Date Nights and the Makeup that Goes With It

Welp, a month since my last post has dazzled by. I've been a software engineer (!) a little over three months now, and I'm happy to report that I no longer feel the crushing imposter syndrome and anxiety I felt when I first started. I'm grateful for the many women who've paved the way before me in this industry and having the chance to participate in clubs like Women in CS, because hearing their stories made me realize that my feelings were normal, even expected, and completely self-imposed. In an Instagram post written three months ago, I wrote: "posting this as a reminder to my future self that we all start somewhere and felt hopeless once upon a time, but it’ll get better." I'm glad even as I was in the throes of doubting myself, I knew I could wait it out.

I'm pleased to report that my absence from writing was due to an incredible month of catching up with dear friends (all of whom lament the lack of time time time) and meeting (hopefully) new ones. They say it's difficult to make new friends in your 30s, but that's also the age they say you stop changing, and I refuse any notion that limits me from living the life I want. As luck had it, sometime in the past month I found myself in a four hour conversation with a couple I just met, which only ended because a) the restaurant was closing and b) we all had to wake up at a reasonable hour for work the next day. It felt like a really good first date, a feeling that's elusive to find in couple friends — it always seems like you get along better with one person, not both equally — and you bet I'm going to hit them up for a next hangout.

Speaking of dates, here's a serious throwback in more ways than one: a look I wore to a date night a few weeks ago featuring mostly old school classics (permanent products! taupe!) and some strong deer in headlights cheekbone action. After all, some things do stay the same.



Products Used (clockwise):
Chanel Joues Contraste in Rose Initiale (I love that Chanel.com has free shipping for all orders)
Chanel Les Beiges Fresh Water Tint in Medium Light
Suqqu Retouch Pressed Powder in Porcelain
Burberry Eyeshadows in Trench, Rosewood and Midnight Brown
Rouge Bunny Rouge Succulence of Dew Sheer Lipstick in Perfume of His Gaze
Cle de Peau Luminizing Face Enhancer in Delicate Pink
Not pictured:
Guerlain Multi-Perfecting Concealer in Medium Cool
THREE Mesmerizing Performance Eyeliner Pencil 10
Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara



I'm possibly the last person to get to the Chanel Fresh Water Tints. The hype does not disappoint. I love that it feels like water and gives just a hint of coverage. It's enough if you have pretty good skin and all you want is a little rounding out, a tone down of the redness around the nose and cheeks. Spot conceal where needed — ever since I stopped using hormonal birth control I've started getting breakouts on my face again. /lament



Burberry Trench as base, Rosewood all over lids, Midnight Brown on outer edges and lower lash line. Nice thick eyeliner to give the appearance of ample eyelashes, swipe of mascara to create said eyelashes. I smudged the edges of the eyeliner just a smidge for a more natural look.



Blush above the hollow of cheekbones, highlight atop. Don't forget the middle of the nose, above the cupid's bow, inner corners of eyes. Lipstick and done!

Butterfly Makeup Tutorial Inspired by Lisa Eldridge

Two events inspired today's post: 1) Suffering from an unexplained case of milia and breakouts and need a pick-me-up, 2) Watched Lisa Eldridge's butterfly makeup tutorial. I happened to have similar products at home to recreate the look, so here we go.

I briefly considered cleaning the pans up before taking this photo, but that's just not how real life looks.
Items: Addiction Brown Toast Cheek Mix, Addiction Mustard Tree Eyeshadow (see here for swatches), Chanel Rose Initiate Blush, Shu Uemura Brow:Sword, Tatcha Cherry Blossom Lip Pencil, Tatcha Cherry Blossom Lip Balm, Suqqu Blending Brush, Shu Uemura 8HR

I apologize in advance since most of the items pictured above are limited edition or discontinued, but I'm sure it's not too difficult to find similar shades in the current beauty ecosystem. Case in point: a casual Sephora browse led me to this Natasha Denona palette, which pretty much has all the shades one might need. Other than the yellow shadow, you could also probably search your stash for a blush or bronzer that might fit the bill.



I followed Lisa's tutorial pretty closely. First, I used Addiction Mustard Tree all over my eyelids, washing it out past the crease. I also placed it on my lower lash line. Then, I applied the orange part of Brown Toast Cheek Mix on my inner and outer lids with a small blending brush, being careful to leave a swath of yellow in the center of the lid. Finally, I used the tip of the brush to apply Chanel Rose Initiale to the inner corners of my eyes and the outer edges of the bottom lash line.

If any of the above terminology confuses you, Temptalia's impeccable eyeshadow placement guide is a good place to start.

Unblended

After placing the shadow, remember to blend it out! I didn't realize how stark mine was until I took the photo above. Compare it to the one below, which was taken after I used a clean blending brush to smooth out the edges. One is more polished than the other.

