Crafting: Comic Book Z Palette

Now that I have a steady makeup collection growing, I've been thinking about getting one of those Z palettes to store single eyeshadows. But the thing is..I couldn't find ANY that fit into my aesthetic. They were either animal printed, mega bejeweled or just a bit too plain for my liking. So I went to good ol' pinterest to see if there were any DIY versions to test out and STILL nothing I liked!(though their were very interesting ideas on materials to use)  I ended up going to Youtube to see if I could find something I would like and came across a woman named Tachi Hogans making a Z palette from an old book. It turned out so cute and sparked inspiration immediately! Just think of all the possibilities...A harry Potter z Palette, or maybe a Coraline one..Howls Moving Castle maybe?? but they were a bit too small in size for what I wanted. Then it hit me...I need to make a Themed one to fit in with my Bioshock Bathroom of course! There actually is a Bioshock Novel called RAPTURE as well. I love the book (and highly recommend you read it!) but (1) its not a large book and (2)..I just could not bring myself to rip the pages 😅  I had a Hardback Comic book from a monthly subscription service that would be perfect because in all honesty...this new take on young DC heroes I forced myself to read was a PILE OF BANTHA POODOO.

SO let me show you how I was able to achieve this and without having to spend more than 10 quid to boot!

I started out by ripping 1 page out first to measure how wide I needed the opening to be, then I got some card stock and traced it to make a template. **one thing I should've done was glue all the pages BEFORE I used the xacto knife to cut the pages out. Not doing so caused difficulty with cutting straight lines and would've prevented the paper from moving so much** I left the very first page uncut and you'll see why further down..

 Once the opening was deep enough to have pans in and be able to close, I took the first page that I didnt cut and made an "X" incision going from each inner corner then glued it down. This is to make the inside look sleek, getting rid of all signs of murdering all those comic book pages 😆 next I took a magnetic A4 sheet I found at Hobbycraft (for £3) and, using that card stock template, cut it down to fit inside. I was sure that the bottom didnt have any debris but alas something managed to slip in there and now I'm stuck with this weird little bump under the magnet sheet T_T



 Oh well its not hindering the pans, but it is annoying haha, and be mindful that the magnet sheet is SUPER ADHESIVE. Once its down it is a pain to get off without serious damage.

 Next I found some PERFECT AF images to decorate the front, back and inside. I went with a Dr. Steinman theme since in the game he is a Cosmetic Surgeon, So the front is pre apocalypse(like the novel) and the back is post apocalypse like the game! You can see that same poster when you explore the Medical Pavilion. I went with the tried and true mod podge method, although I again missed a step and should've mod podged the top BEFORE gluing the image to the book. This is what happens when you try crafting with the flu! haha

 Now for the Finale.....

Front(L) Back(R)

Inside featuring products from GeekChic Cosmetics(top row) Lunatick Cosmetics Lab and Apocalyptic Beauty (middle Row) Too Faced (bottom row)

Bioshock Brush holder and Z Palette

 Even with all the little mistakes I am super happy with the turn out! I have my very own custom made Z palette by re-purposing an unwanted Comic book. Frick yea 😍 haha. Has this inspired you to make your own? What book would you choose? let me know! and if you do create your own tag me in it I'd love to see your creations😊 ta ta for now xx

Apocalyptic Beauty Cosmetics: Swatches and review

(image from their Instagram) click here to go to their etsy shop!

Apocalyptic Beauty is an up and coming U.S. indie brand that sells vegan and cruelty free makeup products.You'll find a mixture of themed products when you explore her shop, such as Pop Culture references anywhere from Evil Dead to Skyrim and even Princess Mononoke! Ive been Following the owner on Youtube for quite some time and was so excited when she decided to sell her own cosmetics! (Shes very knowledgeable and gives great reviews on many different indie makeup brands). There are various sizes to buy and samples of most items as well. Lets take a look at some of the products that are available:

Loose eyeshadows

Highlighters and Lip Balms

Apocalyptic Beauty was gracious enough to take me on as an international promoter while they start out, so as of right now I have not placed an order YET, but was given samples to test out and create looks using them. I was not asked to write a review nor would I if I didn't like these products. #Honestyisthebestpolicy ! Below is a mock up order to show you what cost would be to send to the UK, specifically.(prices will vary of course, depending on your location) As usual, international shipping is a pain BUT if you use the promo code KAMEHAMEH for 15% off. it’ll help bring that cost down a bit. I’ve never tried sending products to MyMallBox (if you don’t know what that is seriously GOOGLE IT! Could change your life!) If you are able to use a forward mailing service the shipping will go WAY down. I need to test if you can do this with etsy orders. If anyone has please let me know! NOW lets move on to some swatches…..

