Haute Chic

Day 14 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Follower Friday!  Every Friday, I will address a specific question, idea, or challenge from you, my audience.  So send me your thoughts via my Submit page above or Email Me , and I’ll reply every Friday!

Today’s question comes from  Michelle M. out of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania:
“I love seeing color used in makeup… like completely unexpected color… but, I guess I feel like I need a way to ease into it, to use stand-out color but not have a wild looking face. Is there a way to use bold colors that look somewhat natural?” 


Excellent question.  In fact, this question is related to one of the most common things I hear: “I love your colorful makeup, but I just can’t wear color.”  I get this all the time, especially when I do vivid, wild makeup.  Here’s the thing: I wasn’t born wearing colorful makeup.  In fact, I didn’t start wearing it overnight, it was a progression.  So, Michelle, here’s what we’re going to do: your questions is going to be answered twofold, part today and part next week on Follower Friday.  Congrats!  You hit the nail on the head for so many women’s makeup concerns!  Today I will address the issue of actually wearing color, and give you a starting point to progress from the au naturale to colorful makeup.  Next week, I’ll explore varying ways to use bold, unexpected colors without looking like you stepped out of the circus.  Here we go!

What you will need:

• Tinted moisturizer (Philosophy The Supernatural is my favorite)
  
  
• Concealer (Benefit Erase Paste reigns supreme)
  
  
• Powder (Sephora’s Mineral loose powder today)
  
  
• Bronzer (Today I used Wet n Wild Ultimate Minerals Bronzer in #167, Amber Glow)
  
  
• Highlighter (I used Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Powder in Catwalk Pink)
  
  
• Pinky-plum colored blush (I used Estee Lauder Tender Blush in #660 Plum Nuance)
  
  
• Light, neutral eyeshadow (Today was MAC’s frost eye shadow in Naked Lunch)
  
  
• Eyeshadow duo (or separate colors) containing a shimmery, warm pink and a shimmery, pinky-brown shade (I used Clinique High Impact Color Surge Eyeshadow Duo in Strawberry Fudge)
  
  
• Black inner rim eyeliner (Today I used POP Beauty In Liner in No 1 in Black; this is still my absolute favorite!)
  
  
•  Shimmery purple eyeliner and shimmery gold eyeliner (I used the Al Dente and Unicorno shades, respectively, from the tokidoki Brillante Glitter Eyeliner Set)
  
  
• Lengthening dark mascara (I used Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous Waterproof Mascara in Very Black)
  
  
• Sparkly pink lip gloss (I tried out Tarino Tarantino Sparklicity Gloss in Parade)
  
  
• Vivid medium or dark pink lip stick ( used one of my favorites, Tarte LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Stain in Lively)
  
   

 Instructions:

Today’s challenge is all about progressing into using color in your makeup.  First and foremost, you have to decide what color you want to start exploring first.  Most people can’t dive feet-first into a wide variety of color (especially vivid colors!) all out once.  After all, imagine one day arriving at work or school, or even saying good morning to your significant other or family, with your makeup drastically different from what you typically wear.  You might not get the reaction you were looking for.  This can be discouraging, and it may lead you back into the world of boring makeup.  My biggest advice for starting out with using color is to think about what you wear on a daily basis.  What color is most prominent in your wardrobe?  When you’re thinking about this, keep in mind that black, brown, grey, tan, white, etc., is not color!  You may not wear color daily, but what color do you wear the most often?  Whatever color it is, this is your best bet for trying out color in your makeup.  This shade is something you already know you like, and you know it looks good on you, so it may be a lot easier to coordinate it into your makeup.  For today, I decided to use one of my favorite colors, and in keeping with our theme for the week, it’s pink!  Once you pick your color, it’s time to progress!

To start off, apply your base.  I went with my standard base of  tinted moisturizer,  concealer, a dusting of powder, bronzer and highlighter to contour the cheekbones, and, of course some shimmery pinky-plum blush on the apples of the cheeks.  For the first step in your progression, which can be your first day entering into color or even your first week (however long it takes you to begin to adjust), begin with a soft application.  Something subtle.  I started with my eyes.  I applied a shimmery neutral eye shadow on the entire eyelid, up to the brow bone and into the inner corner.  For my eye color, I opted to go with an eyeshadow duo.  This helps you to pick two colors that you know work together.  For my eyeshadow duo , I selected a shimmery pink shade with a coordinating pinky-brown color.  I applied the pink shade to the eyelid, starting at the inner corner and extending to mid-lid.  I then worked the  pink shade into the entire crease, including extending the color up above the crease outward to just past the outer corner of the eye.  (Check out yesterday’s post for instructions on this)  I then applied the pinky-brown shade along the eyelid from where the pink shade ended at the center lid to the outer corner.  I applied black inner rim eyeliner to the inner rims of the eyes to give them some definition. (Check out my Moody Makeup post for inner rim lining tips!)  I finished the eyes with one coat of the lengthening black mascara to the upper lashes only.

