Day 43 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Bright Coverage! Today’s makeup was all about covering up skin irritation. Before I even begin my instructions on how I did my makeup today, I have to share my horrible experience that preceded my makeup application. I obtained a sample of a face mask, which I try to do every so often to help my complexion. The product I tried is the Algamoor Mask by Moor Spa (product information can be found here). Following the instructions, I applied a thin layer of the mask to my face and left it on for 10 minutes before washing off with warm water. About five minutes in, I began to feel an uncomfortable burning/tingling sensation. The product is to help with oily or acneic skin, so I thought this was why. However, after rinsing I soon realized that I was experiencing an allergic reaction to the product! By way of history, I have never had an allergic reaction to any skin care product, and I’ve tried a ton of them! My face began to swell rapidly, burned, turned fire engine red, and broke out in hives. I took an allergy pill and the hives began to back down after about 30 minutes. It took almost 2 hours for the swelling to completely go down, and I still have remnants of the hives via small bumps all over my face. My face was also severely itchy all day! At the time I applied my makeup, my skin was also still very, very red and swollen. If you look closely at the photos, you can see that my face is swollen and there is a red hue to my skin. I will be contacting an Aesthetician friend of mine to let her know what happened and see if she has any recommendations. However, in the interim, I really recommend that you avoid this product!
Now on to The Challenge!
What you will need:
Instructions:
For my makeup application today, I decided to go with cool tones and a liquid foundation to try to offset and cover the redness. I began with a makeup primer to help smooth out the bumpy texture of my skin resulting from the allergic reaction. I then applied a light coat of Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX Foundation, which I highly recommend as it glides on easily, provides a nice coverage, and it has great skin care benefits. I applied concealer to my under eye circles and any majorly red spits, and dusted on a light coat of powder to set. I very lightly contoured my cheekbones with bronzer and highlighter, wanting to avoid adding too much bronzer, which could accent the redness of my skin. I then swept the highlighter down the bridge of my nose and lightly across my forehead to highlight and detract from the red tone. It’s not always recommended to highlight your forehead, as it could just make your skin look oily, but in this case I needed to! I chose a plum blush (I don’t think I have to keep emphasizing why I’m using cool tones, now do I?) and applied it to the apples of my cheeks only.
Moving to my eyes, I applied eyeshadow primer, and while that dried I golden-green cream eyeshadow from the crease of the eye to the brow, blending from the inner to outer corners of the eye. I applied the bright green eyeshadow to the eyelid, and followed it by applying the bright yellow eyeshadow into and slightly above the crease. The main focus of my eye look was the bright green liquid eyeliner. I applied it to the bottom lash line first. I then drew a line moving from the center of the bottom lash line outward bast the outer edge of my eye, allowing the line to slightly tilt upward with the shape of my cheekbone. I then drew a parallel line moving from the outer corner of the eye outward, ending at the same point as the bottom line. I chose to leave a gap between the two lines to create an interesting shape.
With regard to the liquid eyeliner I used, I have to note that I’ve had an issue with this particular product. It’s not that its a liquid liner (I’ve used these a million times without any problems), it seems to be the product itself. I’ve never had any issues with NYX products before, and I’m actually a fan of the brand. I’m not sure if this particular bright green liquid eyeliner was defective or not. It would not glide on smoothly, leaving odd gaps in the line, as well as flaking off shortly after application. On top of that, this bright green liquid eyeliner actually burns a bit on application (not just this time when my skin is irritated, but also in the past). Has anyone else used the NYX Studio Liquid Liner, whether in Extreme Green or not? If so, have you ever had a problem with it? I will definitely keep using NYX products, and I’m willing to try the Studio Liquid Liner in another color to see if that works out better. Although I’ve had issues with this liner, I still keep using it for the vibrant color it provides. I always get a ton of compliments when I wear it, even with smaller applications.
Getting back to the application for today, I finished the eyes off with two coats of mascara to the top lashes and one to the bottom. I then finalized the whole look with a plum-colored lipstick to complete my plan of attack to distract from my red-hued skin.
There you have it! I think I fairly succeeded in concealing my poor red, irritated skin. What do you think? Do you have any tips for covering such tones? If so, share! Of course, be sure to also share any photos, ask any questions you may have, or share any ideas you want me to try our via reply post, my Submit page above or Email Me!
See you tomorrow for Day 44 of The Great Makeup Challenge!
Note: All products I recommended above are available from Sephora, Ulta, your local department store, your local drug store, or through Amazon.com.
Day 42 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Brilliant Brights for Follower Friday! Once again, it’s time for Follower Friday! Today’s question comes from Shala, who asks:
“What is a good lipstick color for redheads?”
I’ve been a (fake) redhead many times in my life, and I’m very aware of the makeup challenge that comes with it. The wrong shades can make your complexion look muddied or sickly. Natural shades of red present more of a complication, as they will pull out any warm tones in makeup (oranges, reds, yellows, pinks, etc.). My past experience has taught me to avoid these shades when going with red hair, and I’ve learned a few tricks for picking the right color to accentuate the hair color instead of compete with it! So for today’s Challenge, I’ll address Shala’s question, as well as continue our brights theme.
