Showing posts with label microshadow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label microshadow. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Holiday Look #4: The “Dense brown smoky” (Make Up Store Volga Shadow)



Trust me when I say this is one of the most intense - AND the quickest - smoky eye looks ever. In fact it’s slightly slapdash, and you can swop out the brown shadow for pretty much any color you want as long as it’s not pale.

The trick is not to cover the entire black base with shadow, but to leave just a bit at the lash line so there’s a natural gradation from black to brown as you smoke the shadow outwards.
The star here is the rich brown duochrome shadow, Volga. This MAC Club lookalike is less red-toned, so if Club makes you look like someone’s socked you in the eye while you were partying, this is a fantastic alternative.

You need only:

  1. 1 brush - a rounded synthetic eye buffing/contouring brush like the Loveybelle small eye contour brush, which I used here
  2. 1 matte black khol or cream liner - anything very soft and intense and creamy
  3. 1 deep brown shadow - I used a satiny duochrome from Make Up Store called Volga - which is like a less red version of MAC Club shadow - for a bit of dimension (the black base will deepen and make it more matte, so choose something slightly brighter or more metallic than you intend)
  4. 1 pale ivory/beige shadow [optional; I used an ivory shade in my Tarte Call of The Wild palette]
  5. Mascara
  6. A soft pink-toned blush - I used Benefit Rockateur, which is my go-to daily blush when I’m lazy to think!
  7. A soft pink shimmery lipgloss - Make Up Store’s Orchid is a frikkin’ gorgeous beige-pink that isn’t too sheer or too frosty.




P.S. On nails, I am wearing Erik from Make Up Store, a blackened-green creme that looks like Japanese kombu (dried seaweed).



Saturday, July 30, 2011

Ondine (Featuring Everyday Minerals "Tide is High" Shadow)

Ondine was a water nymph who gave up her immortality for love, but was eventually betrayed by her faithless husband. In vengeance, she cursed him so that he would cease breathing if he ever fell asleep. The story has no happy end, but the mythological figure has always been one of dark and elemental beauty for me.

This is in no way related to the movie of the same name (although I enjoyed it). The bleak and harsh beauty of the Irish landscape and the haunting atmosphere and music did partly inspire the choice of colors and an eye look that's equal parts dreamy and heavy.

Everyday Minerals Tide is High (Shimmer), and Make Up Store Moss (Microshadow)
Read here for the step-by-step!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Quick and Dirty: Smoky Turquoise and Black Eye


When I say quick and dirty, I really mean quick and dirty. You will need a 
  • white/beige/pale-yellow liner (matte), 
  • false lashes or mascara, 
  • a deep charcoal grey matte shadow, and 
  • a satiny deep-turquoise blue.


Step 1: Apply the dark moss-grey matte shade in an upright triangle at the outer corner of the eyes. (Basically, do your outer V and then fill it in.)

Step 2: Apply a rich jewel-blue to the rest of the lid, within the socket area. Be sure to pack on the color rather than sweeping and swirling your brush, for maximum intensity.

 Step 3: Finally, run the moss-grey shadow generously along the lower lash line, apply false lashes (optional), black mascara to top and bottom lashes, and then gently line the waterline with a pale matte pencil to finish.

Products used happened to mostly be from Make Up Store:
Make Up Store Microshadow in Boarding (deep aqua-blue satin)
Make Up Store Microshadow in Moss (dark matte grey with an olive lean)
Make Up Store Eye Pencil in Vanilla Matt
L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black