Instant Smokes

I have fallen in love. I'm sure this is not the first time I've uttered a statement like that here at The Unanimous Molly. This time though, I mean it. (I meant it last time too I swear...) I have come up with the recipie for the worlds easiest five minute, five product smokey eye! The best part? This is the perfect day to night eye look!

1. Highlight inner corner and browbone(if you want) with a shimmery flesh toned cream shadow or liner. (I used Urban Decay's 24Hr Shadow Pencil in Sin.

 

2. Apply a warm brown cream shadow to your lid and blend up into the crease. (I used MAC's Quite Natural Paint Pot. I am OBSESSED with this, more on that later...)

 

3. Smudge a bit of black liner right up against your lashes all along the upper lash line and about halfway along the waterline. (Stila's Smudgestick in Stingray here.)

 

4. Blend out your liner with a matte deep brown eyeshadow. (Joe Fresh in Espresso)

 

5. Lots of Mascara! (Jordana Best Lash Extreme in Black)

 

The star of the show here is really the Paint Pot in Quite Natural. I think it is the neccesary component to this look. It makes this the express route to sultry, smokey, five minute heaven. If you don't already have this (or something like it) in your makeup rotation you need to. It can even be used in place of a liner for super easy makeup days...

 

xoxo

Molly

Glitter the Great and Powerful

L-R Which is Which?|Lights of Emerald City|When Monkeys Fly?

 

I will not lie, the moment I hear OPI's 2013 Soft Shades collection was a collaboration with Disney's new movie OZ the Great and Powerful ,well,  you could smell the skepticism eminating from my pores. I sit here at my computer anxious to eat my words. I saw photos of the glitter shades first and while the whole collection is pretty stellar, these shades really do steal the show.

 

"When Monkeys Fly!" -The only real dissapointment of the three is this chunky gold and halographic combo. Taco city baby. They look beautiful in the bottle but the application is a total bitch. The large gold hex glitters are so curly it takes eons of top coat to make your nails smooth. While the formula may leave a lot to be desired the mix is so pretty on that I am more than prepared to fight the battle.

 

"Lights of Emerald City"- This square, matte white, and iridescent mix is glitter topcoat success. With nail polish knock off's being big drugstore business lately I love that this OPI shade is something new and easily accesible. You can clearly see the indie polish influence here, but it is still a 100% unique shade. (to my knowledge.) While application does require a little finesse, this one is nowhere near as bad as When Monkeys Fly! I find a small dot placed in the middle of the nail and slowly spread works best and gives nice even glitter coverage.

 

"Which is Which?"- This is the least unique and best performing of the three shades. It is a halographic glitterbomb, with hex and bar glitter speckled with fine halographic glitter dust. Over a silver base this is discoball inspired perfection. I even layerd this over a nice pale nude a loved the combo. If you were determined you could probably later this to full opacity but it would take a good 4+ coats.  

 

I am so in love. If you want to see these shades in action you can follow me on Instagram @blkmagicwoman21 or stay tuned for my weekly nail posts. Like these...

 

Instagram Nails #33

Instagram Nails #32

 

xoxo

Molly

Instagram Nails #33

Instagram Nails #32

Skin MayDay

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion.

After hearing many rave reviews about this little drugstore lotion I decided I was going to see what all the fuss was about. Now, I don't have any severe dryness on my body or hands or even on my face for that matter, but after a quick glance at the ingredients I was wondering if this baby might work for another purpose entirely. A light-weight makeup primer?

Now most conventional foundation primers are heavily based in silicones. As you can see from the ingredient list this baby features Dimethicone in a pretty high concentration. (Anything that ends in "one" qualifies.) It also has a beautiful list of other more basic skincare ingredients. (Aloe, Vitamin E, Camomile and Yarrow)

After trying other primers that were basically all silicone and very little else and feeling like I wanted to claw my face off I thought a lighter (watered down in this case) version might suit me better. I had also had some issues with primers breaking me out in the past, even though my skin isn't especially prone to reaction. Sad to say this particular product didn't work out the way I had hoped.

After two weeks of trial and error (mostly error in hindsight) I determined that not only was this not making my makeup last any longer, it was also creating some major congestion in my skin. I think it boils down to too many ingredients competing with the effectiveness of the silicones, and then too much silicone for my skin to handle.

All is not lost though. My skincare illiterate and excema prone brother now has a handy, pocket size lotion for his winter-weary hands.

xoxo

Molly

The Realest Technique

If I could marry a makeup brush, it would be this one. This, however, was definitely not a love at first sight situation.

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Blush Brush

While Real Techniques was on sale at Ulta last month I decided I was going to grab the Expert Face Brush. Which I did. And it's great. The real star of the purchse, however, was the brush I picked up for half off. Introducing the Real Techniques Blush Brush.

This is by no means brand spankin new, but I also feel like no one has given this particular brush the fanfare it deserves. The tapered end collects the perfect amount of product and it spreads and blends so effortlessly across the face. The layerd quality this brush has blends out the edges of your blush until it melts perfectly into your comlexion.

While it is synthetic I do think the shape of this brush is better suited to powder products. (Try the Stippling Brush for your creams :). )

xoxo

Molly

Buttered Up

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss and Raspberry Rose Kiss

 

I resisted this purchase so, so hard. Twice, I went into different drugstores, picked these up and then decided against it. I said to myself "Molly you have two drawers full of lip balm at home. You DO NOT need these."