Remember: if you have any specific bright colors or color combinations you want me to try out, any shapes you want to see, or a question for Follower Friday, send me a message via reply post, my Submit page above or E-mail Me! I welcome the challenge!
What you will need:
Instructions:
Today’s look was all about a great, bright pink. I wanted to choose a coordinating color that would play off the pink without overwhelming it, so I chose to go with bright blue. It’s a bit Barbie, but I love the combination and contrast. I kept with the base I’ve been using the last few days: applied a tinted primer; concealer to my under eye circles; dusting of a warm powder to set; contouring cheekbones with my favorite bronzer/highlighter combination palette, applying the darker shades of the palette to the hollows of the cheekbones and the lighter tones to the tops of the cheekbones; and eyeshadow primer to my eyelids. I finished the base with a very light dusting of a sheer light pink blush to the apples of my cheeks, blending slightly upward with my fingertips along the hollows of the cheeks where I naturally flush. I didn’t want to detract from the main focus of my look with a strong blush, so I opted for one that was pale and without shimmer.
Moving to the eyes, I began by lining the inner rims with black inner rim liner. I then applied a light, neutral shadow to the entire eye area to provide a lightening effect with setting an even base for the bright colors, adding to the enhancement. I then applied my blue eyeshadow to my eyelid only. The bright blue eyeshadow in this palette is on the sheer side, so if you use this one you may need to keep layering the eyeshadow until you reach your desired level of intensity. I opted to maintain the blue eyeshadow in a fairly sheer application with this look.
Next, I applied my hot pink eyeshadow. If you are a redhead like today’s follower, Shala, I recommend avoiding warmer shades of pink (depending on the shade of your hair and your complexion, of course). Cooler tones will work better, but typically I do not feel that pink eyeshadow works well for redheads. I really love shades of purples and greens (once again, cooler tones) on a redhead. You can definitely also go with our bright blue eyeshadow for contrast. As for my use of the hot pink eyeshadow, I began applying the eyeshadow to the crease of the eye, using an angled eyeshadow brush and beginning at the inner corner and working outward. At the outer corner of the eye, I drew a diagonal line with the pink eyeshadow up and out to the end point of my eyebrow. I then drew a line across to meet the pink eyeshadow at the center of the crease of my eye. This created a wedge-like triangular effect at the outer corner of the eye, and by drawing the line that led back to the eye with my eye closed, it provided a natural dip in the line itself. I filled in the wedge I created with the pink eyeshadow, continuing to layer the color throughout until I reached the intensity level I was seeking. Remember: you are in control of the level of intensity of any eyeshadow, adjusting same by how much you add or subtract while applying. I finished the pink part of my eye look by lining the upper lash line and inner corner of the eye with hot pink eyeliner.
Moving back to my blue color, I lined the bottom lash line with bright blue eyeliner. When I reached the outer corner of the eye, I continued drawing the line straight outward, ending at the end of the brow line. I then drew a line with the blue eyeliner straight upward to meet the top point of the board meeting the top point of the pink wedge I had created. I then created a line moving back downward along the outer edge of the pink wedge back to the eye. This then also created a blue wedge at the outer corner of the eye, which I filled in with the blue eyeliner and topped with a dusting of the bright blue eyeshadow. The addition of the blue eyeshadow on top helps add to the intensity of the color and increase the staying power.
Now to address Shala’s question for the day. My biggest recommendation for redheads when choosing a lipstick is to choose a shade with an underlying cool tone. You can choose from red, pinks, and purple shades of lipstick, but you should look for shades with cool tones such as a blue undertone. I am also a big fan of plum and burgundy shades that are big for Fall. I find that it helps offset the natural warmth of red hair, providing a nice contrast as well. I do recommend trying to stay away from brown shades of lipstick. My person opinion is that it can make your complexion look muddied. I have the same stance on orange lipsticks (and warm tones altogether), as it serves to actually overemphasize the warm tones in your hair and complexion in a not-so-pretty way. For my lipstick today, I chose a lip stain in a vivid pink with blue undertones that would look stunning with red hair (and every other hair color as well!). Some people may not be comfortable jumping into such a vivid shade, but I recommend you try it. As with almost all makeup, you can adjust the intensity by applying more or less. No matter what shade you decide to go for, the key is to look for those cool hues. If you use that as your guide, as a redhead you can’t go wrong!
Well, Shala, I hope that answers your Follower Friday question! Be sure to let me know how it works out for you! Share any products you try out, your experience with them, and, of course, photos! If there are any other redheads out there with recommendations, feel free to chime in on your recommendations and favorite products!
Post your photos, ask any questions you may have, or share any ideas you want me to try our via reply post, my Submit page above or Email Me!
See you tomorrow for Day 43 of The Great Makeup Challenge!
Note: All products I recommended above are available from Sephora, Ulta, your local department store, your local drug store, or through Amazon.com.
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