6 eyeshadows and 1 highlighter

some lip-safe eyeshadow options available

brush swatches and finger swatches

"does that sound fine?" on eyes and top lip

wind-up bird, hypnotoad, and kami on eyes. wind-up bird on lips

brush swatch(L)finger swatch(R)

Mostly Harmless highlighter.Dimmed light exposure to showcase the color better on cheek

Heres some whimsical background info on the shades I currently have:

Kami - Light forest green with a stunning gold shift and loads of sparkle. If all the mystical creatures of the forest held a Mardi Gras, this is the eye-shadow they would wear to it.  Named in tribute to the films of Hayao Miyazaki.

Hypnotoad - Grassy yellow-green with an orange duo-chrome and violet sparkle.  The name is inspired by a popular animated series. Can you guess which one?

Wind-Up Bird - metallic yellow gold, invoking a chorus of gleaming metal canaries chirping as their gears whir.  Part of an upcoming tribute collection inspired by the works of author Haruki Murakami.

Gorehound - dark chocolate brown with red undertones and blue sparks.

Well I don't know about art but I know what I like
I'll be a surfin' in your good on a Saturday night
Yeah the devil with the blues, just blew that song
I go crazy and crazy, going, going gone!

"Gorehound" is named in tribute to The Cramps.

Gimme Back My Hand! - A rusty red-orange that, when rubbed across the skin, bursts into a blue-brown dipped in flames. Oh those dirty bastards... "Gimme Back My Hand!" is part of the Evil Dead eyeshadow collection.

Does That Sound *Fine*? - Light brown eyeshadow with a subtle green iridescent shift. Its questionable how *fine* Ash was in Evil dead 2. In Mirror Ashs words. I don’t think so. We just cut up our girlfriend with a chainsaw…"Does That Sound *Fine*?" is part of the Evil Dead collection

Mostly Harmless - A glowing blue highlight.  "Mostly harmless" was the full text of the entry on planet Earth in the Guide.  This is the highlighter in the Don't Panic collection, inspired by Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

It took me longer than i liked to get this review finished. The UK colds and flus are frequent and no joke I tell ya. They wreck my weak american immune system!😂 as you can see the eyeshadows are pigmented and theres various shades available already. Rhapsodii(Alisha Atkins), the owner, adds new products frequently to her shop so keep an eye out for them on her IG, Facebook or Youtube!

Black Milk Clothing VS. Living Dead Clothing: Jersey Edition

Are you a Sharkie? A Deadite? Maybe both?? Or even just a newcomer to the scene looking to see whats up with all this Shiny Nylon goodness so many have obsessed over for a few years now...?  Well come take a seat! We've got a 1V1 match with Living dead Clothing battling Black Milk Clothing for the champion of best Jerseys- ROUND 1 FIIIIIGHT!

So cheesy i know 😝haha! Ok in all seriousness I wanted to take a look into each brands versions of (American) football jerseys and Basket Ball Jerseys since I just recently made a purchase that got me and my Husband debating which was better...LDC's or BMC's?  With the help of Mr.McBeer We're going to take a look at the Pros and Cons. Up first is BMCs "TouchDown" Vs LDCs "HailMary":

LDC Transformed HM

BMC Killing Joke TD

Size L

Size L

For a price comparison: 

BMCs Killing Joke TD(touchdown) is £71. 

 -offers free standard shipping minus tracking

 -or express shipping for about £10.

LDCs Transformed HM(hailmary) is £59.

 -standard shipping is about £8 with tracking

 -or express shipping for £14

**prices vary depending on the print.

By the looks of it, LDC has won this round. Mr. McBeer definitely prefers the LDC Hail Mary jersey. He prefers the fit and fabric used for it.He didnt like how the BMC TD's sleeves were slim fit but was wide (almost like being compared to the BM glider top if that makes sense) I still like the Touchdowns fabric and stretchiness, but have to keep in mind of 2 important things; most likely will need to size down and fabric snags quite easily. 

Up next is the BMCs "Shooter" Vs LDCs "Rainmaker".

BMC N7 ST

LDC Jiji RM

Size XL

Size M

So this comparison is a bit different as its also me vs the husband on sizing and fit, but i'll still be keeping it relevant for all parties!

For a price comparison: 

BMCs Mass Effect N7 ST(Shooter) is £52. 

 -offers free standard shipping minus tracking

 -or express shipping for about £10.

LDCs Jiji RM(rainnmaker) is £49.

 -standard shipping is about £8 with tracking

 -or express shipping for £14

**prices vary depending on the print

This was a close call, but BMC wins. JUST BARELY though. If LDC's rainmaker had more stretch and if the *arm holes didnt flare out it would've been the champ!


