Sunday Love: Glasses

After a particularly harrowing weekend (how many of you melted into the sidewalk yesterday?), I am really glad for today since the heat, ladies and gentlemen, has finally broke.

It has been a little over three weeks since I began my blog, but o gods of cliches, it feels just like yesterday that I posted my first cheeky post here. I hope you're having as much fun reading as I am writing!

Today I'd like to thank whoever brought geek chic back to the masses. When I was young, I envied my friends who sported glasses. They looked cool, smart, and I thought, what a way to change how your face looked! I didn't go out of my way to necessitate my needing one, but it happened when I was 18, and I have been rueful about it since. 

Here's why: My father made a song about me when I was a teeny toddler, it went, "your eyes are tiny, your nose is flat, your mouth is huge." (Let me disclaim this by saying it's his way of teasing me, but it did take a lot of years to recover from that self-esteem crush. I still love my dad.) After a long time growing up, my eyes are no longer tiny, and having a huge mouth/thick lips isn't undesirable at this day of age. But my nose is still flat. I have very limited choice when it comes to glasses. I've tried a zillion types of frames with no luck. My greatest love comes in the form of thick plastic frames, but with my bridge-less nose? Forget it! My current ones slide down my oil-slicked nose every two seconds and leave two welts when I push it higher up, but are touted as the only style that would fit me.

The funny thing is even my eyeballs are flatter than average, which means I have a hard time getting contact lenses to fit on them since the plastic would swim around my eyes. 

I've heard plenty of girls complain about not being able to put on eye makeup when they're wearing glasses. Some say their eyelashes hit the lenses (lucky girls), some like my sister just don't see the point.

I say we of the vision-impaired should have fun with it! Glasses help mask imperfections, and give us liberty on how much eye makeup we can pile on (and still look appropriate) during the daytime. Since looking all sexy librarian is cool again, we might as well milk it.

Edit: I forgot to include this earlier. Ulta is offering 20% off your entire online purchase with code 12047. The sale ends Saturday. Have fun!

Mini Contour/Highlight Tutorial with NARS Multiples

I remember a few milestones in my makeup-loving life. The first one was when I was finally satisfied with my way of drawing a natural eye brow (took a couple of years) and the second was when I figured out what contouring entailed. Before that, the word "contouring" itself was so daunting because I didn't know what it meant. I was watching video tutorials of people sweeping bronzers "in the shape of a 3" around the sides of their faces, but I never knew why they were doing what they did, only that they did it to "look better/slimmer." 

It was a long time before I understood that contouring was about mimicking the (most flattering) way light would fall on your face. Since I recently acquired three NARS Multiples in hues that were made for this purpose, I thought it might be helpful if I demonstrated how I've been using them as a cheek contour/highlight. 

Products used:

• Face: Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Shade #2, NARS Multiples in St. Barts (contour), Maui (blush), and Luxor (highlight).

• Eyes: NARS Grand Palais Duo, Chanel Le Crayon Yeux in Berry, Maybelline Volum'Express The Falsies Flared in Very Black

• Lips: NARS Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil or Burberry Lip Mist in Feather Pink

Here's how I look after applying Peau Vierge and shading in my eye brows, just to demonstrate that I really have no color on my face.

To find out where to apply the contour color, suck in your cheeks like in the picture below. Use a stiff brush to pick up the color and apply it in even strokes following the line where your cheeks sink in. 

My best friend calls this the Dory face

Note: I applied it extra dark on the image above to show you approximately where the colors should go. That is not the amount I used.

Your contour should look barely noticeable, like a shadow below your cheekbones. If you find your lines are too harsh, soften it by blending with your finger.

Next, use a finger to dab Maui onto the apples of the cheeks and bring it all the way to your hairline. The placement of the blush color should be right on top of your contour color. Be careful while applying so as to not blend away your existing contour color.

Finally, with a clean finger, dab Luxor onto the top of your cheekbones (generally this will be just above where you placed the blush color) and once again, bring it into the hairline.

The idea of contouring is playing with light and shadow to accentuate your features. That's why you're literally trying to create "light" and "shadow" above and below the cheekbones, to mimic the way light would fall (in the most flattering way) on the face.

Finish up the rest of your face with eyeshadow/liner/mascara and lip color of your choice. 

I applied two very different lip colors just to show you how drastically the color of your lips can affect a look.

Burberry Lip Mist in Feather Pink

NARS Train Bleu Matte Velvet Lip Pencil

I love the stark contrast of the dark lip paired with nude hues.

If you don't own or don't like the Multiples, you can always substitute them with other products in the same color family. Remember to make sure your contour color is not more than one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone.

NARS relaunched their website a few days ago and is offering $20 off any $100 purchase for an unspecified period of time. Head on to www.narscosmetics.com and enter code "NewWebsite" during checkout to receive the discount. You also get to enjoy free shipping on any order, no code required.

