. You could add any undertone you want, either by doing a light dusting over the finished set or adding it to the loose powder in the beginning. It feels very smooth on the skin. There's little to no weight at all. It also washed cleanly off with just a little soap and water. The powder is incredibly dense. A little goes a long way!! Even after my patch tests I still had plenty left over. A full package could last you several wearings depending on what all you're covering. Finally, I noticed that the hairs on my arm that were matted down from the wet-set were lifted up by the dry-set, giving the make-up a more natural look...well, as natural as green skin gets.

Possible problems? As with most body paints this will rub off on clothes and hands, so don't wear light colors if you can help it. However the make-up didn't seem to take much damage (this is why I did so many coats!). As long as you're careful it should be ok. I didn't do a sweat test since I'd get a fair amount of odd looks at the gym. Be ready to touch it up as necessary.

Last call! I would buy this product. It's a good deal and holds up to its promises.

Note: This is not a promotional review. I paid for my order out of pocket.

Keep a lookout for my next review of their foundation and eye shadows. ^_^