It’s likely that Lime Crime needs no introduction courtesy of yours truly. On the off chance that you’re not yet acquainted with the brand and its founder, Doe Deere, feel free to peruse Auxiliary Magazine’s February/March 2010 issue, where the unicorn queen of quintessentially loud lipcolor and pigments that pump up the volume shared her candyfuturistic mission statement with our readers. While it was a mighty fine article (I wrote it!) in which the aptly named, doe-eyed, makeup mastermind gave us the scoop on how her fairytale came to pass, I’m not here to rehash it. Oh no, I’m here to answer those hard burning questions. Mainly, “Is this rainbow hued stuff worth parting with your hard earned bling?” and to a lesser extent, “Do I wear or eat these sumptuously packaged little things?”

Doe Deere . image source limecrimemakeup.com

photo by Rahul Saha

Magic Dust Eye Shadow

Recently reformulated to remove all animal based ingredients (such as carmine), each eye dust serves up 2 grams of loose, vegan, cruelty-free pigment that lets the wearer conjure up a veritable cornucopia of attention grabbing  lid art. In addition to ditching the dried up beetles (that’s what carmine is, kids) as of August 2010, the plastic jars containing the dusts were refurbished with sifters, which allow greater control over product dispensation and minimize potential spillage. While the price can be considered steep at $14 a pop, these shadows pack a hefty punch so a little goes a long way. I’m pleased with the fact that all the shades I had the opportunity to test drive were highly-blendable, easy to apply and provided both good coverage and solid color payoff (but don’t skip the primer regardless).  For added drama, apply with a slightly dampened brush.

Sadly, since the eye dusts received their facelift in mid 2010, I noticed that the gold pigment disappeared from Lime Crime’s lineup. I’d love to see it added back to the brand’s repertoire.

(more…)

Toronto ON, November 6 – I recently attended IMATS in Toronto for Auxiliary Magazine. For those of you who are unfamiliar, IMATS is a makeup trade show for makeup artists, models, and photographers. I’ve been to IMATS before and I have to say that 2010 has been the best! This year was very organized, a lot of exhibitors, and not to mention, a great Alice In Wonderland themed runway show. I was very impressed with the number of exhibitors and deals that were available! Some companies in attendance were Yaby, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Naked Cosmetics, Crown Brush, Kryolan, and Make Up For Ever, just to name a few.

I only attended on Saturday. I got there around 11:30am and already the place was jam packed full of eager artists ready to learn, buy, and see this wonderful trade show. It was very exciting to see some of the speakers and educators who attended, such as Tom Savini, Kandee Johnson, Eve Pearl, and EnKore Makeup’s Koren Zander. I spent a lot of time at the OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics) booth, and in my opinion, they were one of the best exhibitors there. I got a lot of their wonderful Lip Tars (check out Purple Reign featuring OCC’s Lip Tar in the Oct/Nov 2010 Issue) some nail polish, and a few loose color concentrates. They are just amazing and I couldn’t thank them enough for the samples they gave us! I really appreciate it! I also spent a lot of time at the Yaby, Kryolan, Make Up For Ever, and Temptu exhibits.

(more…)

The world is not enough for Amy Doan, she successfully conquered the DIY fashion scene with her signature brand of neon-colored, naughty-yet-nice apparel, known as Shrinkle, that a girl can party harder than Paris or Britney in, only to go home to cuddle with her Hello Kitty doll. Doan has spent the past few years concocting the perfect accompaniment to her not so secret stash of sequined tube tops and pink leopard print hot pants. Also known as Sugarpill Cosmetics, your newest, most spectacularly packaged antidote to the droll and predictable world of soft taupes, muted corals, pale peaches and anything else one wouldn’t catch a drag queen dead in. Rescuing natural beauty eschewing, pigment-starved club kids two eyelids at a time.

photographer : Kevin Marburg
hair and makeup : Tess Kim
model : Amy Doan
interview by Vanity Kills

Has the successful launch of Sugarpill inspired you to follow other dreams that you once felt were out of reach?

Amy Doan : I definitely feel a lot more confident about taking risks and embarking on new adventures. Before launch, there was always that tiny nagging insecurity that people might not share my love of this project that I poured my heart and soul into. But everyone’s reaction has been so sweet and supportive, I feel even more motivated to continue creating things that I hope people will love!

Many women (and fashion-forward males) secretly want to experiment with vivid high-pigmented hues, but shy away from color out of the fear of looking like a circus clown or a trailer park hooker. What advice would you give to Auxiliary Magazine readers who are novices to the wonderful world of in-your-face color? How would one wear an ostentatiously bright shade without it wearing them?

AD : Well first, I would tell them that there’s nothing wrong with looking like a circus clown or trailer park hooker. One of my very first inspirations for wearing bright makeup was when I was in my teens and saw a TV documentary about a tranny hooker. He had neon blue eyeshadow up to his eyebrows! I thought that was pretty sweet. I think you just have to remember that bright colors aren’t supposed to enhance your “natural beauty”, they’re more about having fun and just going for it. So don’t worry if you look like a crazy person! If you love it, then you will own it.

read the full interview in the June/July 2010 Issue

Retro-a-go-g0′s Gas Mask Heart Compact

image source retroagogo.com

Every gal needs to check her face while she’s out at the bar, but since it’s an age old fopaux to put makeup on in public, this adorable Gas Mask Heart Compact by Retro-a-go-go contains a mirror and no cosmetics! Not only will you be saving face (yes, pun intended!) in public, you will be able to catch a glimpse of your quaffer and makeup in style. This adorable compact also has a picture frame on the other side of the mirror, so you can keep a portrait of your sweetie or maybe even your kitty! So it’s okay to be a little vain, heaven knows you don’t want to be walking around with pieces of your lunch on your face!

The Gas Mask Heart Compact is available at www.retroagogo.com.

- Meagan