A Plethora of Pinks

It's funny how tastes change. A year and a half ago, I wrote this Lipstick Bandit post about fearing pink, and this summer it seems to be all I wear. Now that I know I look better in cool pinks, I'm much less inclined to dabble with coral (that color is a whole 'nother headache). The pinks shown in this post are mostly old favorites that have become staples in my lip wardrobe.

Also, the whole time I was taking pictures, this scene was running through my head:

Sherlock Season 1 Episode 1: A Study in Pink. A glorious introduction to a fantastic TV series

Cle de Peau Enriched Lip Luminizer 206 Sweet Watermelon

First, a light watermelon pink! I associate the finish that Cle de Peau Enriched Lip Luminizer 206 Sweet Watermelon ($35 for the refill, $25 for the holder) imparts with "Asian girl" lips (sorry, stereotypes) – soft and balm-like with a hint of color. It's really great for when you just want to look a little more presentable. "Naturally pretty," if you will.

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in 476 Plaza

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in 476 Plaza ($32), reviewed here, is a step up from the Cle de Peau in terms of pigment. As you can see, the texture is also balm-like and it's very easy to wear. All these lipsticks make my peeling, wrinkled lips look happy and well moisturized.

I sense a trend in my selections. What can I say? I love comfort.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Never Say Never

And to the matte selection! Do I detect a slight hint of purple? NARS' lip pencils (Velvet Gloss, Velvet Matte, Satin) are my favorite products from the brand. From packaging to texture to color selection, I don't think you'll find too many from other brands that can rival NARS. The one pictured above is Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Never Say Never ($25), reviewed here two (!) years ago. I'm so grateful that it's part of the permanent collection.

I used a heavier hand when applying the blush, so my lips wouldn't wash out the rest of my face (balance is important!). Pictured above is Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Initiale.

Paul & Joe Manège + Le Metiér de Beauté Clearly Brilliant Lip Gloss

While the texture of Paul & Joe Manège is perfectly fine (full coverage, balmy finish), for some reason I enjoy slicking a clear gloss over it. I also just realized that the Le Metiér de Beauté Clearly Brilliant Lip Gloss ($36) is a great alternative to purchasing more Dior Fluid Sticks. It's a jelly gloss that produces high, watery shine. It completely transforms my lips!

Manège, a limited edition shade from spring 2013, is unfortunately no longer available. The good thing is I've tried on a few magenta shades since and found possible substitutes, so if you're interested, try Paul & Joe La Vie En Rose 305 or NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Yu.

What lip shades are you loving this summer?

Chanel Joues Contraste 76 Frivole

There were two items that intrigued me from Chanel Spring 2013: the pink liner and the blush. I skipped on the liner because I didn't like their eye pencil formulas and I procured the blush because of the bright, happy color.

Sometimes I wish I gave a little more forethought to my purchases (though this is why I am particular about a store's return policies) because I realized after that Chanel Joues Contraste 76 Frivole ($42) bore striking resemblance to NARS Liberté, which I already own.

L-R: Chanel Frivole, NARS Liberté, Paul & Joe Color Powder CS in Inseparables

I swatched both blushes heavily to make sure I had a true representation of the shades. Frivole and Liberté are similar though not exact dupes. Frivole is a peachier orange while Liberté leans more red.

When applied to the cheeks, the difference is barely noticeable. If I was to be a stickler about it, I'd say Frivole pulls just a tad more orange and is comparatively less wearable on me (but remember, I'm neutral cool). I think it's because Liberté draws out the pink in my skintone. That said, unless you were looking at both cheeks with a macro lens (like below) you wouldn't notice.

Chanel Frivole

NARS Liberté

Chanel Frivole

NARS Liberté

Thus, I'd say those who already own Liberté can skip Frivole, unless you have a particular preference for Chanel blush formulas.

Funny anecdote about the beanie: I had lunch with a reader a few days ago (hi Joanne!). When I told her I didn't drink coffee, she reacted in surprise. She pegged me as this cool coffee-drinking hipster-dressing type based on my blog, which... couldn't be further away from the truth. Except I bought this beanie and it totally fitted into that mould. This beanie - the color, the style - does not fit my regular "style." In fact, it clashes with just about everything in my wardrobe. I was originally going to post this up and ask if I should return it, but for some reason now I love it way too much, so I removed the price tag and all you guys get are pictures of me wearing it. There.

