New Year Sparkle: Ushering In 2013 With Style

Today's post will be a little unorthodox. It was supposed to be a post featuring the de facto New Year's Eve look (metallic lids and vamp lips) in collaboration with a few of my blogger friends. I did the look, but instead of taking my usual slew of deer in headlights close-ups, I invited my housemate for a fun photo shoot instead. We've been living together for three months and have since became best friends, but we didn't even have a blurry iPhone of each other. It was time.

An embarrassing amount of pictures were just of us howling in laughter, but for the sake of relevance I picked the few that most clearly showed my makeup.

She insisted a family picture includes our large soft toys

And we needed props for uh, festive points

For the look, I used Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense #19 on my eyelid and smoked out the crease with Addiction Midnight Oasis. I tightlined with a black eye pencil and layered on the mascara. Lips are Chanel Rouge Allure Rouge Noir #109 layered with Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Black-Tie Plum #982 (as seen in this post) and Burberry Lip Velvet in No. 310 Military Red layered with Guerlain Rouge G Garconne. There was no particular reason for using two red lipsticks. I just wanted a sheen instead of a matte but didn't want to go through the hassle of removing the Burberry, which I was already wearing.

Do remember to see how my other friends are ushering in the new year:
A Little Bit Of Everything
Beaute Fabuleuse
BellaChique
Bronzer Bunny
ChloeAsh‎
Eye Heart It
Joey’space
Messy Wands
Mostly Sunny
Musing On Beauty

Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro #200 & Le Métier de Beauté Cocoa Me Crazy Nail Lacquer

We are talking about these two very different things in one post because I happened to photograph them together. Before we dive in, let's have moment to appreciate that nail color. Isn't that such a magnificent nude?

Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro #200 Terra

Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro #200 Terra ($32) is a browned-red, but what's more interesting is the formula. As you probably know, this year's beauty market has seen an onslaught of liquid lips (I predict cream sticks to be next year's thing... again) but each are markedly different from the next. I've tried virtually every one of those new formulas and Armani's is my favorite by far. It applies wet and dries down to a velvet matte. It is incredibly pigmented and long-lasting, though it has a lot of slip. I use that to my advantage especially after some of the color has disappeared after meals, as all I have to do is press my lips together; the pigment from the top lip will transfer and lips will be fully painted again.

For swatches of the entire Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro line, visit here.

Le Métier de Beauté Cocoa Me Crazy Nail Lacquer

The beautiful nude is courtesy of Le Métier de Beauté Cocoa Me Crazy ($18). I couldn't figure out how to describe this, but Nordstrom saved me. The polish is a "vanilla bean creme with cocoa flecks." It's not apparent in the picture (much more evident in the bottle), but after application you'll see little specks of brown on your nails. It is reminiscent of cement and I mean that in the best possible way. It's beautiful, and possibly already inched toward the top of my favorite nudes list.

The Look

Eyes: Suqqu EX-08 Hanamari Blend Colour Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro Matte Lacquer Swatches

L-R: 501, 502, 503, 504, 200, 202, 300, 400, 401, 201

Thankfully, my swatches of the new Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro Matte Lacquer are infinitely better compared to the Burberry ones. Apologies for the messy numbering. The lip glosses were scattered around the counter and I swatched it all before I was told that I missed #201.

I couldn't test these out at the counter because I had to go for a facial immediately after and the SA mentioned it was really staining. My impression based on swatching is that these are really creamy, equal to or better than the Guerlain Rouge G L'Extraits. Without trying it, I cannot say if it will be drying.

The Lip Maestros are now available online at Nordstrom. I swatched the above at Saks Fifth Avenue New York.

Witchy Vibes for All Hallow's Eve

boo?

Funny how things happen retroactively: When I took these pictures I wasn't thinking of Halloween. I think it was right after photographing Burberry Military Red and I was experimenting against the saying that you can't pair a statement lip and dark eyes. I wanted an accessory, so I chose a black capelet hanging in my closet.

(Just fyi, I have an inordinate amount of witchy clothing that I never wear in my wardrobe. It was a very long and expensive phase. For those interested, most pieces I own are from Sumie Tachibana, who also has an Etsy shop.)

The eye makeup was wonderfully simple due to the multidimensional shimmer of the pigments in Giorgio Armani ETK Intense #3. I just patted it onto my eyelid with a flat eyeshadow brush (Shu Uemura 10) and lightly blended out the edges. A flick of black eyeliner and two coats of mascara, and done.

The lips were a mix of two colors. I liked Military Red but wanted the color to be darker to fit the overall look, so I used Chanel Rouge Noir with a crease brush to line my lips, blending it into the red.