To slowly edge into the overall colorful lock, I applied a shimmery pink lip gloss to the lips.  As you can see from the first set of photos above, the look is more natural, with a subtle hint of color.  If you are the kind of person that typically wears a bare-faced look, this is a good way to slowly start working color into your daily routine.

When you’re ready to make your next step of progression into color, start off with the base and eye steps above.  A good way to make your next step is to add more emphasis on the eyes.  For this step, I applied a medium line of the purple shimmery eyeliner along the top lash line, around the outer corner of the eye, and along the lower lash line to the center of the eye.  I then applied the gold shimmery eyeliner to the inner corner of the eyes and along the bottom lash line to meet the purple eyeliner at the center of the eye.  This adds a bit of shimmer and a touch of color.  I finished by adding a second coat of mascara to the upper eyelashes and one coat to the bottom.  As you can see in the second set of photos, this makes the eyes pop without over-doing it.

Ready to take another step?  A natural progression would be to build off of what you’ve already established above and add a vivid lipstick .  After following the steps above, I picked a bright medium-pink hue.  As you can see in the third set of photos, the color just makes the lips stand out so much more, and it’s a good transition into something a little bit brighter to wake up the face.  If you’re not quite ready to go with this bright lip color, you can start off with a lighter shade and slowly work your way up. 

If you’re brave enough to all of these steps from the beginning, go for it!  Be sure to follow along next week for Follower Friday, when I’m going to talk about adding different pops of color in unexpected places.  See you then!
 

Share your photos and experiences, and show me your best pink makeup for Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Post your photos, ask any questions you may have, or share any ideas you want me to try our via my Submit page above or Email Me!

See you tomorrow for Day 15 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 13 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Pink and Lazy. In honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I am dedicating my second week of The Challenge to pink makeup!  Today’s look is all about those lazy days when we just want to relax, but still want to add a bit of glam to our look.

What you will need:

• BB Cream (Today I tried out Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25 PA++)
• Concealer (Benefit Erase Paste reigns supreme)
  
  
• Powder (Sephora’s Mineral loose powder today)
  
  
• Bronzer (Today I used Wet n Wild Ultimate Minerals Bronzer in #167, Amber Glow)
  
  
• Highlighter (I used Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Powder in Catwalk Pink)
  
  
• Pinky-plum colored blush (I used Estee Lauder Tender Blush in #660 Plum Nuance)
  
  
• Eyeshadow quad (or separate colors) containing a matte white, metallic pink, shimmery grey, and metallic black (I used Lancome Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow Quad Palette in Smooth Hold (Daylight, Makeover, Volcano, and The New Black))
  
  
• Dark purple eyeliner (I used New York Color Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in #934A, Smoky Plum)
  
  
• Mascara (I used Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Waterproof Mascara in Black)
  
  
• Pink lip stain (I used one of my absolute favorites today, tokidoki Gelato Lip Balm Stain in Donutella)

 

Instructions:

Today’s look for me was about adding a bit of glam to my ‘bumming around’ clothes (a.k.a. yoga pants, t-shirt, sweater, hair in a braid, boring look).  It was a rainy, dreary day, and my inspiration levels were low, low, low.  So although my clothes were drab, I decided that my makeup should have a bit of interest to it. 

For my base, I gave another BB cream a try (check out this week’s Wednesday Product Review for my first round with a BB cream).  Today, I tried out Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25 PA++.  The product touts that it is customizable for all skin tones.  However, although I started with a very minimal amount of product, it was a bit too light for my skin tone.  Accordingly, I had to really work to try to warm up my skin tone a bit.  I started with applying  a bit of  concealer to my under eye area, and I didn’t really need much as the Beauty Balm did do a nice job of lightening the area.  I then dusted a light layer of powder on my entire face to set.  I worked bronzer into the hollows of my cheeks under the cheekbones from the center of my cheeks up toward my hairline, as well as under the jaw line to add definition.  I added a light swipe of bronzer across the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, and to the chin (think T-Zone) to warm up the rest of the face.  I highlighted the tops of my cheekbones and then applied my pinky-plum colored blush to the apples of my cheeks for a soft glow.  I was very pleasantly surprised at how great the Beauty Balm worked to smooth out my skin without the oily look that came about yesterday.  However, by late afternoon, I noticed my skin was starting to break out in little bumps everywhere!  I quickly washed off the whole works.  I had heard finding a Beauty Balm that works for you can be tough, and it seems it really is going to be a big challenge for me.