NARS Multiples in St. Barts, Maui, Luxor Swatches, Photos, Reviews

Julio broke into a smile when I told him before the start of my NARS makeover that what I really wanted to try were the Multiples. Oh my god, it's my favorite thing, he gushed, every makeup artist has this in his/her kit. After letting him know that no, I didn't like too much shimmer, he whipped out what he called the trifecta: St. Barts, Maui, and Luxor, and I was relieved. I've known about these things for such a long time, I just hadn't been able to pick out the best colors (for me) out of their impressive lineup. The ones he picked were the ones I've put into online carts but never took the plunge. So with that out of the way, we got right down to business.

Luxor - an "iridescent pink"

Maui - a "sheer dusty rose"

St. Barts - a "taupe shimmer"

NARS Multiples ($39) have a pretty unique texture. I know it's a stick of cream, but it doesn't feel like one because it's so lightweight. I should note that I do experience some crumbling if I push them too hard against my skin, but that doesn't impede their performance in any way. Crumbled or not, it's good pigment!

The colors are extremely pliable when on the skin. It will literally move anywhere you lead it to, so you can apply the heaviest strip ever on your cheeks and you'll still be able to blend it out. This is potentially dangerous if you have straying fingers. But mistakes can be fixed with a simple swipe of a tissue. 

L-R: St. Barts, Maui, Luxor

The good thing about the Multiples is they could be as sheer or as pigmented as you like. The trick is to build it up in layers, meaning if you want a more obvious look, apply and blend a few layers instead of placing a slab of cream on your cheeks from the get-go. This is because it's difficult to maintain an even intensity if you're dabbing it bit by bit (imagine leveling sand by poking at it finger by finger). You want to drag your fingers through the cream and slide an even layer around your cheeks, then repeat process till satisfied. I should let you know that NARS meant these to be "sheer color" sticks. If intensity is what you want, there are millions of better products out there more suited for that purpose.

My only beef with the Multiples is I can't call them "long lasting." To their defense, NARS never described them that way, but I'm used to my creams being perspiration buffers that cling on against all odds. If I touch my face when the Multiples are on, the color instantly migrates to my fingers. If it's an intense layer of color on my cheek, you will actually be able to see the offending smear. And while I know, I know, I'm not supposed to touch my face... well, who ever eats the vegetables they're supposed to eat? 

One last thing, NARS Multiples are packaged in smooth, velvety twist-up sticks that pick up fingerprints like your life depends on it.

I don't like the idea that these colors could disappear from my face any second of the day, but I do love the teehee I just giggled finish I get from them. I have absolutely no color on my face, so any product that allows me to fake convincing natural flushes will receive a hearty yes, please. 

NARS Grand Palais Duo Swatches, Photos, Review

Dustin once asked me, if I was given a chance to create a color, what would it be? At that time, I just looked away and muttered something about not being around counters long enough to know what's already in the market. And then I mumbled something about "the perfect rose" but wished I insisted on having a week's notice so as to form a sufficiently sophisticated answer. I mean, what can be more unexciting than a ROSE? 

Many bloggers I read are in love with taupe, which is self-explanatory if you have a tiny inkling of just about how many variations of taupe there are in existence (for information on said taupes, please refer to Pink Sith and Beauty, Bacon, Bunnies). Colors like pink seem mundane in comparison to that all-flattering neutral, just because pink is pink and can really only be pink - brighter or lighter. Veer off the hue a little and it'll start looking like a peach or a coral. In comparison, the very definition of taupe is wedged between gray and brown. This is why it's the cool color, and the color I wish I pledged my life to.

However, as interesting as taupe or any other color might be, I have this thing about finding a perfect rose. I have inexplicable urges to purchase every rose-hued blush I see even though they all look the same. And perhaps it's exactly because they all look the same that I feel like I haven't found my unique rose. But again, how unique can a rose really be? 

As you can see, it's a conundrum.

Anyway, for the reasons above, NARS Grand Palais Duo ($33) is an instant buy for me. 

NARS Grand Palais Duo

NARS Grand Palais Duo

NARS Grand Palais Duo Swatched

I love how the silvery taupe and dusty rose comes together. Above, I placed a light wash of the rose all over my lids and swished the silvery taupe over the full length of my crease. The resulting look is quite natural, and seems to widen my eyes (always a plus to this tiny-eyed blogger). For those wary of pinks, the dustiness within the rose I identify as a tinge of brown makes it more approachable to the lids.  

On a side note, this look was inspired by Pat McGrath's ethereal creations for the Valentino Fall/Winter 2012 Haute Couture runway.

The Grand Palais Duo is everything you would expect from NARS (let's ignore Outremer). It boasts a buttery soft texture and is a clear winner in terms of pigmentation. I can see it becoming a palette I reach for in mornings when my brain splutters like a 30-year-old car, and takes as long to start.


Do you like what I did with my cheeks? I hope you approve, because I have a mini contour/highlight tutorial planned for the end of this week!

NARS Train Bleu Matte Velvet Lip Pencil Swatches, Photos, Review

It hit me when I was painting (penciling?) my lips with the new NARS Train Bleu Matte Velvet Lip Pencil ($24) that it was very much like the coloring exercises of yore, where we were supposed to keep within the lines at all costs. You know how your lines would be in the line, but they wouldn't be exactly right?

