Sunday, August 25, 2013

Aqua and Cobalt: Marine-themed Liquid Liner Look


Liquid liner is always a quick way to make a statement/. This is a duo-tone liner look using two shades I love; a pearly aqua (Maybelline Hyper Glossy Liquid Liner in Turquoise Blue) and a rich cobalt blue (Lime Crime Uniliner in Lazuli)

I also used 2 pencils; a black (Shahnaz Husain black kajal) and a matte beige (Nars Rue Bonaparte), and 2 matte shadows (a beige called Nude and a navy called Navy Baby from Coastalscents.com).


IMPORTANT: If you're not sure about liquid liner but would like to get a similar/softer look, just use pencils or gel liner.

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Step 1: First apply 2 matte shadows in the above way, with the navy in the socket first, sweeping from outside in so the color softens inwards, then blended out so there are no hard lines. The beige is just there to "tidy up" the navy, and to neutralize any darkness or discolorations on the lid.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Gossamer Veil: Pearl-Pink Shimmer on Lids, Cheeks, Lips, and Nails


Most of the time, we try to avoid applying shimmer on every feature in order to avoid looking like a discoball, but if you pick the right highlighter and apply it in the right areas and pair it with matte textures, it can just look like radiant skin.


Products used: Laura Mercier Burnished Copper, La Femme Rose blush, MAC Silver Dusk highlighter, MAC Cultured Lipglass, Catrice Karate with Bronze Lee pencil

The Skin
I began by evening out the complexion and concealing flaws. (Below is a reference to where I usually apply a highlighting corrector.)

You do want to ensure an even base (below) before attempting to highlight specific areas. Otherwise, the highlighting can contrast with dark areas and blemishes and make them even more obvious.

IMPORTANT: If you are combination/oily, it's especially important to apply setting powder on your T-zone, inner cheeks, chin, and any other oily area. To prevent creasing and a "crepe-y" texture due to laugh lines and crow's feet, powder only under the inner corners of eyes, and at the outer corners.

To mimic a glowing complexion, apply highlighter (I used MAC Silver Dusk) to the brow bone, and ABOVE the peak of the cheekbones, concentrating under the temples, and then fading inwards. Avoid shimmer too close to the inner cheeks or wherever pores are more obvious.

To choose a highlighter shade that is flattering on your skintone, you can check out some suggestions here.

Tip: Using the same brush you used for foundation application will allow a less powdery application. The last bits of moisture and the flat surface of the brush helps the highlighter to meld with the skin and look more like natural sheen. (A dry, fluffy brush will dust sparkles all over the cheeks, which can emphasize pores on your lower cheeks.)

Apply a matte pink to the peaks of your cheekbones, overlapping some of the highlighter. This creates a nice transition from matte to shimmer, and mimics the glowy effect of a cream blush, without the greasiness.


The Eyes

Saturday, August 10, 2013

[Requested] Dramatic Cool and Warm Cut Crease Look (88 Matte Palette)

Sky-blue shadow with a warm Cut Crease, with tawny cheeks and caramel lips

There were some requests for a specific cut-crease tutorial, but I didn't want to use a typical black for the crease shade. Here's one where I pair a pale sky-blue with warm shades like burgundy and orange on the socket, then cool shades like purple and silver on the lower lash line. 




The first thing you need to remember if you're doing a cut-crease look is that you don't actually cut your CREASE. Everyone's crease is in a different spot and if you mono-lids, or hooded eyes, part or all of your crease might be hidden. You should always follow the hollow of your SOCKET line instead. (Close your eyes and feel for the hollow right above your eye ball.)




Saturday, August 3, 2013

Marc Jacobs F/W 2013 Lacquered Red Lip (An Intro to Shiseido's F/W 2013 Makeup!)


To my mind, Shiseido is more known for their top-notch skincare and those incredible sunblocks. (To my knowledge, they put the "lightweight" in sunblocks long before the rest of the world did.)
Only during 2 periods did the brand seem to cast more of a spotlight on "color", and that was during Serge Lutens' time (1980s), and now with Dick Page at the helm. 

Dick Page applying Lacquer Rouge in Sanguine, backstage at Marc Jacobs' F/W 2013 show.
They brought out those incredible Lacquer Rouges a while back, and this season they're bringing out 6 new colors. I'm really into a red lip right now, so my pick of the lot HAD to be that warm red RD413 "Sanguine", which was used at the Marc Jacobs show this season. 


The Red Runway Lip