For the eyes, I opted to use an eyeshadow quad again.  Using quads can be especially helpful on these kinds of lazy days!  I started by applying matte white color to from the crease to the brow bone and adding a touch of same to the inner corners of the eyes.  I then applied the shimmery grey color to the entire eye lid.  I worked the metallic pink color in the eye crease, starting at the inner corner and working my way out.  Following the angle of the crease upward from the center of the eye, I extended the metallic pink color up above the crease outward to just past the outer corner of the eye, angling back in and filling in the center with the metallic pink color.  Take a look at the closed eye photo to see the arc this creates.  I followed by applying the metallic black color just along the top lashline.  I lined both the top and bottom lashes with a very pretty smoky plum colored eyeliner.  A swipe of black waterproof mascara to the top and bottom lashes finished off the eyes.  Check out the closed eye photo again, and you will see the oomph that Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Waterproof Mascara  provides to the lashes.  Fantastic!

Finally, keeping my laid back mentality for the day, I opted for a pink lip balm stain.  I highly recommend the entire tokidoki Gelato Lip Balm Stain collection (I own every color).  It moisturizes, lasts all day, and the color is buildable (i.e. you can keep adding to to bring more color to the look and stop whenever you get the perfect shade).  I used the  Donutella color today, which is a great pink color.  A few swipes in the morning, and it lasted until I washed my face in the evening without drying out my lips.

Share your lazy day makeup photos and experiences, and show me your best pink makeup for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  Post your photos, ask any questions you may have, or share any ideas you want me to try our via my  Submit page above or Email Me!

See you tomorrow for Day 14 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 12 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Pink and Multifunctional. In honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I am dedicating my second week of The Challenge to pink makeup!  We are all busy.  We all have days when we have need to go, go go.  With these days in mind, I challenged myself to create a look that could see me through the day.  I needed something multifunctional, and this is what I came up with.  So here are my tips on how to start your day and make modifications in five minutes to go from running errands to going out on the town.

Also, today is the inaugural day of my Wednesday Product Reviews!  From this point forward, every Wednesday I will review a different product. I’ll score it on a standard school grading system: “A+” for utter perfection and “F” for utter failure.  Today, I’m trying out and reviewing a BB Cream.  Have something you want me to try out and review?  Send me your ideas via my Submit page above or Email Me!

What you will need:

• BB Cream (Today I tried out Boscia B.B Cream SPF 27 PA++)
• Concealer (If you haven’t figured it out by now, I HIGHLY recommend Benefit Erase Paste!)
• Powder (Sephora’s Mineral loose powder today)
  
• Bronzer (Today I used Lancome Star Bronzer Poudre Soleil Sun-Kissed Bronzing Oil-free Powder in Bronze Solaire)
• Highlighter (I used Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Powder in Catwalk Pink)
• Shimmery, pink blush (I used Benefit Cosmetics Boxed Powders Collection Coralista blush)
• Shimmery pink eyeshadow (I used NYX Cosmetics Loose Pearl Eye Shadow in Very Pink Pearl)
• Dark matte brown, medium pink-brown, and neutral shimmer eyeshadows (I used Chanel Les 4 Ombres quad eyeshadow palette in No. 85 Demure)
• Brown inner rim eyeliner (I used Tarte emphasEYES High Definition Inner Rim Eye Pencil in Brown) 
• Dark brown eyeliner (I used Wet n Wild Brow & Eye Liner in #652 Dark Brown)
• Mascara (I used Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Waterproof Mascara in Black)
• Pink tinted lip balm (Pulled out my new favorite Hello Kitty Apple Balm for today)
• Shimmery, medium or dark pink lipstick (I used Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Passion Fruit #354)

Instructions:

For my base, I thought I’d try out something new to me that definitely takes the multifunctional approach: BB Cream.  What is BB Cream?  I had never heard of it until a few months ago, but internationally it has been a go-to beauty product for decades, especially in Asian countries.  Wikipedia has a quick overview of what exactly it is, but it boils down to this: “BB Cream is an all-in-one cosmetic beauty and skincare product. Depending on the brand you choose, this cream can act as foundation, concealer, sunblock, and moisturizer all in one go.” (Courtesy of Squidoo)  It seemed to fit my multifunctional challenge just fine, so I gave Boscia’s B.B Cream SPF 27 PA++ a try in place of my regular base.  It did give a nice coverage, but it wasn’t concealing enough for my under eye circles (I expected this), so I added some Benefit Erase Paste.  Even though I applied a thin layer of this BB Cream, it left my skin a bit tacky to the touch.  In a way, this acted as a plus as a primer for the rest of my makeup, but my skin felt off all day.  Additionally, as you will note in the photo set from today, it left my skin a bit TOO shiny, although it did control oil all day long.  To try to counteract the shine and the tackiness, I swept a light layer of Sephora’s Mineral loose powder over my entire face.  Even so, I was not overly enthused with my skin’s texture and sheen for the day.  I am still willing to try other BB Creams, but this one just wasn’t a great fit for me.  Wednesday Product Review: I’m giving the Boscia BB Cream a “B-.”  It had some benefits, but left me wanting more.

No matter what base you choose, here’s my guide from today’s challenge on how to take your look from daytime errands to nighttime glam:

For Running Errands:

After applying my base, I contoured my cheeks by working bronzer into the hollows of my cheeks under the cheekbones from the center of my cheeks up toward my hairline.  I then also applied the bronzer under the jaw line to add definition.  I highlighted the tops of my cheekbones and then applied a shimmery pink blush to the apples of my cheeks for a soft glow.

For the eyes, I decided to do a pink and brown smokey eye.  Before you give up on me here, I want to break through some mental barriers that people have when they hear ‘smokey eye’: (1) EVERYONE, yes, EVERYONE can do a smokey eye; (2) a smokey eye does NOT have to be relegated to shades of black; and (3) a smokey eye can be worn during the DAY.  I’m serious.  Forget everything you thought you knew about a smokey eye, and let me show you how it’s done.  First, smokey eyes are not as complicated as they sound.  You can do a smokey eye, but start simple and practice until you find what works best for you.  Second, try a smokey eye in any color you want, and even try out mixing colors!  A colored smokey eye can be ten times sexier, and more surprising, than the go-to black smokey eye that has become so prevalent.  Finally, a subtle smokey eye can work wonders during the day, without making you look like you were out all night and went straight to work. 

That’s the point of the eyes today.  In sticking with our pink theme for Breast Cancer Awareness, I knew I had to work pink into my smokey eye, and I’ve always been a fan of using pink and brown together.  First, I lined my inner eyes with a brown inner rim eyeliner inner rim eyeliner à la Moody Makeup.  For my eyeshadow, I picked a quad eyeshadow palette quad eyeshadow palette that covered the varying shades of brown I needed for the challenge and to stick with our multitasking theme.  I started by applying a neutral shimmer eyeshadow from the crease to the brow bone and adding a touch of same to the inner corners of the eyes.  I then applied my shimmery pink eyeshadow to the eyelid from the inner corner the center of the eye.  I followed the pink eyeshadow along the bottom lashline from the inner corner to the center of the eye as well.  Moving on to my dark matte brown shade, I applied same to the eyelid from center of the eye to just past the outer corner, as well as along the bottom lashline from the center of the eye to just past the outer corner, meeting up with my top line.  I finished the eyeshadow by working a shimmery, medium-pink brown eyeshadow in the crease of the eye.  To soften the shadow and lend to the smokey look, I gently blended any sharp lines on the entire eye with my finger tip.  I then lined the top lashes with a dark brown eyeliner, smudging same to eradicate any sharp lines.  I finished the daytime eye look with a coat of black waterproof (to carry me through sweat, rain, and anything else that could ruin my makeup during the day!) mascara to my top lashes. 

To finish my daytime errands look, I applied pink tinted lip balm to my lips for a subtle touch of color that mutitasked by moisturizing my lips throughout the day.

On a style note, I let my hair run a bit wild by simply pulling it back in a soft fabric headband.  The weather was not on my side for stick-straight hair (hello, rainy day!), and there was no point in fighting my hair all day.  I threw on simple earrings, a couple of bangles and comfortable rings.  My style was all about comfort and function, but as you’ll see momentarily, it was strategically planned to easily guide me into my night look.

