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

Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 639 Artifice

If you've been following the launch of the new Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, you'll know that Dior has been firmly insisting that THIS IS NOT A LIPSTICK. That is confusing to me. I don't think anyone trying it for the first time would jump to the conclusion that it is lipstick. Looking at the finish, THIS IS NOT A LIP GLOSS may have been more appropriate, but is it really not a lip gloss?

Dior claims that this is a revolutionary new formula that's a lipstick, gloss and lacquer in one. A lip hybrid, if you will. To me, that is not so different in concept from Le Metiér de Beauté Lip Cremes. These are shinier and easier to wipe off, like... a pigmented gloss.

I would say that these Dior sticks redefine the "statement lip." If you think orange lips are bright and attention-grabbing enough, try watery, shiny orange lips!

I've had Artifice for almost two weeks, but I still haven't made up my mind about the formula. After wearing it a few times, I finally understood what other bloggers have been saying about the stickiness. The fluid goes on watery but becomes sticky after a while – not an intolerable lips-stuck-together kind of sticky, but enough that you can feel a slight heaviness on the lips. With the wealth of amazing lip formulas out there, there really is no excuse for this, especially from a brand like Dior.

Yet.

I really like the finish. I can probably replicate it by putting on orange lipstick and applying a clear gloss over it, but it just doesn't feel the same.

The fluid (I originally typed gloss. Dior, can't we just call a spade a spade?) dries down to a really light stain, which I won't get if I were to execute the lipstick+gloss combo. The below picture was taken after two hours of talking, blotting, ice cream eating, and root beer drinking.

Conclusion: If you don't mind mild stickiness in your lip formulas, the Fluid Sticks would be a fun addition to your vanity. As for me, Artifice fills the orange hole in my lip collection so I'll stick with it, but I probably won't be adding more of these to the cart.

Dior Addict Fluid Stick retails for $35 and is currently exclusively available at Macy's and Dior.com. Update: Nordstrom got it!

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Suqqu Balancing Eyebrow Palette 01 Moss Green
Suqqu Frame Fix Cream Foundation N 102
Le Metiér de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur Concealer Shade 1
Shiseido Sheer Eye Zone Corrector
Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancer in Delicate Pink
NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil 08
Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Pale Barley and Midnight Brown
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Addiction Cheek Polish in Fresh
Chanel Joues Contraste Fleur de Lotus
Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 639 Artifice

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

In Which I Get 'Editorial': Lush Emotional Brilliance

Let me preface this by saying it's entirely unintentional that for both my Lush looks I had a wind machine (or an AC unit blowing in my face) and a glossy eye on (which promptly smudged my mascara like crazy in thirty seconds). I don't quite remember what was going on, but it sounds like I had fun.

L-R: Lush Focus, Wise, Strong

L-R: Strong, Focus, Wise

Some time ago, I was sent three random products from the Lush Emotional Brilliance line to review (so, no. This is not a product of the "pick a color" game). I was glad a lip product was included because to be honest, I have never been sold on a liquid eye product. Even Ellis Faas, whose eyeshadow formula I absolutely adore, gets the back-of-the-drawer treatment in my book. Just because liquid eyeshadows are so tricky.

That said, I'll try anything.

L-R: Wise applied with fingers, Wise applied with brush

The foremost question on my mind when using liquid products is how to blend so they look natural. On my right eye, I tried applying the shadow with the doe foot wand, then finger-blending it. On the left eye, I applied with the Shu Uemura #10 synthetic fiber brush. Perhaps it's my lack of expertise, but the result is as you see in the picture above. To its credit, after the eyeshadow dried it didn't crease or budge at all.

"Wind machine" aside, lips: Cle de Peau Enriched Lip Luminizer #1

On the other hand, I definitely get along with liquid lip products. In fact, I was just searching for an orange-red that was orange enough without actually being orange (think about that a minute) when I received Strong. The formula is lightweight and slick, as in when you first press your lips together it slips around. I had no trouble applying it with the included wand, and in my tests it stays on until you have a giant oily meal. My applicator was a little loose at the base, but it could be that my sample was just defective. The only thing that bothered me was there's a sort of plastic taste and smell to the formula. By no means off-putting since I don't intend to eat my lipstick, but good to note.

