Messy Wands: eyeliner

Showing posts with label eyeliner. Show all posts

Monday, December 24, 2012

Lipstick Bandits: Secret Santa Look Swap

We have perhaps the most elaborate Lipstick Bandit collaboration ever today! If you follow any of us on Twitter you'll know we've been very excited about this, largely because none of us knows what the other person is going to do. We're as clueless as you may be, dear readers, and for some reason this makes us giddy.

But what is this we're actually doing, you ask? The idea is based on Secret Santa and our "gift" to each other is a signature makeup look. Rae emailed each of us our assignments and we weren't allowed to reveal who we got until, well, now. I wasn't surprised to find out who she picked for me, but let's see if you can guess by looking at this picture below.

If that doesn't give it away, this would totally do it.

I was assigned Arianne of Glitter Geek because I proposed "dimple contouring" and Rae was amused. I actually attempted it in earnest for this look, but it's kind of impossible to contour something that only appears when your face moves in a certain way. I was thrilled to (re)discover that I actually have a dimple though.

If you didn't already know, Arianne is a huge fan of cats. Naturally, I chose to emulate this look she featured on her blog because recently that's how I've been thinking of her - all sexy and feline-like. I made sure to emphasize my lashes (by layering two mascaras) because hers are long, luscious, and completely envy-inducing. To complete the look, I even tried posing like her.

But of course, I reverted to my own style later.

Merry Christmas, Arianne (and everyone else)! I hope I did you justice.

We have a new bandit again! Please join us in welcoming Lily from ChloeAsh to our little masked tribe. We can't wait till you're all caught up in our shenanigans!

New Bandit:

ChloeAsh‎

Products Used:
Rouge Bunny Rouge Time Defying Foundation in Wheat Cream
Guerlain Perles D'Azur Meteorites
Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow in Moss Green 01
Suqqu Eyebrow Liquid Pen in Moss Green 01
Giorgio Armani Waterproof Smooth Silk Eye Pencil #1
Shu Uemura 5R Pure Kolinsky Brush
Burberry No.3 Porcelain Eyeshadow
Pop Beauty Peak Performance Mascara in Billiant Black
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Chanel Tempting Beige Blush
Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Lip Pencil in Rose
Guerlain Rouge Automatique #125 Vega

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample product(s) sent by PR or the manufacturer for editorial consideration.

Friday, December 14, 2012

The Things I Use

A pictorial follow-up to the previous post. Here are some of the makeup (by category) I reach for when I don't have time to think. Instinctive grabbing tells you a lot about the merit of a product –

Blushes

Clockwise: Chanel Brume d'Or, Paul and Joe Color Powder CS in Inseparables, Benefit Dandelion, Addiction Brown Toast, Addiction Damask Rose, LMdB Tenne, LMdB Mystique

Concealers

L-R: RMS "Un" Cover-Up #22, LMdB Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium, Shu Uemura Kolinsky Brush 15, LMdB Revive Eye Brightening and Setting Powder

It seems my previous HG Cle de Peau (review) has finally been replaced. I barely use it anymore, preferring either the RMS or LMdB for creamier coverage.

Eyeshadows

Clockwise: LMdB Jojo, Addiction Sandbar (top left)/Flash Back (top middle)/Concrete Jungle (bottom right), Burberry Pale Barley, Chanel Notorious

I only listed the names of the neutral "everyday" shadows I use. The NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base is a necessity for oily lids!

Eyeliners

L-R: Giorgio Armani Waterproof Smooth Silk Eye Pencil #1, LMdB Nouvelle Vague (4th shade), Shu Uemura Brush 10F, THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil in Eye On 08 and Eye Belong 04

I would have included LMdB Precision Liner in Noir but my pen dried out and I threw it out at time of photography. I have just purchased my replacement (third one ever).

Mascaras

L-R: Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara, Eyeko Black Magic Mascara

It's not that I don't love my Guerlain Noir G (review) anymore, it's just that I've finished up two tubes of it and can't bear to buy the refill when cheaper alternatives are rocking my world right now. When I'm done, I'm going to buy that Annabelle mascara in bulk. Incidentally, that Eyeko mascara is remarkably effective in holding curl.

Nude Lips

L-R: LMdB Bondi Beach Lip Gloss, LMdB Marrakech Lipstick, Suqqu Creamy Lipstick #5, Guerlain Rouge Automatique #103

Full disclosure: This entry contains sample products sent by PR or the manufacturer for editorial consideration.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

The Basic Makeup Application Tutorial

While this post began as a simple office makeup/first date tutorial, it ended up containing mini segments of how to apply and set concealer, how to apply cream blush, how to tightline, and how to apply lipgloss. So, it's really more apt as a basic makeup application tutorial. Basically, this is my long way of saying – grab a coffee/tea/root beer float and sit tight, ladies; it's going to be a long read.

