Showing posts with label bourjois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bourjois. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Simple Double-Lining Tutorial



Colorful eye pencils are a fun way to add color to your eyes without worrying about shadows and blending, etc, but sometimes using medium- to light-colored pencils can cause your eye line to look very undefined. 



This is where double-lining comes in use. This typically means stacking two lines in different shades. When you use this technique for definition, the lower line tends to be a dark brown or black shade. This application method (layering one shade over another) is also a lot easier for beginners than the non-overlapping method used for two colored lines.


Step 1: First, apply the colored liner along your upper lash line. Anytime you do double-lining, the upper line should be thicker than you usually apply it because half of it is going to be "covered" by a second liner. 
I prefer to apply the pencil diagonally up and out, making it thicker at the outer corners.


Step 2: Now, fill in the area under the initial line, making it a thick, solid swatch. If the shade you chose is quite light (like the bronze I chose; Sephora Flashy Liner in Flashy Copper), go ahead and apply it in the inner corners of the lower lash line as well.


Step 3: Double-lining. Using a liquid allows you to get the most opaque line with minimal fuss. If you're not comfortable using liquid liner, I suggest using a gel liner instead, as a regular pencil is not likely to give you a very precise line when layered over another pencil.
Run it along the lash line, leaving no gap above the lashes. At the outer corners, follow the slight flick drawn by the pencil, so that both lines end at the same point.


Step 4: Apply black mascara to finish. Then as a finishing touch, to add a bit of a subtle glow to the lids, add a touch of pale gold or bronze to the center of the eye, overlapping the colored liner, but not the black. 

This shadow you choose should coordinate with whatever color liner you choose. (Pale pink for pink, pale lilac for purple, etc.)



Monday, February 20, 2012

Smoky Brown with Electric-Blue Liner (Bourjois Intense Extrait 08 and Regard Effet Metallise 54 Bleu Clinquant)

This is a super-simple way to dress up browns without piling on a whole lot of color. If you enjoy wearing color along your lash line, this is also a way to get it to to stay longer and more intense along the waterline. 

Bourjois Regard Effet Metallise Pencil in 54 Bleu Clinquant on waterline, with Intense Extrait Shadow #08 on the lids.

I used a lot of Bourjois in this look (uninentionally, but aside from the electric blue pencil, it's easy to find lots of alternatives and many makeup wearer should already have similar shades in their collection).


Friday, February 17, 2012

Plum Pastel Eyes with Ballerina Pink Cheeks and Lips

Pastel Eyes: MAC Aqua, with MAC Lovely Lily pigment and Circa Plum pigment

Step 1: Pack a matte pastel aqua over the inner half od the lids (MAC Aqua).

Step 2: Apply a sift shimmery pastel mauve (MAC Lovely Lily limited edition pigment but there are plenty of soft shimmery purples around) over the outer halves of the lids.

Step 3: Apply a deeper grey-violet (MAC Circa Plum pigment) to the outer halves of the socket line. 

Step 4: Apply a metallic green liner (Bourjois #44 Golden Grey Session) right to the inner corners of the eyes, and a deep metallic plum (Rimmel Exaggerate in #220 Perfect Plum) along the outer 3/4 of the upper and bottom lash line. Do a thicker wing towards the outer half of the upper eye. 

Step 5: Finished with mascara.

Everything else is kept soft and sweet in ballerina pinks.

On the cheeks: 

  • Essence Blush Souffle in 01 Ballerina Pink
  • MAC MSF in Blonde


On lips: 

  • Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Fresh Bloom: Indigo and Green with Orange Lips (Lime Crime My Beautiful Rocket)


What goes with a bright orange lip? 
Well warm Fall colors like russets and golds would look good, but you can also swing the other way and do contrasting shades in bright tones. To keep things soft, I am using shimmer instead of matte, which would be a bit stronger.

Step 1: I'm using a shimmery dusty-purple for the outer 2/3 of the lid. 

Step 2: Using a soft golden green, I fill in the inner corners of the lid, blending just slightly into the blue. (The Body Shop #44 Single Eyeshadow)

Step 3: Line the upper lash line with a purple pencil (Bourjois Regard Effet Metallise #78 Bleu Chatoyant). Add a pale golden green pencil (Bourjois Contour Clubbing Liner #44 Golden Grey Session) to the lower lash line.

Step 4: Apply black liquid liner along the upper lash line and then add a pair of false lashes. (Any that are not too cat-like and flared at the outer corners will do.)

On the cheeks:
NYX Cinnamon Blush -  a matte vermillion orange

On the lips: 
Lime Crime My Beautiful Rocket - a bright true-orange lipstick


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

10 Favorite Lipsticks (March 2011)

I've always been obsessed with lipstick. Nothing in the world feels quite the same a gliding a creamy bullet of rich color over your lips.

Here are some of my current favorites.

Group 1

1. Bourjois Sweet Kiss Shine #59 Rose Etincelant
Sweet sheer candy pink with gold highlights makes this a soft peach/nude on the lips (below) that's flattering if you have medium to dark skin.
2. Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick #301 Crystal Baby


3. Sephora Lip Attitude #G20
A more chocolate-y version of Crystal Baby, this is a sheer glossy nude-brown lipstick which feels and looks almost like a gloss. Perfect as a base color to mute redness when wearing sheer tinted gloss. Best thing? It's so inexpensive!