I curled my hair with the one-inch Sultra Bombshell Curling Rod and forgot how messy it would look without some sort of styling product after. Might have worked in favor of the witchiness though.

That said, I wouldn't have made a good witch anyway, because that was my face most of the time while photographing. There was another one of me flapping the hood like it was my wings, but I'll leave that up to your imagination.

Happy Halloween weekend, everybody! Stay safe if you're partaking in the celebrations.


Products Used:
Face -
Mistura 6-in-1 Beauty Solution*
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Frais/Cool
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer

Eyes -
Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow in Moss Green
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense #3

Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liner in Noir

Guerlain Noir G Mascara

Lips -

Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red

Chanel Rouge Allure in Rouge Noir

Hair-
Sultra Bombshell Curling Rod (1")

The product marked with * was provided by the company for editorial consideration

An Evening Face Tutorial

I recently received an invitation to an evening event and was pondering the makeup I would do for it. Warning: I might be abusing my recent fondness for brown neutrals with a second brown-based eye tutorial this week. Granted, it's not the most flattering shade on me, but irrational fancy needs no excuse, I suppose (for those who live through life wondering why some girls look absolutely amazing in "universal" shades of brown and wheat golds when they make our eyes look like muddy swamps, this fantastic post from Ars Aromatica is worth a read).

Eyes

I started with Le Métier de Beauté Tamarack as my eyeshadow base, then placed Burberry Midnight Brown all over the eyelid, blending toward the brow bone. I used Taupe Brown to deepen the outer corner and Porcelain to highlight below the brow and around the inner corner. 

I applied NARS Rue Bonaparte on my waterline to minimize redness and used Burberry Pale Barley to smoke out the bottom lash line. I lined my eyes with Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil 1, and as usual, a couple coats of Guerlain Noir G Mascara to finish.

Cheeks

Speaking of abuse, are you sick of hearing about Chanel Notorious yet? Because I'm totally still using it everyday. Pictured above is Notorious under the cheekbone, Benefit Dandelion on the apples, and RMS Living Luminizer to highlight.

Lips

Ellis Faas L207 on the lips for a rich, creamy peach.

Nails

On my fingertips, a deep navy creme a la JINsoon Rhapsody. Texturally, Rhapsody was slightly thicker than Auspicious (which was thinner than the standard, which means Rhapsody resembles "regular" polish). I only needed two coats to reach full opacity.

The Complete Look

Products Used:
Face -
RMS Beauty "Un" Cover Up #22
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
Benefit Dandelion Blush
Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks

Eyes -
Shu Uemura Seal Brown Retractable Eye Brow Pencil (not available in US)
Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Eye Pencil in Tamarack
Burberry Eyeshadows in Porcelain, Pale Barley, Midnight Brown, and Taupe Brown
NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte
Giorgio Armani Waterproof Smooth Silk Eye Pencil #1
Guerlain Noir G Mascara

Lips -
Ellis Faas L207

Nails -
JINsoon Nail Lacquer in Rhapsody


And because friends tell friends when there are savings to be had:
Giorgio Armani Cosmetics – 15 percent off with code EXCLUSIVE at checkout.

That Brown Smokey Eye

As promised, here's the complete breakdown of the look I wore with Dior Vernis Poison, with complete product list at the bottom of the post.

L-R: GA Eyes to Kill Intense #15, Burberry Eyeshadow in Taupe Brown and Porcelain

By Terry Blush Terrybly Exotic Pink #2

Bobbi Brown 24 Karat Shimmer Brick

This smokey eye is particularly easy to achieve. I applied Burberry Taupe Brown with the LMdB Eye Crease Brush all over my eyelid, blending it outward toward my brow bone, then with my ring finger (use your ring finger when handling sensitive areas because it applies the least pressure!), I patted Giorgio Armani ETK #15 over my eyelid. I applied Porcelain under the brows and blended it into the brow bone. A flick of liner close to the upper lashes and a couple coats of mascara, then I smoked out the lower lash line with Taupe Brown to balance the heavy eye.

For cheeks: Chanel Notorious under cheekbones, By Terry Exotic Pink on apples, and Bobbi Brown 24 Karat Shimmer Brick above cheekbones. A slick of Chanel Troublant on lips.

And that's all there is to it!