Blended

Lisa didn't use eyeliner for this look, opting only to enhance the model's eyelashes. I am not genetically blessed in that area, so I tightlined with black eyeliner before applying two coats of mascara. Couldn't get my eyelashes on both eyes to look the same (lopsided eye woes), but again, that's just real life so I'm okay with it!

I also darkened my fading microbladed brows with some eyebrow pencil because I preferred a stronger contrast with this look.



After that, some concealing under the eyes and lightweight foundation to even out the skin. I highlighted the tops of my cheekbones and nose as usual, and applied Chanel Rose Initiale Blush on my cheeks. Like Lisa, I placed it a little higher than usual and used a big fluffy brush for a more diffused look. To finish, I lined my lips with a pinkish nude pencil and topped it off with a balm for comfort.

This look was SUPER fun to create and timely since I paired it with a day trip to Hudson to take in the fall foliage. Coupled with the other look I created with my new THREE goodies, you basically know how I'm going to look this fall.

Products used in this post:
Shu Uemura Brow:Sword in Seal Brown
Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Intense in Medium Pink
Guerlain Multi-Perfecting Concealer in Medium Cool
Addiction Brown Toast Cheek Mix
Addiction Mustard Tree Eyeshadow
Chanel Rose Initiale Blush
THREE Mesmerizing Performance Eyeliner Pencil 10
Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara
Glossier Haloscope in Quartz (you can get $10 off as a new customer with this referral link)
Tatcha Cherry Blossom Lip Pencil
Tatcha Cherry Blossom Lip Balm

A Fall Look with THREE and Suqqu

A brief interlude between cataloguing my shopping excesses to show you a look created with the products from Taiwan shopping part 1.



Repeat of the photo of the products for good measure:



The colors from top left to bottom right are: a shimmering pale gold, an auburn cream, a matte brown, a light barley. All of them pull warm. In the picture above, I used the palette traditionally. Started with a wash of the auburn all over the lids and the bottom lash line, then I targeted the pale gold on the inner lid and the matte brown on the outer lid. I blended them into each other using a fluffy brush. With my ring finger, I dabbed the lightest bit of the barley on the inner corners of my eye. To finish off, I tightlined my eyes using my favorite Suqqu eyeliner and applied a coat of mascara.

I placed the Suqqu blush in Usumoya higher up on my cheeks than usual (apparently the placement trick that's all the rage in Taiwan right now) and blended it to the sides. Lips are one coat of the Lyrical Lip Bloom 16 featured above. It has a smooth but not overtly silicone-y texture. Unfortunately, I realized belatedly that it catches on dry skin, so as much as I love how it looks when applied, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with dry lips.

These colors are getting me excited for fall! Bring on the foliage!

Products used in this post:
Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Intense in Medium Pink
Guerlain Multi-Perfecting Concealer in Medium Cool
THREE Dimensional Vision Eye Palette 03
THREE Mesmerizing Performance Eyeliner Pencil 10
Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara
Suqqu Pure Color Blush 10 Usumoya
Glossier Haloscope in Quartz (you can get $10 off as a new customer with this link)
THREE Lyrical Lip Bloom 16

Editorial: Copper+Blue

The title of this post could have been a lot of things. I briefly entertained:

How To Make Your Lips Look Three Times Larger Than Usual
I Didn't Know They Make Foundations Like This Now
The Tale of Two Clavicles
Erghfghgfgh Make Up!

But I suppose Copper+Blue will suffice. I have to thank Larie for assigning me homework yesterday and breaking me out of my makeup rut. I've been doing the simple brows/lashes/blush routine for the past two weeks and almost forgot what a good amount of color could do to my face.

Sung Hee in Elle Vietnam, September 2012 (source)

For the record, the above picture was the inspiration. Below is what I cobbled up.

I took one hour to recreate what seemed like a really simple look. There was a lot of prep and tweaking involved on my part. I wanted the lips to look like hers and I underestimated the amount of gloss needed. I also needed my skin to be absolutely smooth sans Photoshop. Those things take time, yo.

Anyway, first I applied a thin layer of Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation in 78 Beige all over my face, blending it into the neck (my lines are deep and permanent, can't mask that). I've only used this foundation twice and so far I'm still in shock. I didn't know foundation could do this to skin! When I first had it on I wasn't used to it because I looked airbrushed. Best of all, the texture is so liquid-y and lightweight that I can't even feel it on my skin. It covered redness and evened out my skintone. I only had to add a dab of RMS "Un" Cover-Up #22 around my under eye area for, dare I say, flawless skin.

To sculpt the cheeks, I swept on Chanel Brume d'Or in a sideways triangle.

