Linnaeus Cosmetics is Coming Back!

If you follow Linnaeus Cosmetics already, then you probably saw this yesterday.  If not, allow me to fill you in.  Marin of Linnaeus Cosmetics announced yesterday that she will be reopening from November 25th through November 28th for a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale.  Limited quantities of individual shadows and shadow collections will be available at discounted prices.  Marin will be moving in December, so this is only going to be a small window to snag some LC goodies for a great price.  Marin has projected that LC will relaunch full-time in late January.

Giveaway... Just Because!

Okay, guys, here's the deal.  I'm hosting a giveaway.  There are three fabulous prize packs featuring indie companies I use frequently.  The first place winner will receive the wallet of their choice from Tinymeat, the 3g sample trio of their choice from The Starshine Company, and a full-size Bouffant eyeshadow from Linnaeus Cosmetics.

Wallet Options

 

 

  

Sample Trio Options

Bouffant Shadow

How to enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me which item(s) you are most excited about.

2. Follow the blog with Google Friend Connect.

3. Follow the blog with Networkedblogs.

4. Follow @UrbanCritique on Twitter.

5. Follow The Urban Critique on Facebook.

6. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per entrant, please.)

Please use a separate comment for each entry; if you put all of your entries in the same comment, you will only be counted once.  If you follow, please tell where you are following and leave the name you used to follow, i.e. I followed you on Facebook with the name Jane Doe.  If you tweet, you must provide a link to your tweet.  Please provide a valid E-mail address with all entries so that I can contact you if you win.  Open to fans who are 18 or older, no residency restrictions.  Winners will be chosen at random using a number generator.  Each prize has an approximate value of $22, and all prizes were purchased by me using my own money.  Open for entries immediately, closing 10/3/11.  Winner announced 10/4/11.  Good luck!

Prizes!

It's been decided, and everything has arrived!  All three winners will get something from Tinymeat, a full-size (5g) Bouffant eyeshadow from Linnaeus Cosmetics, and a collection of three shadows in sample jars (3g) from The Starshine Company.  These are some seriously awesome prizes, guys, so be sure to tell everybody you think might be interested in winning some great indie products!  Full details (and swatches) on Monday!

Giveaway Update

I have placed an order for the remainder of the giveaway prizes, but I haven't received them yet.  I'm thinking about having the giveaway around the end of the month, with a two week timespan for entries.  Each winner will receive a little somethin' from Tinymeat, a Bouffant eyeshadow from Linnaeus Cosmetics, and an eyeshadow trio from The Starshine Company.  So that's going to be pretty awesome.  Tell your friends.

In other news, I am unsure as to whether or not I will be doing a review or look today.  I have an optometrist appointment at which I will need to have my eyes dilated, so they will probably be really sensitive most of the day.  And I know it will make my eyes very watery, and I will rub them a bunch, so I don't want to put anything on beforehand.  So if I don't post anything later today, I hope this little update will suffice for today and I will be sure to get something up during the week!

Don't Forget!

I'd like to remind everybody that I do have a giveaway coming up!  I've already gotten some of the prizes in the mail (wallets from Tinymeat and Bouffant shadows from Linnaeus Cosmetics) with more to come!  I still haven't figured out when exactly I'll be holding this giveaway, but there will be three winners and the prize packs are going to be awesome!  Tell your friends and "like" The Urban Critique on Facebook to keep up-to-date!

Bonus Post: Random Look

This look is easy-peasy.  I started with UD Primer Potion as a foundation, and used a small amount of Bouffant from LC on the inner corners of my eyes and under my brows as a highlighter.  I applied Bare from TSC on my lids, and used LC's Sprightly to cut the crease.  I lined with Buried Alive glitter blend from RABB.  It was a little hasty, so don't mind the lack of blending; I'll fix it up and post more pictures shortly.

Bonus Post: Random Look

Here's another look for you, my lovely readers!  Today's look is sort of a peacock color scheme featuring three colors from The Starshine Company.  Very bright and bold...  Enjoy!

The look is fairly similar to Monday's.  I started with a layer of Urban Decay Primer Potion, and highlighted my inner corners and brows with Bouffant from Linnaeus Cosmetics.  I started by patting Golden Green onto my eyelids with a large detailer brush.  Next, I switched to my small detailer brush and started a cut crease using Mint Candy out about halfway over my eyelid.  I continued with my small detailer and completed the cut crease with Sea Foam, blending the two colors together where they met in the center.  I created an arc shape and rounded the outer edges of the cut crease.  My lower lashes are lined with Golden Green on the inner half, and Sea Foam on the outer half.  I finished the look by curling my top lashes and applying mascara (I left my lower lashes bare.)

 

Random Look!

I've been saying I was going to put this up for awhile now, so let's get to it!  I bought a new shirt recently, and decided to wear it to a craft show on my birthday.  It's burnt orange, and I wanted to pull everything together with my makeup, so I did a fiery look and I think it turned out great.

The whole look... Yes, I normally wear glasses.

The eyes...  I started with Bouffant from Linnaeus Cosmetics as a highlighter on the inner corners and under my brows, followed by Feathery from Bokeh Face Cosmetics on the lids, then finished with applied Lanky from Linnaeus Cosmetics in the crease.  I love the way the orange intensified the green in my eyes.