4. MAC Lustre Lipstick in Fresh Brew
A slightly deeper version of Sephora #G20, but I love it because it can look like a nice caramel-y true-brown on lighter skins, and a non-chalky nude on darker-toned complexions. Definitely check this out if you are NC40 and deeper, and can't find nice nudes.

5. Maybelline Watershine Pure Lipstick #B24
A pale pink-based nude which is the pinker and more opaque counterpart of Crystal Baby, but at a fraction of the price. If you like milky nude-pinks with a glossy sheen, this is a great one to try.

___
Group 2

1. Sephora Lip Attitude Star #S22
A flattering, ultra-shimmery caramel, I bought this because it looked so much like a Dior Addict Shine lipstick. It's rich, creamy, sheer, and feels just as luxurious as a high-end lip color.

2. MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Till Tomorrow
Bruised-lip color which stays put for a few hours with normal activity. I'll always find kiss-proof lipsticks fascinating because of Revlon Colorstay, but then there are no Revlon equivalents for this shade where I am.

3. Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick #180 Vintage Pink
This quirky and beautiful dusty lavender-pink always makes me think of a scene in Anne Rice's Pandora, where an ancient vampire sits anonymously in a cafe, writing the story of her life wearing a "purple" lipstick. (I somehow always imagined it to be a mauve that is atypical but subtle, rather than dark and dramatic.) On light to medium skin, this is a medium tone, but if you are about NC40 onwards, this will be a lovely cool-toned nude pink for you.

4. MAC Amplified Lipstick in Up The Amp
One more purple. And what a purple! It goes on more blue than the swatch above. This is the loud and attention-seeking rebel of the family. If you have golden or olive-toned skin, this purple looks sooo nice as statement lips, paired with minimal makeup.

5. L.A. Girl Lipstick in Dreamer
I mentioned this before in my Robin Blue nail polish post. This is a lovely, lovely black. I say so because it does not go on streaky or patchy, and is not stubbornly hard to even out (below). Wear this with any other shade you have to deepen it dramatically.



P.S. Some other favorites which I love but are either discontinued or a little easier to duplicate are:
  1. MAC Syrup (dupe this with Urban Decay Rush or Etude LED lipstick #10)
  2. Revlon Matte lipstick in Really Red
  3. Lancome Color Fever Dewy Shine lipstick #258

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Concealer


 
1. Healthy Mix Foundation
VERDICT: BUY IT!
PROMISES: 16-hour, perfect coverage, semi-matte, oil-free, sensitivity tested, glowing and toned skin
This is a highly-rated foundation on MakeupAlley and Youtube, and I’ve been using it almost exclusively for a little over 2 months, in both de-humidified chilly air-conditioned environments, and sweltering, rainy tropical weather.
I’m pleased to say that this IS a great foundation, but there are a few things that you need to note before you take the plunge.
  • What I think it is? This is semi-matte, oil-free, caused zero breakouts and sensitivities for my slightly-reactive skin, and does not clog pores.
  • What I think it’s not? Full coverage, 16-hour, or toning in any discernible way.
  • Best Applied With? Fingers. Really work it in for the most natural look.
This is the best foundation if you have skin that borders on either side of normal on most days, and want a nice matte-but-glowing complexion. (By glowing, I mean like you have more even-toned and clear skin which light bounces off of.) If you are looking for a moist or super-matte finish, want opaque coverage, or have extremely dry or oily skin, stop reading this post. 
Do note the below images are taken with flash, and the foundation will be less visible in natural light.

Above, without.
This is one of those foundations that you can wear without powder for a natural look, as it sets and does not slip and slide for the most part.The coverage feels light and uncomfortable, but it does do a pretty good job of evening out skin tone while looking and feeling natural.

Above, with 1 coat, using flash. (Note: My hand is darker than my face, so excuse the color.)
It has not oxidized on me throughout the day, but I don’t find it to be particularly build-able. If you layer on more and then blend, I found that it just spreads out to about the same coverage as before (see image below).

Above, 2 coats.
It does start to sink more into your lines if you apply too much, so I’ve found that one coat is the best amount. If you need concealing, use concealer. Don’t layer on more foundation. Only some cream formulas work well that way.
Best thing? This looks good in natural light (below), where so many foundations tend to look unnatural. See how the darker “spots” (which are my hair follicles) are no longer visible?


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2. Healthy Mix Concealer

VERDICT: Ok if you your circles aren’t too bad,
PROMISES: Radiance, anti-fatigue, activates micro-circulation
  • What I think it is? This is powdery, medium coverage undereye concealer that does a fair job, but is only slightly build-able. Like the foundation, the powdery silicone-based formula just spreads and sheers out if you try to apply more.
  • What I think it’s not? A good cover-up for zits and serious dark circles.
  • Best Applied With? Fingers.
That said, it IS a nice feeling concealer if you don’t like sticky, creamy or heavy things under your eyes. This does not crease as much as heavier formulations tend to, and I like how it doesn’t feel like you have much on your face.
Do note that the concealer is ever so slightly lighter in shade than its coordinating foundation, and like the foundation, I experienced no oxidization over time, so don’t buy anything too much lighter than your skin-tone unless yo need to neutralize dark spots.
Recommended for those with normal to oily skin and mild to medium dark circles, as it is a matte finish concealer, medium-opacity, and is not peach enough to correct significant blue or purple undertones in the skin.