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Mechanical Brow Pencil in Seal Brown
Guerlain 'Meteorites' Illuminating and Mattifying Face Powder 02 Teint Beige
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium
Le Métier de Beauté Eye Brightening and Setting Powder
NARS 'Pro Prime' Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
Guerlain Écrin 4 Couleurs 502 Coup de Foudre
THREE Flash Performance Pencil Eyeliner in 08 Eye On
Eyeko Black Magic Mascara Drama & Curl
NARS Liberté Blush
Chanel Joues Contraste 76 Frivole
Burberry Lip Mist No.212 Nude Peach

So You Want to Look Like Keira Knightley

source: tomandlorenzo.com

Ladies and gentlemen, we are back in business. Sort of. I still don't wear a lot of makeup when I go out, which is not fun because now that it's so near winter it's exactly the time to slap on a ton and still look "normal."

The good thing is now that Anna Karenina is about to (finally) hit theaters, editorial images of Keira Knightley are popping up all over the Internet. In case you didn't figure out by the sharpness of her cheekbones and jawline, I have a major crush on her. The editorial above was featured in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar UK and as soon as I saw it I told myself I had to recreate it.

I didn't realize how geometric the eyeshadow shape really was until I reviewed the pictures (or perhaps it wasn't on her and that's just how it translates on my Asian eyes. Adaptability = win!). I patted Addiction Fudge onto my eyelid and then blended it out on the crease and slightly toward the inner corner. Afterwards, I shaded the bottom lash line (covering the entire "bag" section) and made sure the shadow connected to a smoked out wing. Make sure to leave the inner corner clean.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that Keira's upper lash line and waterline were white, so I went over mine with NARS Larger Than Life Santa Monica Boulevard (it wouldn't show up on my waterline since it's immune to makeup, apparently). But that's not all – her makeup artist sneakily tight-lined her upper waterline so the white wouldn't look odd.

... I realize I may be making all this up and it could have just been white eyeshadow. But that's how I achieved my look!

If you click on the source link, you'll see the writer and a large number of commenters harping on Keira for having a constantly open mouth in photo shoots. I don't personally have a problem with this, but I'll say in her defense - didn't they know cheekbones appear sharper when one's mouth is open?

Enjoy!

Products Used:
Face -
Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation in Camomile
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium
Le Métier de Beauté Classic Flawless Finish Powder #1
Chanel Rose Ecrin Blush

Eyes -
Addiction Fudge Eyeshadow
NARS Larger Than Life Santa Monica Boulevard
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner in Eye On 08
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown

Lips -
Le Métier de Beauté In The Know Bordeaux Lip Creme
Make Up For Ever Lip Pencil #13C

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.

NARS Fall 2012: Vent Glacé Eyeshadow Duo and More Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil

L-R: Vent Glacé swatched right to left

L-R: More Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil, Amsterdam Pure Matte Lipstick

More Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil

Surprisingly (considering how much more colorful High Society and Amsterdam are), the Vent Glacé Eyeshadow Duo and More Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil are the more interesting aspects of NARS fall for me. They seem made to be paired together, and when done so, produces an ice queen-ish vibe that I'm oddly giddy about. 

Vent Glacé consists of a frosty silver white and a beige/brown/gray shade (even after playing with it for a week, I still cannot pinpoint the exact color). For some reason, when I first applied it to my lid over NARS eyeshadow base, the silver was patchy and refused to blend. On my second try, it was fine. I guess it was an eyelid fluke? The More pencil is an auburn that is decidedly unique to my stash. It was a pleasure to apply and wear, as is expected from the Velvet Gloss formula.

Vent Glacé Eyeshadow Duo retails for $34, while More Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil goes for $24. Both are available at narscosmetics.com, which currently offers free shipping on all orders.

NARS Fall 2012: High Society Eyeshadow Trio and Amsterdam Pure Matte Lipstick

If you've been reading Messy Wands for some time now, you probably remember my NARS dilemma – I love everything when a new collection comes out, but end up using them just once or twice. The company makes good stuff and is especially good about going against trends, or at least surprising us with some unexpected pieces for every seasonal collection, so I'm not sure what's going on with my usage pattern.

