Messy Wands is temporarily on hold because of a surprise family visit (happiness!). While I play tour guide showing some of my favorite sights to a couple of my favorite people in the world, here's a peek at one of Bergdorf's famed holiday windows. I also promise to have one of those Life in NYC posts up in the coming weeks.
We will be back to regularly scheduled beauty rambling later in the week. Oh and trust me, the next post is going to be long.
First of all, thank you everyone who left me comments, tweets, and Facebook messages after my post on Tuesday. I did not expect to receive such an amazing outpouring of support and by the end of the day I was bursting with ideas and inspiration. I was so so happy reading your feedback. I can never thank you enough.
Back to business! I've always regarded eyebrows as the most important feature of the face (compare left and right of above picture). It frames and completes the face. If I had only one minute to do my makeup, I'll choose to only do my eyebrows. The unfortunate thing about my face is I barely have any, so it's up to me to fake one from (almost) scratch.
I actually wrote a brow tutorial ages ago, but have been wanting to update it for the longest time. I couldn't bear to link to it anymore because of how terrible my brows looked in those pictures (bat wings!) and I've learned new tricks through time and constant practice. For those who have not seen it, feel free to head over for a look – the basic idea of where the brows should start, arch, and end is the same, but come back to this post after for the fine-tuning.
Many of you already know this but I suppose it's worth repeating – I embrace the reality that is imperfection so I have a no Photoshop policy on Messy Wands. The only thing I change is color values to make it as close to "true" color as can be. I apologize in advance if the blemishes on my skin are distracting. Alright. On to the good stuff!
Things You Need
Grab your tool of choice (I use Shu Uemura's Retractable Brow Pencil in Seal Brown) be it pencil or powder and fill in your eyebrows following its natural shape. Remember to shade gently – it's much easier to add color than to take it away.
Tip: I tweeze my eyebrows after filling them in so I know what hairs to pull out.
I used to think this was enough but clearly not. It looks presentable but not refined.
2. The Two-Finger Guide
I am forever indebted to my Shu Uemura brow specialist for giving me this tip. She told me eyebrows should be roughly two fingers apart from each other. As you can see above, my measly brow hair growth is not an adequate guideline, so I place two fingers at the center of my face to gauge and shade the brows closer to each other.
Thing is, I'm just winging it while I draw both sides closer to each other. To make sure it's centered, I align my finger to the center of my nose, measure the distance of both brows against it, and adjust accordingly.
Tip: Brows are not square. Always remember to slightly round out the edges. Unless you're going for a specific look, of course.
3. Make It Look Natural
Not that I'm against dark, bold brows or anything, but to me they don't look natural. Finish up by running a spoolie (I use MAC's) through your lashes and following its natural direction, as demonstrated in the photo above. I also spool the front more because that's where we have the least hair and it should look that way.
Sometimes your spoolie may take away some pigment but that's okay. Just gently fill in the holes with your pencil/powder.
And that's it! It's very easy to manipulate your brow shape. Just add (or remove?) a little below and above the existing hair line and you'll quickly notice the difference. I personally prefer thicker brows because I find it frames the face better.
After three years of struggling, I'm finally happy with how I fill in my brows. I hope this tutorial comes in handy for you!
Also, because I know someone will ask, the nail color is RGB Copper.
There comes a time in every blogger's life when inspiration is a little lacking. It has been for a while, and we should talk about it because I value the Messy Wands community feedback. Holiday collections have been well covered by now and since I've moved to New York, I was made aware (and feel horrified about) the sheer amount of products I actually own. Because of that, I've been purchasing significantly less than I did a year ago, so new material is not something I consistently have anymore. On the flip side, my personal conscience and finances have been way better because of my newfound sensibilities.
That said, new products are the unofficial backbone of a successful makeup review blog. There are only so many times you can talk about the same lipstick or eyeshadow without repeating yourself, like how I can barely talk about Le Métier de Beauté products anymore because I can link to a dozen posts that share my sentiments clearly. As for the new stuff, let's just say something has to really blow my socks off for $95.
I'm saying this because I am quite stuck, dear readers. I would love to still consistently put up new content, but I would like to hear what you'd like to read about if it's not about new product/reviews. Makeup inspiration posts? Specific makeup tutorials? Skincare reviews? I would appreciate it if you give me suggestions or let me know what you've truly enjoyed reading throughout your time at Messy Wands, and I'm sure inspiration will hit again.
Also, I don't say this often enough but thank you to all of you for reading! I read every comment and love getting emails from readers. It floors me that you want and trust my opinion about beauty products and like the makeup looks that I messily cobble up. When I started the blog I steeled and prepared myself for hate because I know of so many of the nicest bloggers and friends who have been cyber-bullied for no reason whatsoever, but I am fortunate that I have not had to deal with this. Even people who disagree with me do so respectfully, and I have never felt more blessed that I am part of this community.
Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you'll continue to visit Messy Wands as I figure out the direction of this blog.
Now that I've reached the end of my Tatcha skincare (sob), I've had to dig around my stash to find replacements. A few products that are in my current rotation:
Natura Bisse Tolerance Toner – Smells wonderful. I don't actually know if it is "skin fortifying" because my skin doesn't really have that concern yet, but I love the extra burst of moisture it delivers anyway. When this runs out I may try another NB toner.
Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist – Sometimes I use this in lieu of the toner. For my original review, see here.
Guerlain Super Aqua-Serum – I've had this bottle for so long. If you look now, the company has actually reformulated and repackaged this line. The serum is pretty awesome. I apply this religiously over my face, concentrating on my nose so as to avoid dry, peeling skin. It's worked!
Paul & Joe Moisture Lotion N – I used to believe having sufficient moisture requires thick creams and this little lightweight lotion has proven me wrong. A little goes a long way since it's so watery, but I love how it feels on the skin afterward.
Diorsnow White Reveal Moisturizing UV Protection – (imagine Chandler from Friends) Can these product names BE any longer? This is my staple, though I may switch it when I run out because I realized this contains Octinoxate and I would like a 100% mineral sunscreen. I don't know if it matters, but this contains 19% Zinc Oxide. The ones I usually find are usually 5-10%. Does this mean it's more effective? I would love to hear opinions on this!
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate – I apply this on my neck, but on lazy nights/days I want a simpler routine I just use this as an all over face oil. Love the lavender scent.
Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment – Very emollient lip balm. I don't know if it helps with lip lines, but my lips definitely feel very soft the day after. Unfortunately, I do find Fresh lip balms can get a little too soft. One of my tubes broke from the base mid-use, but I managed to put it back in and resume usage.
Haus of Gloi Aether Pumpkin Butter – I have to thank Kate for introducing this in one of her skincare posts. It's a pleasure to find new gems and this pot is basically a diamond mine of the best skin ever. My legs are so smooth I can't stop touching it. I'm going to order this in bulk when this pot is done, skincare ban be damned.
Ambre Extra Nourishing Body Moisturiser – I'm starting to realize I should go full indie on body care products because this little bottle of oil does wonders for dry, cracked skin. I could use it all over, but I usually apply this to my poor feet and it soothes cracks, dried cuticles, and turns something that resembles chicken feet into well, a human's.
Full disclosure: This entry contains sample products sent by PR or the manufacturer for editorial consideration.
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.
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!
A few days ago I visited Dustin, who's currently holding fort at the John Barrett Salon. Along with the Marchesa illuminator (which I have been lemming since I found and swatched an old tester in March), he introduced me to a couple of salon exclusives. I didn't swatch the kaleidoscope kit, which consists of two light neutral eyeshadows, Echo blush, and a nude pink crème, because frankly, it's really staid and not what I believe any of us would pay $95 for. I did, however, snap a picture of the Barrett Beauty Lip Crème.
At first glance I believed it similar to Ginger Snap and in many ways it is. Barrett Beauty features a sheer peachy-pink base with multidimensional shimmer (the picture above is a heavy swatch), and the only difference I could discern is that Ginger Snap leans warmer and its shimmer less various. This one didn't blow my mind, but nonetheless it looks very pretty on, and sometimes that's all you need from a lip gloss.
If you would like to order one, you can contact Dustin at 212.872.2714.
I unearthed my Guerlain Les Gris Eyeshadow Quad from a recent rummage through forgotten drawers and decided to put it to good use. I reimagined one of my all-time favorite pictures on Messy Wands, resulting in the makeup from the recent Dolce & Gabbana lipstick post. Below is the low-down on how to achieve the look.
I primed my eyelids using Le Métier de Beauté x Marchesa Sheer Illumination Brightener (at time of writing, still available at John Barrett Salon!), also applying some to the tops of my cheekbones. I applied the lightest shade from Guerlain Les Gris all over the lid, then patted on the shimmery light gray over three-fourths of the lid. I smoked out the corners with the dark blue-gray shade and added slight definition to the outer-v with the matte gray. I lined my eyes as close as possible to the upper lash line with a black liner and applied a smidgen of the shimmery gray on the lower lash line. Some mascara, and voila.
For cheeks, I contoured under the cheekbones with Chanel Notorious and lightly applied blush to the apples with Benefit Dandelion.
The lips, as mentioned, is Dolce & Gabbana Ultra, lined with Le Métier de Beauté Rose Dualistic Lip Pencil.
I do not actually think Chanel Dragon Vernis is the best polish to go with this lip color, but I just wanted to illustrate how blue D&G Ultra is as a red lipstick that it makes the very blue Dragon look warm.
It's funny how the shorter my hair is, the more makeup I can wear without looking like a total clown. In case the amount of color on your face bothers you though, you could always throw on a pair of glasses. (Feeble hurrah) as this is the only time we of the bespectacled bunch has the upper hand.
Products Used:
Face -
Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation in Camomile
Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Correcteur in Light/Medium
Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks
Benefit Dandelion
Eyes -
Le Métier de Beauté x Marchesa Sheer Illumination Brightener ($48, contact Dustin at 212.872.2714)
Guerlain 'Ecrin 4 Couleurs' Les Gris Eyeshadow Palette
THREE Flash Performance Eyeliner Pencil in Eye on 08
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Lips -
Le Métier de Beauté Dualistic Lip Pencil in Rose
Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick in Ultra #190