After prepping the skin, I sketched in thick eyebrows with a pronounced arch with my Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil. I used Le Métier de Beauté Champagne Dualistic Eye Pencil as an eye base, then layered True Color Eyeshadow in Jojo, Spicy, and Tuscan Sunset respectively over it. To emulate the gleam on Sung Hee's lids, I applied Sugar to the center of my eyelid. I highlighted under my brows with Revive Eye Brightening and Setting Powder.

I didn't have that beautiful green in my arsenal (of course, now I have to find one just like it) so I substituted it with the blue in the Oscar de la Renta Kaleidoscope Eye Kit. I applied Noir Precision Liquid Liner closely on the lash line and waterline, and finished with a big swipe of Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara.

For lips, I swiped on Guerlain Rouge G Guerlinade and topped it with Le Métier de Beauté Vanilla Rose then a thick layer of Creme de la Creme applied with a lip brush. It doesn't look much in the close-ups (in fact, shudder at those lip lines!), but my lips looked three times plumper from afar.

I really should do this when I go out sometime. It's sort of a pity (and a waste of perfectly good makeup) that I wear almost nothing when I step out of my house.

At any rate, happy weekend to all!

Products Used:
Face -
Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation in 78 Beige
RMS "Un" Cover-Up #22
Chanel Brume d'Or

Eyes -
Shu Uemura Mechanical Brow Pencil in Seal Brown
Le Métier de Beauté Champagne Dualistic Eye Pencil
Le Métier de Beauté True Color Eyeshadow in Jojo, Spicy, Tuscan Sunset, and Sugar
Le Métier de Beauté Oscar de la Renta Kaleidoscope Eye Kit
Le Métier de Beauté Revive Eye Brightening and Setting Powder
Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liner in Noir
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara

Lips -
Guerlain Rouge G Guerlinade
Le Métier de Beauté Lip Crème in Vanilla Rose and Creme de la Creme

Le Métier de Beauté Spring 2012: Northern Lights (The Auroras) Kaleidoscope Eye Kit

Le Métier de Beauté's spring collection has finally hit counters! This is the last of my spring wants, and now that I have it I can move on to obsessing over summer (have you seen Dior? Guerlain? NARS? Ugh, so pretty). 

The Le Métier de Beauté Northern Lights (The Auroras) Kaleidoscope Eye Kit feels different compared to all the others I own. I won't say it's less pigmented (just take a look at the hand swatch below), but it does produce a more subtle effect on the eyes compared to previous kits. Since the Le Métier spring lip features a bolder shade of pink, I think Northern Lights is made to be worn hand in hand with the Aurora Lip Kit.

L-R: Ionic, Sky, Magnetic, Equinox, all four shades blended together

I'm sure most of you are tired of hearing me rave about the brand, so I won't add any spluttering exultations to this review. The textures, colors, formula, and lasting power of the shadows are on par with previous releases, so if these are colors you think you'll wear, I say go for it! 

For those interested (this was the look featured on St. Patrick's Day), here is the bevy of products I used to create the look in this post:

• Skin: Chantecaille 'Just Skin' Tinted Moisturizer in Nude, Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Shade 2, Cle de Peau Concealer in Ochre, Guerlain Cruel Gardenia, Le Métier de Beauté Classic Flawless Finish Loose Powder 1
• Eyes: Le Métier de Beauté Northern Lights Eye Kit, Le Métier de Beauté Noir Precision Eye Liner, Guerlain Noir G Mascara, Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow 01 Moss Green
• Cheeks: Burberry Earthy Blush, Burberry Cameo Blush, Bobbi Brown Rose Gold Shimmer Brick Compact, Guerlain Terracotta Blush 02 Sunny Pink
• Lips: Le Métier de Beauté Rouge Lip Liner, Le Métier de Beauté Aurora Lip Kit

I mixed a pump of Peau Vierge with Chantecaille 'Just Skin' to add radiance to the skin. Using Guerlain Cruel Gardenia, I highlighted the area above my cheekbones, down the nose, and above my cupid's bow. Finally, I set with loose powder. 

I applied all four shades of Northern Lights on my eyes using the company's signature couches de couleurs method (explained here), and added more of Equinox on the crease for definition. I then lined my eyes with liquid liner, and layered a generous amount of mascara on my lashes. 

The cheeks are a little complicated, and I don't know why I did what I did (I'm sure there is a simpler way to create the same effect), but I like how it turned out. First, I contoured below the cheeks and along the jaw line with Burberry Earthy Blush, then  I applied Guerlain Cruel Gardenia on my cheeks and patted Burberry Cameo Blush over it. I topped that off with Guerlain Sunny Pink Terracotta Blush, and went over everything with Bobbi Brown Rose Gold Shimmer Brick. It's more products than I think was necessary (though they really didn't weigh a thing), but my cheeks were glowing all night long.