 

The lips... I applied lip balm first (Gap stores usually have SPF 18 lip balms in a variety of scents, but they don't appear to be available online) then layered on a tiny bit of Palladio's herbal lipstick in Toasted Orange.  I love an orange lippie, but I've found it really hard to find another one I like this well.

Without Glasses...

Random Look!

This design features some new colors I have received this week, which I will be swatching and reviewing in the weeks to come.  So here it is!

I used Temple of Time from Shiro Cometics as a highlighter in the corners of my eyes and under my brows.  I then applied Lanky from Linnaeus Cosmetics on the inner half of my eyelids, and Kink from Rock A Betty Beauty on the outer half, overlapping the colors and blending at the center.  Next, I used Cavort from Linnaeus Cosmetics on the outer portion of my crease, and Mondo From Linnaeus Cosmetics on the inner portion, blending the shades together just outside the center.  I then foiled black pressed liner and applied mascara to my upper and lower lashes (I usually skip the lowers, but I showed them some love tonight.)  When I finished this, it reminded me of a less intricate version of Snarky P.'s nearly-neon eyes, but the color scheme was sheer coincidence.  Kink was the color that really got me excited about doing a look tonight (it reminds me of a nail polish I had in junior high called "Barney",) and I wanted it to be bright and fun, so this is what I came up with...

Double Look Day!

For my first look, I primed my lids with Shadow Poxy from My Beauty Addiction, then did a rainbow consisting of Show Off, Bombastico, Flutter, Hold Fast, Mondo, Matriarch, and Kitsch from Linnaeus Cosmetics.  I did thick black liner to add drama and finished with mascara.  This look was somewhat time-consuming based on the number of colors used, but I didn't spend too much time evening things out and making them look super-smooth because it was just kind of a fun look that I did for fun and not to wear anywhere (but it WAS inspired by the fact that pride was this weekend in my town.)  It would have taken a really long time if I had taken the time to make everything really perfect and awesome, but I was really just playing around with the colors.

 

My next look, also primed with Shadow Poxy, uses Bouffant from Linnaeus Cosmetics as a highlight on the inner corners and under the brows.  I used a little bit of Mondo (also from LC) on my lashline, blended upward into Caged Canary from Scaredy Cat Cosmetics (I'll edit the link later, but for now the link will go to her Etsy profile because her shop is in vacation mode.)  I applied Chartreuse from The Starshine Company in the crease, blending thoroughly.  Lastly, I lined with a thin stripe of black, and finished with mascara.

 

 

Random Look!

Woo!  Hello, lovely readers.  Like I said, I was super excited about my shadow samples from The Starshine Company.  So I decided to make a look with them, and here it is...

BEFORE

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For starters, I primed my eyelids with Shadow Poxy from MBA.  Then I applied foundation to my whole face (I used Bare Minerals in Golden Medium.)  I used a very small amount of Bouffant from Linnaeus Cosmetics for a highlighter beneath my brows and in the corners of my eyes, but the other colors are all from Starshine.  I applied Chartreuse  on my lids and attempted a cut crease using Mermaid, adding a tiny bit of Envy directly on the crease and the outer corners of my eyes, and proceeded to blend, blend, blend.  I lined using Rain and applied Chartreuse and Mermaid to the lower lashline to bring it all together.  Lastly, I applied mascara.  To me, this looks really similar to some of my other looks, but I swear they are not all the same, you guys!  I hadn't intended this one to be so catty around the outside corners, but I ended up liking it that way.  I want to do something in pinks and purples next...  Keep your eyes peeled, and thanks for reading.

Random Look!

Okay, so I really wanted to play around with makeup tonight, so I put together this blue and green look with some colors from Marin over at Linnaeus Cosmetics.

I primed my lids with shadow poxy from MBA.  I used Bouffant just in the inner corners and blended out about halfway over my lids.  Under my brows, I used Cavort, bringing it down and blending with the Bouffant on the inner portion of my lids only.  Then, I applied Hold Fast to the crease and blended up into the Cavort under my brow and toward the end of my brow.  I used Brigand foiled on my lower lashline, and used just a touch of it on the center of my lid, blending over into the Bouffant in the inner corner and up into the Hold Fast in the crease.  I finished by using Flutter on the very outer corners and applying mascara.

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Linnaeues Cosmetics Swatches

Sorry for the late post, guys!  I didn't get around to posting before I went to work this evening, and by the time I wound down a bit it wasn't Monday anymore...  So today I'll do the rest of my Linnaeus Cosmetics swatches and a look for you!

Swatches are applied in two rows.  The top row shows shadows applied to bare skin, with a foiled stripe down the center.  The bottom row shows shadows applied over primer.

Left to right: Brigand, Pollywog, Cavort, and Kalahari

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Left to Right: Lanky, Balancing Act, and Bombastico

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Now the look!  All of these colors can be found at the Linnaeus Etsy shop for your convenience.  I primed my eyes with Shadow Poxy from MBA.  I then used Bouffant as a highlighter directly under the brow and in the corner, blended out over about a third of my lid.  Next, I blended Kalahari onto my browbones, filling down to the crease.  I used Pollywog on my lid, blending into the Bouffant at the corner but not up into the crease.  I used Cavort dry on the crease, blending down into the Pollywog on the lid and up into the Kalahari, and foiled it on my lower lashline.  I used Brigand foiled as a liner.  I finished the look by applying Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume mascara.

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