What Works For Others May Not Work For You

Case in point: I attempted to re-enact what I think of as the typical Asian smokey eye, where basically you rim your top lash line and 1/3 of your bottom waterline with black liner, add a ton of highlight in the inner corner and extend it to the edge of that 1/3 of black line. Color on lids optional. I used Le Métier de Beauté Nouvelle Vague, which has basically become my to-go eye palette for anything that involves black shadow. I swear that shade alone may be worth the $95 for the entire kit. On a side note, I love how frequent use changes my perception of a product. For reference, see my previous thoughts on the palette here.

Two things happened:
1. The tear duct-ish area of my right eye decided it refused to accept black liner of any form (when powder failed I tried liquid and cream. Nope) and I'm hoping it's a freak protest or my right eye and I will have words
2. I realized that even though this makeup is eye-widening and flattering on most Asian eyes, it's somehow just ill-suited to my face. I'm not saying it's ugly, it's just not the best thing I've seen on me.

The moral of the story, which I have already given away in my catchy post titling (!), is what works for a lot of other people may not work for you, but that's alright. You can figure out what does instead. After all, sometimes it's equally important to know what doesn't work.

The bonus I got out of this experiment is the really pretty lip that basically reaffirmed my love for Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipsticks and Le Métier de Beauté Creme de la Creme. Not that they needed any, of course.

Products Used:
Shu Uemura Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown
Le Métier de Beauté Nouvelle Vague Eye Kit
Annabelle Le Big Show Mascara
RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-Up #22
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
Benefit Dandelion
Suqqu Creamy Glow Lipstick 05 Suzumecha
Le Métier de Beauté Creme de la Creme Lip Creme

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.

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

Be Right Back

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.

Eyebrow Tutorial, Redux

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


1. Draw on Brows

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.

Let's Talk About That Thing We're Not Supposed To Talk About

not gonna lie. I miss my long hair sometimes

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.

Skincare of the Moment

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.