Note that I said office makeup/first date above. To me, both situations ask for My Face But Better and that's what I had in mind when coming up with this tutorial. I arranged the steps below according to importance. As in, in a (very likely, in my case) situation where you're racing against time, which steps should go first. 1 and 2 are interchangeable depending on the scarcity of your brow hairs.

1. Eyebrows

Tutorial here. I've harped on this point incessantly so no more belaboring. Eyebrows = most important. Bonus points to those who actually have some.

2. Skin

The basis of good makeup is its canvas. This is why having a good skincare routine is most important in my book. I must be doing something right because my skin has been very happy of late and I am able to skip the use of foundation. All I do is pat some concealer onto problem spots (an upside down triangle under eyes, around nose, above and below lips). Don't blend it out too much so it actually stays where you want it to be.

Tip: Your ring finger applies the least amount of pressure compared to the others, so use it on sensitive areas.

As with all other makeup on the face, the trick to having it stay put is to set it with powder. Use an eyeshadow brush that's fluffier (but not overly fluffy) for this purpose. You want to pat it on, not blend.

3. Blush
Because nothing says corpse like unflushed cheeks. I kid, but it's true that color on the cheeks is a sign of health and vitality. It makes a person look brighter and happier.

There's a plethora of options you can go for when it comes to blushing. Powder, liquid and cream works the same as long as it adds the right amount of color to your face. For this tutorial I chose a cream blush. I picked up pigment with my ring finger then dabbed and blended it onto my cheeks.

On days that I don't contour, I am more specific about blush placement. I apply it above my contour line (see below, where my cheeks sink in) and extend it to the bottom of my cheekbones and blend out so it looks natural.

4. Eyeshadow (Optional)
This step depends entirely on how much time you have. The reason I placed it under the 4th step is because you should apply eyeshadow prior to mascara and eyeliner. But if pressed for time, I'd skip it.

I apply my eyeshadow in a sort of almond shape. Nowadays, I've been extending my shadow beyond the lid and blending it around the crease. No particular reason for this choice but preference.

5. Eyeliner/Mascara

Another recent practice of mine is to tightline, which means applying the liner at the base of your lashes and your top waterline. I have hooded eyelids that "swallow" everything I place on my upper lash line (for an example, view this post) and I used to draw a thick line so when I open my eyes there will be a thin line peeking through. Lately, I'm of the opinion that the real function of eyeliner is to accentuate the appearance of your lashes, and all I need for that to happen is have a thin black line at the base of my lashes. This way I also look good when I close my eyes.

Tightlining is not my favorite thing to do since my eyes are like open faucets. The trick is to get the right kind of eyeliner: waterproof, smudge-proof, pigmented, and with a soft tip so it doesn't irritate the delicate eye area.

Finally, apply mascara of choice.

6. Lips

This is simple enough. Apply your favorite color from the tube and you're set. Sometimes I like to soften the sides just a little by lightly going over the edge of my lips with a finger. I think it looks more natural; at least as natural as colored lips can be.

If you're not a lipstick kind of girl, you could just do a swipe of gloss instead. I like glosses since they're additional protection against the cold weather. In general they also look better on chapped lips, which I seem to have no matter what I do to them. When applying gloss, start from the center of your lips and smooth out the pigment to the sides. This makes your lips look plumper but not overly shiny.

Finished Look

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
MAC #204 Lash Brush
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium
Le Métier de Beauté Revive Eye Brightening And Setting Powder
Le Métier de Beauté Mystique Creme Fresh Tint
Shu Uemura Kolinsky Brush 15
Burberry Pale Barley Eyeshadow
Shu Uemura Kolinsky Brush 11
Three Flash Performance Eyeliner in Eye On 08
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Le Métier de Beauté Marrakech Lipstick
Le Métier de Beauté Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Those Tarte Liners Work As Shadows Too

As if the Tarte 6-piece SmolderEYES holiday set wasn't already a steal, I find another way to use it. While the pencils are originally eye liners, their crayon-like tips and buttery textures make them perfect for shadow work as well. Observe:

1. Apply on lid

2. Blend with crease brush

3+4. Adjust shape accordingly by applying more toward the crease and blending out

That itself could be a complete eye look, but I took it further by applying and blending out champagne at the inner corners of my eyes, lining the top lash line with onyx and the bottom lash line with gunmetal.