L-R: High Society Trio swatched right to left

Perhaps I'm just not as adventurous about makeup as I thought I was? What a depressing thought.

L-R: More Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil, Amsterdam Pure Matte Lipstick

On short notice, the only way I could pull off High Society Eyeshadow Trio was using the two purples on the lids/crease and forest green on the bottom lash line. Pigmentation was good, though I'd rank the lilac lavender as best. The other two seems a little patchy in comparison.

Anyway, I broke the "rule" about focusing on either eyes/lips by pairing the trio with Amsterdam Pure Matte Lipstick. It turned out fine in pictures, but in real life... let's just say the boyfriend saw me coming out of my room and shrieked. (Of course, that turned out to be so much fun that nowadays I just do the craziest looks and stick my face in front of his.) As far as Pure Mattes go, Amsterdam is by far the least drying (thus best) one I've tried.

NARS High Society Eyeshadow Trio retails for $45, while Amsterdam Pure Matte Lipstick goes for $25. Both are available at narscosmetics.com, which currently offers free shipping on all orders.

Thakoon for NARS Nail Polish: Kutki

It seems like I can never get sick of blue polish, but who's complaining? 

I've tried two of the six Thakoon for NARS nail polishes, but only photographed the baby blue Kutki because my feet are in a horrible state. I always wonder how models keep their feet so unblemished, especially with the amount of heels they have to wear on a regular basis. 

Anyway, I'm not sure if I can give Kutki a fair review. My bottle was a castaway from a photo shoot and by the time I used it the polish had thickened. It applied streaky for the first two coats and only evened out on the third when I piled it on. 

On the other hand, I applied an unsullied bottle of Anardana on my toes and it was perfect in two coats, so I think it's just my bottle.

The Thakoon for NARS Nail Polish lineup features an array of six bright creme shades perfect for summer. If I had my way, I'll have one of each.

Thakoon for NARS Nail Polishes retail for $18 and is available at narscosmetics.com.

NARS Summer 2012: Liberté Blush

NARS released just one cheek product for summer, the fiery orange Liberté Blush. While it looks scarily bright in the pan, it actually applies as a much softer color, which you can build in intensity if desired. It is easier than I thought it would be to use, perhaps because when applied, the color leans closer to red than orange on the skin. The texture is NARS at its best.

Eyes: Ramatuelle Eyeshadow Trio; Lips: NARS Moscow Pure Matte Lipstick

There is something I struggle with every time NARS releases a seasonal collection. I want it all. Immediately. But their products are really seasonal to me, as in I'll use them for three months and never touch them again. With the advent of having to move again (I've moved house so often in the past four years that all I want to do now is stay at the same spot for the next decade or so), I am starting to question the size of my makeup stash and the rationality of my purchases.

I've had pieces from the summer collection for three weeks now, and after the initial excitement wore off, I can safely say I could have done without the Ramatuelle Trio and Liberté Blush, nice as they are. How bad is it that I started this post wanting to write about the blush only to conclude that the lipstick remains a much more exciting topic? Love that shade.

NARS Liberté Blush retails for $34 and is available at narscosmetics.com.

NARS Summer 2012: Vendanges Sheer Lipstick

I secretly love beauty companies that break "color rules," i.e. pink for spring, bronzers for summer, red for fall/winter. While NARS served up plenty of traditional summer hues in their most recent collection, they sneaked in little surprises that threw me off, like the Vendanges Sheer Lipstick, and for that I am grateful. 

Vendanges is a sheer grape shade that could be layered for a deeper effect, as shown in the swatch picture above. NARS lipsticks are quite comfortable to wear, and the Sheer Lipstick formula even more so. I couldn't feel it on my lips, even while I was applying it! Vendanges is scent and taste free.

Eyes: LMdB Splendid Frost

Since it is so sheer, Vendanges ends up being wearable even though it is usually classified as a fall shade. After all, one can only wear orange/coral/hot pink for so long before itching for something more demure.

NARS Vendanges Sheer Lipstick retails for $24 and is available at all NARS counters and narscosmetics.com. Curiously, it hasn't appeared at my local Sephora yet (they usually get there a lot earlier) but it should any day now!