Glossy eye courtesy of Le Métier de Beauté Magic Lustre Cream

I'm perhaps one of the last bloggers to be writing about this, but I would like to say that we might all be a little hard on the brand. After all, it is their first cosmetics collection, and as much as I won't be purchasing the eye products, I do believe the liquid lipsticks stand a fighting chance in the current market. It's at a relatively affordable price point and boasts a much wider range compared to its more conservative counterparts (I mean, they have one that's straight up purple), so I definitely think Lush is on to something. 

Lush Emotional Brilliance products retail for $22.95 and can be found at Lush stores or lush.com.

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

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.

China Glaze Fall 2012: On Safari

By now you might have noticed a coherent theme emerging from fall collections: jungles/safaris/places you might wear khaki pants to. China Glaze is no exception to the rule, with On Safari as the title of its fall collection, you can just imagine what kind of colors they proffer.

On Safari consists of ten cremes and two glitters, including:

• Kalahari Kiss: Light sand brown
• I’m Not Lion: Glistening gold and multi-color glitter
• Call of the Wild: Beautiful chocolate brown-dark cherry blend
• Adventure Red-y: Vivid red
• Desert Sun: Delicious caramel
• I Herd That: Brilliant copper glitter 
• Man Hunt: Bold cobalt blue
• Exotic Encounters: Lush green crème with blue undertones
• Elephant Walk: Cool graphite grey
• Jungle Queen: Smoky violet
• Purr-fect Plum: Bold burgundy 
• Prey Tell: Daringly dark red 

On Safari is also available in two 6-piece sets:

• The "Native" Collection: Man Hunt, Exotic Encounters, Elephant Walk, Jungle Queen, Purr-Fect, and Prey Tell
• The "Tourist" Collection: Kalahari Kiss, I'm not Lion, Call of the Wild, Adventure Red-y, Desert Sun, and I Herd That

I received four random pieces from the collection to swatch, so without further ado...

Desert Sun

Desert Sun was a surprise in that I was so sure I couldn't pull it off, but having it on my fingers changed my mind. Who knew a pumpkin shade wouldn't make my fingers look more yellow? 

Purr-Fect Plum

Purr-fect Plum is the quintessential fall shade (I know I said there's a jungle trend, and I don't care what they tell me. I know wine shades will be "in"), which I thought I should own by now – surprisingly, no. The closest I have are varying hues of rose that are not at all close.

L-R: Butter London Toff, China Glaze Purr-Fect Plum, Rescue Beauty Lounge Bruised

Call of the Wild

Call of the Wild looks like the plummer version of Chanel Vertigo.

I'm Not Lion

I was super excited because I received one of the glitters! I'm Not Lion is (I think? Not super sure about nail definitions) a holographic white/silver/pink/green glitter and of course it's my favorite of the bunch.

Everything is a one-coater and I applied it as such to show you it's possible (though if I were doing a real manicure I would still do two). Application was brilliantly easy and even I'm Not Lion was a breeze to remove.

Based on the press release, individual polishes retail for $7, while the 6-piece set retails for $42. However, I recall previous China Glaze polish purchases at a much lower rate, so remember to compare different sites like 8tybeauty, Amazon etc. before you hit the checkout button.

The products in this post were sent by PR for editorial consideration.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Georgia On My Mind Collection: Santa Fe Road and Abiquiu

Just as I was about to throw down the towel and declare a beauty rut, a package arrives on my doorstep to remind me that not every company is bound by "colors of the season." Many of the varied counters in department stores are owned by the same parent company, and the products of the season tend to have the same vibe, so trips to the beauty floor quickly become stale. Ji from Rescue Beauty Lounge works on her own, (dare I say) unpolluted by outside influences. She picks an inspiration and charges on with it, and I absolutely love her for doing so. Her most recent collection is inspired by the artist Georgia O'Keeffe (Ji describes the entire creation process in this blog post). 

