We Aim To Slay

Welcome to the Makeup Round-Up! This is a monthly series where I’ll be sharing new makeup products, and the looks I’ve created throughout this month that weren’t highlighted in their own articles.

January 2026

With the start of the new year, one of my goals is to challenge myself to be more creative with my makeup looks. I decided to revisit a technique that humbled me recently – body paint! 

I first tried to paint myself back at Halloween to create the Elphaba look in my Halloween Makeup series ((22:52)). By the end of that process, I felt pretty defeated, but I couldn’t go down without a fight!

Sky’s The Limit

First up is this super fun blue body paint look that I created!

I used face paint – graciously provided by my mom, Stacey! – to craft the base of this look before switching to makeup to create the eye look! My creation process is officially live on YouTube, and you can watch it below!

Parisian Mime

Feeling more confident in my understanding of how to use the paints, I decided to try again, but with a focus on detail-work rather than creating another full body piece. And this tutorial will be going live next week!

Blue Graphic Liner

There’s been a lot of talk about “Clean Girl Makeup” being dead, and here is one of my favorite ways to bring a little extra fun to an everyday look!

Recently I shared a tutorial on a quick and easy way to wear a graphic liner look in your everyday life – will you be trying something like this?!

Queen of the Damned

In the last few months I’ve been revisiting the darker, more grunge-leaning aesthetic of my younger days – covered in detail in “The Secret Weapon in Every Glam Grunge Wardrobe” – and it’s been fun expressing that through makeup!

Sunset Cut Crease

This look was less creative in process, but rather in color! I feel like we often pair orange with red or yellow, but I think it looks best with pink!

The Products

In a recent YouTube video I shared some of the products I treated myself to during the holiday season and now that I’ve had a chance to play around, here are my honest thoughts!

About Face Beauty Fluid Eye Paints

After buying the matte white formula (“White Noise”), I went back and bought the matte black (“Art of Darkness”), red (“Scream of Consciousness”), and holographic blue (“Inner World”). And like a true addict, I’ve recently purchased another matte formula, this time in a sky blue (“Blue Monday”)!

Truly, these products are so versatile – if you’re someone who likes to experiment with color, then I highly recommend these liquid eye products!

NARS

This was the first “high end” foundation I ever used and while the shade “Syracuse” is the perfect match for my skin all year long (nearly unheard of!) I bought the “Light Reflecting” formula and I think that was a mistake. I’ve not been getting long wear out of it, and no matter what I try it ends up settling into my pores and fine lines. 

Morphe Products

I’m sure you can guess how this palette – named “Python Code” – ended up in my collection. Interestingly though, I’ve only used it once. And, I prefer a more liquid brow gel, and this one delivered! 

NYX Cosmetics

I have had these Bridgerton eyeliners for a couple months now, and I still haven’t just used them. But, as I push myself farther and farther outside of my comfort zone I find myself reaching for this eyeshadow palette again and again!

ColourPop Cosmetics

I’ve been a long time lover of ColourPop eyeshadows so when I saw their range of colored mascara, I knew I needed to try a few! I purchased “Blue Ya Mind” and “Purple Prose”, and I’m loving the blue, but I don’t think the purple works with my olive undertones.

Kylie Cosmetics

Can I be honest? This was my first ever Kylie Lip Kit purchase! In the past I have used the shades “Ginger” and “Vixen”, but when she relaunched the King Kylie Collection I knew I had to get my hands on Dead of Knight – the black lip kit! Truly, I’m obsessed with this product and I wish I had more occasions to wear a black lip!

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Over the last few months I purchased and tested several e.l.f. Cosmetics products and here’s my main take away – if you’re looking for an affordable and an effective primer, then turn to e.l.f.

Because I was so impressed by the primer, I went back and bought a few more items – a brow product, setting spray, mascara. Unlike the Morphe, this brow product wasn’t advertised as being “brow gel” but rather “brow wax” and yes, it was waxy which led to the rest of my eye brow products pilling up and rolling up. And similarly, I found that this mascara – “Big Mood” – also started to pill up and flake off my face. Lastly, I tried one of their setting sprays, and while I actually did enjoy the product itself, I’ve become spoiled by the continuous misting setting spray and went back to it shortly thereafter!

What Do You Think?

Is there a makeup look you’d like to see me try, or a product you’d like me to test in the next Makeup Round-Up? Let me know in the comments below! I’ll be back next month with another Makeup Round-Up, until then…

Have a great rest of your week, and remember to SLAY!