Holographia: Dramatic Foiled Ombre Lids (Yellow-red-pink) with Transfer Foil!

Transfer foils were created for arts and crafts. Then some genius decided to use it on nails. Not long after, some people thought it might be a good idea to attempt it on the lips.

(That didn't go too well, because while it looked cool when it was done perfectly - a la Katy Perry - very few people ever managed to do it perfectly. Tons of women ended up with disappointing patchy, cracked-looking lips.)

Since I've got tons of foil (I buy mine from dollarnailart.com), I naturally wondered about using it for other things. It is BRILLIANT as a dramatic transfer tattoo on the body, But what about the eyes?

The Adhesive:

While there isn't anything harmful about applying the water-based nail foil adhesive onto your hands and body in general, applying it to the eye was another thing altogether. Because companies are so hush-hush about the ingredients of their glues, I could only guess at what ingredients Shizzle Lips and Glitzy Lips used in their "lip approved" skin-safe glues and whether they were mostly similar to nail foil glues.

You only need to know that you can use lash adhesive (if you have a strong and thick formula like Duo, add a tiny drop of water to thin it out before applying with a brush or it will be too hard to spread nicely).

 

The Foils:

It's the same thing no matter where you buy it from. These are layers of reflective or holographic ink that isn't toxic or reactive in their dry state. Whether you pay $1 at Dollarnailart.com or $29.90 for Glitzy Lips, it is EXACTLY THE SAME THING and they work the same way.

The strip I chose was unfortunately part of a jumbo pack from eBay, which doesn't have a name or number. You can substitute any other color foil though I recommend a strip that has a similar ombre gradient if you want the same effect I got. At dollarnailart.com, a similar alternative would be Wrapping Paper or Wildberry Splash.

My 5-minute Colorful Half-Liner Eye Look

This is a super quick eye look that I always pop on when I don't have a lot of time to do my face, and want an eye that is subtle but still has a shot of fun color.

I tend to pair this look with a strong blush and bright lips (a coral-pink mostly). 

The best thing is it's super easy and you don't need to be an expert or to have a very steady hand. Plus you have tons of shade options. Any colored liner pencil will work as that accent color on your lid.

You will need:

• A shimmery champagne or beige shadow (I used Sephora Prisma Chrome in MoonBeam)
• A medium brown shadow for the contour (I used The Body Shop's Chocolate Linger)
• A black pencil (I just used a black kajal)
• A colorful pencil of your choice (I used Milani Liquif'Eye in Aqua)
• Mascara or falsies (L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black)

[Requested] Jade Thirlwell makeup in DNA makeup tutorial: Classic Neutral Glam Eyes and 3D Burgundy Lips)

Seems Jade Thirlwell's makeup in the DNA video is causing quite a stir.

Basic theme:

Now, the video has special lighting and some color editing so there's a noir sort of atmosphere, and the skin of all the girls looks a little sepia-toned and monochromatic. You won't see any blush on their faces. There's just matte, clean skin and a bit of matte contouring around the cheeks. Contrastingly, their hair and lip colors are processed to show up more visibly.

Each girl has a slightly different neutral glam eye, and "3D lips" done in different shades.

Jade Thirwell's Look:

Jade's lip was colored in deep berry tones to match that incredible burgundy hair. Her eye makeup is a slightly softer and more romantic than some of the smokier or cattier looks the other girls sport. There isn't any obvious contouring; just thick liner along the upper lash line.

I would say ANYONE can do this look, although the effect will be more dramatic if you are very pale, with dark hair.

Read the full post here!

MAC Viva Glam Nicki 2 Amplified Lipstick: Swatches and Mini-Review

Color:

This is a chalky, dusty lavender-toned creme lipstick that's little more cool and grey than Saint Germain.

As you can see in the comparative swatches above, it's not as much of a true-purple as the 2 Lime Crime purples, but it's also not a true pink either.
On the lip, it has a tendency to look much chalkier and more lavender than it does in the tube, so this is not a color for the faint-hearted. There is nothing natural looking about it. It's much lighter than my lips, even on my light NC25 skin.

Texture:

This is a creamy amplified lipstick, so it's quite opaque, but not as thick and pigmented as a matte or satin lipstick in MAC's range. The creaminess means that when you press your lips together or roll your lips, the lipstick can shift and start to look patchy in areas, so that's one of the problems you might experience if you have pigmented lips.

If you have a pale liner or lip primer that is skin-colored, that will help to minimize or mask the unevenness.

Wear:

Very hard to say, because it depends on each person's habit (whether you have a tendency to bite or lick your lips, etc. I'd say this wears like any regular creamy lipstick. Not particularly long-wearing but not too bad.

Layering it over a liner does definitely help a lot, but it might also change the appearance of the lips slightly.

Popster: Fuchsia Lips with Warm, Romantic Neutral Eye (Good for Mono-Lids and Smaller Eyes

I call this look the "popster" because it's SUCH a common look among celebs and popstars both in the West and in the East. 

A warm, glamorous eye focusing on winged liner and sometimes false lashes, paired with electric fuchsia-pink lips.

This is a look that's especially good if you want to "enlarge" your eyes a little, because the lashes, the shadow AND the liner all create the illusion of bigger eyes.

You will need:

• A brown cream shadow (I used Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #14; you can use a regular powder shadow if you want)
• A soft bronze-beige shadow (I used The Body Shop's single shadow in #41; just look for something a little deeper than a beige)
• A pale yellow matte pencil (NYX Yellow would work)
• A black gel liner (or liquid liner if you want; I used Maybelline's black gel liner)
• Black mascara
• False lashes (I prefer soft fluttery, natural-looking ones like Ardell 122s for this sort of look because they are longest at the center, not the outer corners. You want to retain that very rounded, doll-like eye shape.)

Spring Pinks: Some of the best Light Pinks for every skin tone!

[Click to enlarge]Swatches L-to-R: NYX Strawberry Milk, NYX Jupiter, Maybelline Watershine Pure B24, MAC Pink Pearl Pop, MAC Pink Plaid, NYX Tea Rose, Revlon Pink In The Afternoon, Revlon Pink Pursuit, MAC Right Image, Revlon Crystal Lilac.

We find outselves drawn to that soft, candy-like pink lip on other people, but it can often go terribly wrong when we apply it on ourselves. Here are 10 options and the women they’d look good on.

Here are some recommendations for different skintones!

NYX Strawberry Milk.
This perennial favorite is filled with white pigments and is PERFECT for uber-pale girls on whom most pastel pinks look too strong and bright. Girls with medium-light skin who also have pale lips can wear it as well, but if you are any darker than an NC25 or NW20 and have pigmented lips, this will look very chalky on you.

NYX Jupiter.
A pale pink that’s a bit more forgiving simply because it’s translucent and frosty. Works on pale to tan skins, but if you are very dark, this might look too silvery. It still works if you like that sort of dramatic sheen, but go easy on it or you could look very 80’s sci-fi.