Le Métier de Beauté Northern Lights (The Auroras) Kaleidoscope Eye Kit retails for $95 and is available at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. As usual, if you don't have a counter near you, please do not hesitate to contact Dustin Lujan of Bergdorf's at 212-872-8612 and tell him I sent you. Everything from the spring collection is limited edition, so don't wait too long!

Tutorial: Neutral Sculpted Look

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but when I was younger I used to be very self-conscious about my uneven lids. Oh, the tons of pictures I now regret deleting, just because at that time I couldn't bear my "hideous" eyes. I've largely made peace with it. I know I can't change that part of myself, and frankly, not many people notice until I point it out anyway.

But because of that, I don't do what I call "Asian makeup" very often. I prefer looks that give me more drama on the eyes, just because that would allow me to even out my eyes a little. Well, last week I threw on an outfit that felt very Japanese/Taiwanese (I'm abusing stereotypes in this post. Forgive me) and I thought I should have the makeup to go with it. It was a first for me, going for such a clean look, but guess what, it's now stored under my list of favorites waiting to be reused.

For a supposedly simple look, there are a lot of products and steps involved. I have the tendency to complicate simple things, so my apologies. Below is the breakdown for each part:

Hair

I combed my hair pin straight instead of leaving it as the scrunched up messiness you usually see on here. You're looking (perhaps for the first time) at my hair as it naturally is.

Skin

I wanted the skin to look flawless and glowy (let's ignore the dry bits. It's winter). I've been obsessed with dewy skin recently, and have always been curious about how to achieve it without becoming an oil mess within an hour. I think I just might have gotten it.

I started by prepping the skin with Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer, then applied a pump of Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base all over the skin. Next, I swept a light pink highlighter all over the face (Guerlain Cruel Gardenia), and only then I applied Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge #2 as my foundation. Finally, I used a finishing powder to seal everything in. It is important to avoid mattifying powders because well, that defies the entire purpose. My loose powder of choice is Le Métier de Beauté Classic Flawless Finish Loose Powder #1 (which incidentally, has been discontinued by the company. If it is your HG, stock up while it lasts). Best thing is, all of these products were so lightweight I hardly felt anything on my skin (that's five layers we're talking about). It definitely felt like a rock star after such attention.  

Eyes

Shade in your eyebrows following your natural shape. 

I used a pearly white shade as an all-over lid wash (I used Bobbi Brown Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Opal 13), then lined my eyes with the tiniest flick of wings with MAC Fluidline in Midnight Blues and Le Métier de Beauté Precision Eye Liner in Noir. If you look closely at the second picture you can see the blue underneath the black. I used the remnants of blue ink on my brush to line my bottom lash line one-third of the way, then used Le Métier de Beauté Sugar to highlight the inner corners as well as the rest of the bottom lash line to give the appearance of wider eyes. 

Lashes were courtesy of Guerlain Noir G Mascara, the best curling, separating, lengthening, potentially volumizing mascara I've used in my life. 

Cheeks

I contoured my cheeks using Burberry Light Glow in Earthy Blush No. 07 and created the faintest of flushes with Le Métier de Beauté Romeo and Juliet Blushing Bronze Duet. 

Lips

I went for a semi-matte pink (think natural looking) shade, courtesy of Paul and Joe Lipstick C in 076 Meow!

And done! I hope you enjoyed my sudden tutorial. If you are inspired to recreate the look, please share it with us via Facebook. I would love to see it!

Nude Lip Combo: Guerlain Rouge Automatique #103 and Le Métier de Beauté Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

These pictures make me want to cry. My skin does not look like that anymore. Especially now, just emerging out of the cave I lived in to write my final papers, a quick inspection shows new acne scars, enlarged pores, ingrown brow hairs (!!), a pimple or three around my face. It's the beauty blogger equivalent of falling from grace. Perhaps skincare posts should ensue?

Anyway, while I fix up my face, I thought I would share my favorite fool-proof nude lip combo: Guerlain Rouge Automatique #103 topped with Le Métier de Beauté Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss. While many cite daring reds as their go-to special occasion lip, I prefer mine to be non fuss and impossible to screw up. I worry too much while wearing reds to really have a good time!

An oversight: I just realized I don't have any photos of Rouge Automatique #103 in my folder. If anyone wants a swatch, let me know and I'll try to do it soon.

Le Metier de Beaute Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

Rouge Automatique #103

Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

Rouge Automatique #103 and Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

Rouge Automatique #103 and Bondi Beach Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss

There aren't many makeup items I will repurchase if I lose or finish them, but RA #103 and Bondi Beach are two that I will run out and buy as soon as I don't have one in my reach. You cannot imagine how grateful I am that they're both permanent items.

If memory serves me, I packed Burberry Taupe Brown eyeshadow on my eyes, then dabbed a little of  Armani Eyes To Kill Intense #14 at the center of the lid. Cheeks are courtesy of Chanel Tempting Beige, one of my all time favorite blushes!