Ram's Head White Hollyhock and Little Hills, 1935

There are seven luxurious shades to choose from in the collection, and I purchased all of them (I've gotten into the habit of acquiring full RBL collections during pre-orders). For today, however, I'll show you my two favorites: Abiquiu and Santa Fe Road. Abiquiu is lime green with silver microshimmer, while Santa Fe Road is an apricot orange that sports a denser microshimmer.

direct sunlight

cloudy

A close-up of the microshimmer in Santa Fe Road:

Both polishes apply flawlessly and could very easily be one-coaters. They are $20 each.

Ji just finished shipping out pre-orders and will release the collection to the public soon. The best way to get latest updates on Rescue Beauty Lounge is to follow the brand on their Facebook or Twitter.

Dior Summer Mix Collection Gloss Swatches

During a quick jaunt to Bloomingdale's in New York, I stumbled across a preppy, happy sight. The Dior Summer Mix Collection, which consists of four new nail lacquers and glosses (three new and one repromote), has arrived at the counter, and isn't it one of the most joyful mid-season offering you've ever seen?

L-R: Orange Pareo, Cosmo, Or Sunrise, Calypso, Rouge Crosière, Acapulco, Rose Bikini, Lagoon

L-R: Rose Bikini, Orange Pareo, Rouge Crosière, Or Sunrise

I realized just as I was editing my pictures that the sales associate replaced Calypso and Cosmo with substitutes from the permanent collection, presumably because the two polishes have not arrived at the store yet. I am livid that I was blatantly lied to at the counter – I pointed at the polishes and asked if they were from the Summer Mix collection and she said yes, never indicating that two of them were stand-ins. I purchased only Graphite Berry that day, and though I know it is a fabulous color, I can't help but feel miffed that it came with a huge slice of deception. Needless to say, I won't be visiting that Dior counter again.

L-R: Graphite Berry, Acapulco, unknown shade, Lagoon

That said, I still can't wait for the entire nail collection to hit Dior.com. Now that I've had time to reflect on it, I really like these colors. Amazing swatches are available at Fruity Lashes.

Lipstick Bandits: Summer Brights

The happiest of days are Lipstick Bandit days, and today we are tackling summer brights. It's a topic Larie and I have been raving about since our last post and of course by now I've already blogged about most of my favorite brights of the season (NARS Mexican Rose and Moscow, for example).

But if there's anything to be expected from lipstick, it's that you can never run out of great ones!

My pick is more about formula than color, though it's pretty amazing on that front too. I first tried Shiseido's 'Perfect Rouge' Lipstick line a few weeks ago, and I believe I exclaimed (to myself, because I talk about makeup to myself that way) "why did I wait so long?!" and shook my head laughing. I love getting pleasant surprises. 

L-R: Shiseido Perfect Rouge PK417, OR418

I think the Japanese has lips down pat when it comes to formula. These remind me of Suqqu lipsticks (less creamy) but are infinitely more accessible. It goes on with the feel of a sheer lipstick but is actually opaque and lasts way longer. If there is any consolation to falling asleep with my makeup on, it's knowing that the lipstick I applied six hours before is still completely intact when I wake up (yay involuntary makeup testing!). The formula is scent-free, taste-free, and moisturizing as well. I don't remember the last time I found so much win in one lipstick.

Below I'm showing you the two colors I mysteriously found in my stash. PK417 is a neutral light pink and OR418 is an orange with strong yellow undertone.

PK417

OR418

The best part? Shiseido 'Perfect Rouge' Lipsticks retail for $25, which is not inexpensive by itself, but less of a shocker compared to half the things I rave about.

As usual, the best part of Lipstick Bandit posts is finding out what everyone else picked, so mosey on over:

• Bloomin' Beauty Blog
• Call It Beauty
• Eye Heart It
• Getting Cheeky
• Makeup Morsels
• Musing on Beauty
• My Women Stuff
• Rocaille Writes
• theNotice: a beauty blog‎