NARS Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

A seemingly straight line within a straight line - that sums up the relationship between my lips and Train Bleu. Prior to this, I've never really owned a chubby lip pencil, so I didn't think painting my underlip would be that difficult. I mean, I've grown up a fair bit since the age of five...

Apparently, age doesn't reflect coloring ability. What you see above is the result of a lot of wiping and outlining with a concealer brush, and even then I wasn't entirely happy with the results. 

My lips are naturally on the dry side, which might explain the patchiness you see around the center of my lips. I believe with proper exfoliation and ample hydration, it would look much better. However, I don't think a perfectly even application is possible, since our lips have texture and the color tends to accumulate in the lines. While I advocate a good dose of lip balm before applying lip products, I wouldn't suggest a heavy hand when it comes to Train Bleu. Even with a drier surface, the color slips around the lips. I shudder to think how it'll react to a greased surface.

I should also note it took two layers of application to achieve this intensity. I couldn't leave it at one layer because it looked uneven on me.

While most matte formulas tend to exacerbate my dehydrated lips, I've had considerable success with the items from the NARS line. While I'm not fond of the Pure Matte Lipsticks and Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, I do think they're the best out of all the matte formulas I've ever tried. I'm hanging on to Train Bleu because I don't have a similar color lying around my makeup drawer, but I'm still not entirely convinced that I should.

Tip: When removing the lip color, remember to stretch your lips to get to the color that has sunken into your lip lines.

Dior Tuxedo Nail Polish Swatches, Photos, Reviews

While I consider it a great fortune to be able to grow up as a trilingual child, it does create some holes in my education. Apart from the language classes, my grade school education was in Mandarin Chinese, whereas my middle/high school education was primarily in Malay. My grip on knowledge is jumbled up between three languages. For example, I know all nine (well, now eight) planets in our solar system, but only when I recite it in Mandarin; I perform simple math in Mandarin and can only tackle more complex questions when it's communicated to me in Malay.

When I first looked at Tuxedo ($21) from the Dior Blue Tie 2011 Collection, I wasn't sure how to describe it. I didn't settle with Midnight Blue because there seemed to be a hint of purple glinting out of  Tuxedo. I remember the colors of the rainbow in Mandarin, but the word for indigo (靛, pronounced dian) never made much sense to me, so it didn't occur to me till much later that the color between blue and purple would be the best word to describe Tuxedo. (Yes, I do frequently ignore the existence of the sixth color of the rainbow.)

Unfortunately, I couldn't catch said hints of purple on camera. All we're left with is this Midnight Blue-looking polish. I urge you to view the pictures below with purple-tinted vision.

Indoors

Indoors with more light

Outdoors, under direct sunlight

Outdoors, shaded

In these photos, I applied Tuxedo over Rescue Beauty Lounge's prep and base coat, and finished it with their top coat. 

I'm not fond of Dior brushes because I found it too large to maneuver around the edges of the fingernails. That said, I had no problems with the formula. It was just the right thickness and applied smooth, but required two coats to achieve full opacity. I wore it into the fifth day with minimal tip wear.

I've read a few posts on Dior Tuxedo and most of them report it as a Midnight Blue, no questions asked. Perhaps my bottle just rolls differently, or my eyesight enjoys deceiving me, but I really see more of an indigo, even in the bottle itself. It's a pity my cameras couldn't catch that hint of purple in there. Either way, I do think it's a beautiful polish and worth adding to your collection - if you don't already own a plethora of dark blue hues.

Sunday Love

Central Park, June 26

I thought I'd take this Sunday to give thanks to everyone for the amazing support I've received since first posting on Messy Wands. Throughout the week I've been overwhelmed by the many kind comments from readers and links from the bloggers I've been reading and admiring for so long. To say I am blown out of my mind is an understatement. Without further ado, my gratitude goes to:

• Perilously Pale who's my first tweeter, first follower and first person ever to put me on a blog roll! (you took all the firsts xo) 
• Hopelessly Devoted To Makeup for placing me on her blog roll and retweeting my posts, as well as always accompanying me on my 3 a.m. nights.
• Karla Sugar for featuring my first ever post on her Facebook page and blog roundup of the week, and  letting me carry her AstroTurf for her in exchange for a place to stay if I ever visit Dallas.
• Getting Cheeky for so many kind words and featuring Messy Wands on her blog, as well as tweeting about it!
• Cafe Makeup for including me in her Fall 2011 Collections list, an amazing resource for those curious to know what will be arriving at counters in the next couple of months (and start saving for it).
• The Beauty Look Book for linking me this past weekend as one of her fav reads of the week (I fainted!).
• Pink Sith for including Messy Wands in her link love and retweeting my posts.
• @metierbeaute for retweeting and featuring my posts on the Le Metier de Beaute Facebook page.
• @glowyjoeybunny for retweeting my posts and being an all round sweetheart.

I also thank you, dear readers, for every kind word you've said about me (and every bad word you withheld from saying to me). I burst into ridiculous grins throughout the day when I read a new comment, so much so that I have to keep my eyes on the ground when I'm walking on the road in case the person walking towards me freaks out and go "dude, why's this random girl baring all her teeth at me?!"

Now, let's go thank our makeup brushes by giving them a good massage! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.