 

Yeah, it didn't work. They were on sale at Walgreens so they came home with me. I have to say I am reluctantly enjoying them.

 

They have a very thin, light, emolient texture from the petroleum content (mineral oil) but, like any other Nivea lip balm they impart a good dose of hydration. The two scents I picked are delicious but the Raspberry Rose is by far my favorite,

 

The one caveat is that these can leave a white cast over the lips. Not super handy for day to day wear. It doesn't take too much love away from the product for me but if you are in the market for something to wear out of the house check out some of the Nivea balms in stick form. Although if you dig that milky pink look Raspberry Rose Kiss if 100% for you.

 

xoxo

Molly

A Very Clear Improvement





Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask



Ah who doesn't love a good birthday treat. I spoke about my other beauty indulgences here (link!) but on the actual day of my birthday (Jan. 21st) I popped to my local Macy's to grab a pick me up. (I was actually recovering from a bout of strep at the time.) After so much hype and bit of googling I headed to the Origins counter and treated myself to the Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. (whew...)

After a few weeks of use (twice a week) I thought it would be nice to report in.

When they call this product "active" they mean it. Using a wet towel to steam your skin open quickly you apply this, allow it to dry, and then wash it off with a rag. On initial application this mask has a very strong cooling or tingling sensation. It certainly feels like it's working. (If you have sensitive skin I recomend sampling this out first.)

Once you wash it off it's like you see an instant effect on the size of your pores. While this effect is temporary, the gunk it removes is not. It is possibly one of the most deeply cleansing masks I have ever tried on my skin. I think this makes for a lovely addition to my skincare wardrobe. If you are prone to any kind of skin congestion (from small bumps to full blown zits) go see if you can score a sample of this one because it's worth a try.

xoxo

Molly

Instagram Nails #31

The Before and After

Weleda Wild Rose Smoothign Facial Lotion and Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre



My moisture routine has really been ramped up the past few weeks. Ever since the weather fell well below ridiculously cold I have been re-tooling what moisturizers I use and when. I have found that moisturizers I typically reach for a night have been more appropriate for the daytime. Only a few of them though, have been playing nice with my makeup.

The Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Lotion is the richer of the two creams. I like to save this one for very very cold days. It has quite a strong authentic rose scent that does linger on the skin. There is also a very tacky feeling of this left behind on the skin. Neither of these things sound like appealing features for your moisturizer to have but I must say it seems to really help they hydration stick around. My skin still feels soft, smooth, and full even after a full day of wear. It was this aspect that had me after this as a night cream but with the winter shaping up to be a brutal one, this has weasled its way into my morning routine.

The Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre is one of those products that is famous for use under makeup and I finally got to find out why. I recieved this sample in a Birchbox and jumped on it right away. It really didn't dissapoint. I have heard wind that it may not be the most efficent moisturizer but I find that it words really really well for me. It keeps my skin feeling hydrated throught the day and makes applying makeup really easy and beautiful. I reach for this one most days (unless it's brutally cold) and plan on purchasing the full size when this one runs out. I can even see this being a realiable daytime product when the weather starts to warm up again.

What are some of your winter daytime favorites?

xoxo

Molly

Disco Lips

Ever since the new L'Oreal/YSL gloss stain hybrid product has entered my life I feel like my makeup horizons have been expaned a little bit. It took a texture that I tend to avoid (gloss) and made it something that I'm really excited to wear.  That got me thinking about this....

Source (link)

Source (link)

Now since winter is clearly not packing up and moving on even though the best parts of the season are clearly over, we all have to find a way to lift our spirits. This sunny, glossy, 70's look is my ticket out of the SADS.

L'oreal Caresse Shine Stain in #188 Coral Tattoo

Now my albino Snow White skin can't quite compare with the bronzy, sunny complexions of Ms. Harry and her counterpart, but I think the inspiration rings true. I also think with any type of bright glossy lip this look could be a warm weather staple. I can't wait to try it again when I have a tan.

What is your makeup inspiration?

xoxo

Molly

Instagram Nails #spiritfingersfail

 

Hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl. Even if it didn't work out for us :( Go Niners!

A Birthday Treat

Sephora Holographic Flat Bag: Illamasqua Nail Polish in Nomad: Illamasqua Lipstick in Magnetism

I love it when my birthday rolls around. Last week I turned 24 and the universe graced me with a knock down, drag out, case of strep throat. Awesome. So to celebrate the following weekend I went out with some great ladies for some adult beverages and a post hangover self indulgent trip to Sephora.

On the list was one of the beautiful bags from Sephora's Holographic Bag collection. (link!) I wound up with the small flat "Macaroon" style and love it. It's transparent, color changing, and perfect for carrying around day to day essentials.

I did a few laps around the shop (as you do) and finally settled on the Illamasqua counter. I have a couple of blushes and a nail polish from the brand already and really liked the idea of expanding the collection. I settled on the nail lacquer in Nomad, a beautiful bright shamrock green shade. It's not quite mint, not quite turquoise, and not quite neon, and just perfect. (It even got Mom's seal of approval!)

Lastly I reached for the brand's autumnal lipstick offering, Magnetism. This is SO PRETTY! It marrys pink, red, and burgandy in a way that is wonderfully wearable and dramatic all at the same time. It also dries to a satin finish and stays put on my feather-prone lips. I am a happy birthday panda!

What makes you guys feel self-indulgent? What is the first thing you reach for?

xoxo

Molly