I have a feeling if i sized down to an S maybe the arm holes wouldn't have been so bad? im not to sure. by the looks of the rainmakers on the website, all the arm holes are flared out on every model...so maybe not...whomp. I dont think i wouldve been able to fit in the S though. Ive got a voluptuous butt so the S wouldve fit my top half but too tight on my bottom half, as you can see in the picture of me wearing a size M.

Mr. McBeer loves his BMC shooter (as do i for many reasons 😍) its unfortunate that BMC dont have consistent sizing in nearly every category. and, of course, nylon type fabrics can get snags and fuzzies, but for some reason the touchdowns and shooters are a magnet for it!

How do you feel about the outcome? agree? disagree? let me know! I hope i was able to give enough info to help with any future purchases. If not, feel free to ask any questions. Also, friendly reminder ALWAYS check for promo codes going on! it definitely helps us international buyers out, take advantage of any while theyre available, i post relevant codes I find on instagram and Facebook. check the dragon balls for direct links to follow. 😃

Crafting: affordable bat signal decor

Since its March, stores are stocking all kinds of Easter basket items, and boy did i come across a little gem! lol. One of my walls is (supposed to be) decorated with Batman memorabilia so Ive been on the hunt to find interesting things to use on the wall. While strolling through B & M this caught my eye:

2.99 from B & M

Isnt it just the cutest 😍 its so tiny... I HAD TO HAVE IT haha. So now was the part on how i was going to display this little thing. i couldve just put it on a shelf... nah too easy.. not for this weirdo!😂 I had the brilliant idea of attaching it to the ceiling to shine on a section of the wall. I rummaged through my craft junk and found a command strip, leftover cardboard, and the hot glue gun. LETS DO THIS. The bottom of the bat signal wasnt flat so thats why i needed cardboard, to give it a flat surface to attach the command strip to. Now what i didnt expect was that 1 strip would not be enough. For something so small I actually needed 3 of them. Thats gravity for ya folks!

After managing to get it to stick. i waited patiently for the sun to go down to test out the new addition. ohhh how much i love it. look at it highlighting that riddler cane 💓 Is it practical? NO..do I love it?..YES! I need a bigger one i think! haha but this one will definitely do the trick for now xx

Crafting: Wall Mounted Nuka Cola Bottle Opener

Im starting to FINALLY revamp my kitchen in Fallout theme and super happy this craft turned out so well! Was inspired to make this when strolling through The Range and came across wall mounted bottle openers. (for only 2.99!)

So if your interested in how this came to be check out more below :D

I started out by removing all the screws and sanding the wood as the lettering on it was raised a bit (needed to in order to have a flat surface to repaint). Next I used primer spray and let it fully dry. *Always a good idea when painting, especially porous materials like wood*
 Then moved on to repainting the wood a nice red color. while it dried i printed out my Nuka cola girl. Put 2 layers of mod podge over the image, let that dry then used a xacto knife to carefully cut out the parts i wanted. Once that was dry i glued the cut outs onto the wood and put a full layer of mod podge over that. After an hour letting it dry( word of the day isnt it?! lol) i screwed back on the opener and cap catcher (with a minor scratch accident in the progress lol). After that it was time to hang it up!
*I already had most of the materials I used on hand so instead of screwing it to the wall I used some left over command strips. Also would have preferred using a spray sealant as the mod podge seeped into the grooves!*
This was a very easy/affordable craft to achieve. If this inspired you to make one tag me! id love to see. I cant wait to make FO bottle caps to display with mine <3

Mass Effect Andromeda: Merch and game deals

Anyone excited for the newest addition to the Mass Effect series??....Anyone still procrastinating pre-ordering a copy?...haha Well im right there with ya but it cant be helped! I am not fond of gaming through Origin ("booo") and if your a PC gamer this is our only option folks. Andromeda will most likely not be coming over to steam, i mean f.f.s. Mass Effect 3 is STILL unavailable! Which is why, being the achievement obsessed player that I am, bought a PS3 strictly for the trilogy as well as other games i couldn't acquire through steam. As much as I NEED this game I couldnt break down and buy a PS4 for it so i went on a mega hunt to see where I could get the best deal on a copy to play through Origin (some more "boooo"-ing!lol)

Dont worry, if your a console gamer I also found some pretty sweet deals for you too! Below is a chart I put together of where to get it, how much, what comes with it. etc. if you see a (N/A?) anywhere thats because the website wasn't clear in there description. While on the hunt I also went through what websites were selling Andromeda merch for pre-order, Mass Effect trilogy merch and links to them.

(NOTE: EVERYTHING is listed as UK pricing and UK shops)

Now on to Merch! first up is an overview on price comparison from high to low, then a preview of what each shop sells:

Forbidden Planet

Merchoid

EMP

Gamerbilia

GAME
And there you have it! I hope this was insightful and helpful for your future purchasing decisions. I have a MIGHTY need for so many things! How about you? :)