And since these liners are waterproof, they're budge and crease proof as well. That deserves a happyface for sure! (People with oily lids should still use primers, but I'm sure you already do, right?)

All the colors mentioned in this post are a part of the Tarte Holiday 2012 Eye Catchers 6-Piece SmolderEYES™ And Skinny SmolderEYES™ Collector's Set, which retails for $39 and is available at Sephora.

………………
Products Used:
Face -
Chantecaille 'Future Skin' Foundation in Camomile
RMS Beauty "Un" Cover Up #22
Paul & Joe Face Powder 001 (from the Holiday Make Up Collection 2012 001 Set)
Korres Cheek Butter in Eros Coral

Eyes -
Tarte SmolderEYES in Gold, Champagne, Gunmetal, and Onyx (from the 6-piece set)
Pop Beauty Peak Performance Mascara in Brilliant Black
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Le Métier de Beauté Eye Crease Brush

Lips-
Korres Lip Butter Glaze in Raspberry

PS: Thank you everyone for the well-wishes in regards to Hurricane Sandy. I am extremely fortunate to be living in a neighborhood that was unscathed by the storm, but there are plenty of New Yorkers who need help. For those who would like to give aid, you can donate $10 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief by texting REDCROSS to 90999 or visiting redcross.org directly.

The products in this post was sent by the company for editorial consideration

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Swatched: Tarte Holiday 2012 Collection Sets

Unless you've been living under a beauty rock, you must have heard of these fantastic Tarte Holiday Sets. From what I've seen and heard, they've been flying off Sephora shelves so fast it's like UD Naked all over again. Looking at them and how little they cost, I totally understand the frenzy. With most of these sets, you're essentially paying a little over the price of one item for multiple products. The best part? Aside from the blush set, they aren't even mini-sized.

A portion of my face has been rather odd lately so I haven't been able to take photos of myself wearing makeup. For now, here are swatches of the three sets I have, in case you were hesitating on your purchase (but seriously, why are you?).

Fantastic Foursome 4-Piece Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Enthusiast Set ($35 for $60 value)

L-R; Angelic, Fantastic, Magic, Stellar

L-R: Stellar, Magic, Fantastic, Angelic

The colors are all exclusive to this set! Angelic is an ivory highlight, Fantastic is a matte cool pink, Magic is a pink-leaning coral, and Stellar is a shimmery light bronzer. Out of the four, Fantastic was slightly chalky (since it's matte) while Stellar required some packing to show up, but I think that's a good thing in a bronzer shade.

5-Piece LipSurgence™ Collector's Set ($34 for $120 value)

L-R: Escape, Enchanted, Exposed, Sweet, Elite

Tarte included three different formulas in this 5-piece set. Escape and Sweet are Lip Lusters (sheerer, more shimmer), Enchanted and Elite are Lip Tints (more pigmented), while Exposed is a Matte Lip Tint. It's fantastic if you've been hankering to try out a variety of Tarte lip offerings without breaking the bank. My only caveat is it's mostly comprised of warm pinks. I would have liked to see a wider color selection, maybe switch two out for a red and a nude.

Eye Catchers 6-Piece SmolderEYES™ And Skinny SmolderEYES™ Collector's Set ($39 for $144 value)

L-R: Ash Violet, Rainforest Black, Champagne, Gunmetal, Gold, Onyx

Again, the colors are exclusive to this set and not available in their regular line. I can't even begin to explain how awesome swatching these liners felt. Gliding butter! Yet they won't budge! Look at those colors! And that black! I mean, that's what I call a black!

I guess it felt like a lot of exclamation points. I think the colors are pretty self-explanatory from the swatches and accompanying names, except Gunmetal, which is a taupey brown and not a steely gray as the name would suggest.

From swatching and some light testing, all the items in these sets hold up to the usual Tarte standard. I've been a longtime fan of their blushes, Exposed being my go-to browned rose, and am happy to rediscover their lip pencils and eye liners. I was once a staunch devotee of SmolderEYES in brown and only put it away because I went back to wearing black liners.

These Tarte sets are available at Sephora and Tarte.com, and I say they're all worth it. Even if you only like one color out of the entire set, you can split them up and give them as Thanksgiving/Hannukah/Christmas/I-Don't-Need-A-Special-Reason gifts. After all, what girl doesn't like receiving makeup?

The products in this post were provided by the company for editorial consideration

Monday, October 15, 2012

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.