Shop The Products:

Face -

Chantecaille Future Skin in Camomile

RMS "Un" Cover Up #22

Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks

By Terry Blush Terrybly Exotic Pink #2

Bobbi Brown 24 Karat Shimmer Brick Compact (new for holiday)

Le Métier de Beauté Blush Brush

Chanel Foundation Brush

Eyes -

Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown (not available in the US)

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in No. 03 Porcelain and No. 07 Taupe Brown

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense #15

Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liner in Noir

Guerlain Noir G Mascara

Shu Uemura 20H

Le Métier de Beauté Eye Crease Brush

Shu Uemura Kolinsky Brush 10F

Lips -

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss Troublant #68

My Stash of Red

This post is a strict reminder to myself that I'm not allowed to buy red-reds anymore. ANYMORE, I say. 

L-R: Guerlain Rouge G Garconne (worn here), Dior Ara Red #999 (worn here), Burberry Military Red No. 310 (worn here), Dolce & Gabbana Iconic (worn here), Rouge d'Armani #400 (worn here), Rouge Bunny Rouge Raw Silence (worn here), Bite Pomegranate (worn here), Chanel Rouge Allure Laque Dragon (worn here), Ellis Faas L201 (worn here)

I can't believe I've previously shown every single one on the blog. Also, Military Red reflects less light compared to the other shades. Is that why it appears matte on our lips?

Looking Like Fall: Recreating Armani's Fall Beauty Campaign Look

Fall is upon us, and nothing signals its arrival more than the welcome sight of smokier eyes. The Glitter Geek Arianne and I decided it would be fun to celebrate its arrival by recreating a fall beauty look. She took inspiration from the runways, while I have been enamored by Armani's fall beauty campaign ever since I saw it two months ago.

It was an easy choice, though complete recreation was somewhat hindered by the lack of a comparable hat.

Giorgio Armani Beauty Fall Campaign 2012

Products Used:
· Face: Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Tinted Treatment #2 mixed with Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base, RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-Up #22
· Eyes: Le Métier de Beauté Nouvelle Vague* (black shade)
· Cheeks: Le Métier de Beauté Creme Fresh Tint in Tenne
· Lips: Burberry Nude Peach Lipstick

There really isn't much to the look – I just wanted a chance to tackle an exaggerated black smokey eye. I colored my lids with black eyeshadow and shaped them into oversized cat eyes, blending out the edges. The model's cheeks had just a hint of color, which I emulated with a few pats of Tenne. Burberry Nude Peach Lipstick might not be pink enough compared to what the model had on, but remains a good companion to over-smoked eyes.

Arianne is doing Derek Lam's Fall 2012 runway makeup and I can't wait to see what she's conjured up. Mosy on over here to take a look!

The product(s) marked with * was sent by the company for editorial consideration

Girl Crushing on Shu Pei or How To Fake A Higher Nose

via Asian Models Blog

I usually drool over every editorial scoured by the lovely people of Asian Models Blog, but this one of Shu Pei in the June edition of Vogue China just evoked such feelings in me. The location, the styling, the makeup, and for goodness sake can Shu Pei be a more perfect specimen of the human race?

I'm not and can never hope to be Shu Pei, but that shouldn't stop me from having some fun.

The look is ridiculously simple. Eyes are Giorgio Armani Waterproof Eye Liner #1 (limited for fall) tightlined and smudged out with Shu Uemura 10F, a light touch of smokey grey eye shadow to blend the edges, Burberry Trench Eyeshadow on the brow bone and inner corners, and Burberry Effortless Mascara for just-there eyelashes. I shaded a barely-there contour with Chanel Orchid Rose Blush (think a sideways triangle) and highlighted with Burberry Fresh Glow. For lips, a slick of Cle de Peau Enriched Lip Luminizer #201.

More importantly, Shu Pei's nose. I've never seen her in real life so I can't say for sure, but I want to bet that it is flatter than it seems. If you've been here long enough (or have me on Twitter/Facebook), you've probably heard me say I have no nose. While obviously not strictly true, glasses or anything that requires a nasal bridge to function is a bane, if not impossible for me to use.

Since I can't alter the height of my nose, I'll settle for the appearance of one. Note: pictures show accentuated shading so you can, well, see it. I usually go with a much lighter hand.

here's a close-up, and mandatory funny

People with tall noses have different kinds of shadows on their faces, and as I've explained in my face contouring tutorial, it's all about manually creating light/shadow. I used a contour powder one shade darker than my skin to darken the hollows (the two triangles) by the nasal bridge, blending it into the eyebrows. Then, I shaded the sides of my nose (the two straight lines).

Also, a sorely-needed update to my brow tutorial (cringe). While the specifics of where your arch and tail should be have not changed, I've since found out where your brows start does affect the perceived height of your nose. A brow specialist at Shu Uemura told me I should only have the space of two fingers between my brows, and I realized it really does make a difference.