The Five Minute Change-Up for a Night on the Town:

Okay, so let’s say you’ve followed the steps above, run around all day doing errands, going work, etc., and now you find you only have about five minutes to get ready for a night out, whether it be for happy hour, an event, or even a date night.  What’s a girl to do?  Here’s what:

(1)  Add a little more ‘smoke’ to your eyeshadow: add more of the dark matte brown eyeshadow to the outer corner of your eyes, softening with your finger tip.  Up the vamp by swiping another coat of  mascara to the top lashes and one coat to the bottom.  (Total time, depending on experience: 1 - 2 minutes)

(2)  Add another swipe of your shimmery pink blush to the apples of the cheeks, and work it up the cheekbone.  (Total time: 30 seconds)

(3)  Add a quick coat of a shimmery, medium or dark pink lipstick to finish your makeup.  (Total time: 15 seconds)

(4)  Do a quick change, ditching your day clothes for a quick slip-on dress and heels.  Change out your simple earrings for something more dramatic. (Total time: approximately 2 minutes, depending on how fast you move!)

(5)  Pull out that soft fabric headband, flip your head over, fluff your hair a bit at the roots for volume, and flip it back.  The bonus of the fabric headband all day?  It trains your hair to stay back from your face without the need for hair products.  (Total time: 15 seconds)

(6)  Run out the door and enjoy! 

Try it out, and let me know how it works for you!  Share your photos and experiences, show me your best pink makeup for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  Post your photos, ask any questions you may have, or share any ideas you want me to try our via my  Submit page above or Email Me!

See you tomorrow for Day 13 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 11 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Pink and Powerful. In honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I am dedicating my second week of The Challenge to pink makeup!  Today was all about a big trend right now: powerful blush.  The thought of powerful blush brings up nightmares of jagged lines of flourescent color a la 1986.  Some things should be left in the 1980s.  Although powerful blush is seeing a resurgence right now, tipping its hats to the past, it has taken on a more modern edge.  No straight lines here: softness is key.  For today I opted to go with a color reminiscent of my natural flush, focusing on the areas where said flush appears after a good workout.  I may challenge myself with more daring colors and shapes down the road, but this was my way of dipping my toes in the water.  Join me for a splash!

What you will need:

• Tinted primer (Today I tried out Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel in Radiant)
• Concealer (If you haven’t figured it out by now, I HIGHLY recommend Benefit Erase Paste!)
• Powder (I used Benefit Cosmetics “Hello Flawless!” in Honey)
• Bronzer and Highlighter (I used Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Powder in Catwalk Pink  for both)
• Blush that is as close to your natural blush color as possibles (Today I used Lancome Blush Subtil Delicate Oil-Free Powder Blush in Rose Romantique, which was a near-perfect match to my natural blush)
• Light pink shimmery eyeshadow and a matte brown eyeshadow (I used Satin Sheets and Like a Virgin, respectively, from the Too Faced Naked Eye palette)
• Mascara (I used Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Waterproof Mascara in Black)
• Pale pink lipstick (I used Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick in 903C, a peachy-pink shade)

Instructions:

For my base, I applied Perfekt Skin Perfection Gel in Radiant all over.  I did like the smoothing effects of the product, and the subtle glow that it gave.  I applied my go-to Benefit Erase Paste to conceal my under eye circles, and sealed it all with a dusting of Benefit Cosmetics “Hello Flawless!” powder in Honey.  The powder helped to finish off the smooth look of the base, and the color of it was a perfect match for my skin tone.  I dusted the darker tones of the Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Powder in Catwalk Pink in the hollows of the cheekbones, and the lighter tones on the tops.

I wanted to keep the eyes simple, so I turned to a quick and easy look from the Too Faced Naked Eye palette: the naked eye.  I swept Satin Sheets (light pink shimmer) across the eye to the brown bone, in the inner corners, and from the inner corner to the center of the the bottom eyelid along the lashline.  From there, I used Like a Virgin (matte brown) from the center of the eyelid to the outer corner, along the crease, and from the center of the the bottom eyelid to the outer corner along the lashline.  I then swept two coats of Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Waterproof Mascara in Black on the top lashes only.

Then the flushing began.  I applied Lancome Blush Subtil Delicate Oil-Free Powder Blush in Rose Romantique to the apples of my cheeks, and worked it just under the cheekbone towards my hairline.  This is where I naturally flush.  I slowly added more color until I reached my fresh-from-the-gym hue.  I finished by softening the edges with my fingertips to prevent any sharp lines.

I finalized the look with a swipe of the peachy-pink Wet N Wild Megalast Lipstick in 903C to my lips.  I didn’t want a color that would fight for attention with my cheeks (today at least), so I kept it simple.

I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.  What do you think?  Try it out for yourself, and share your results with me!

Show me your best pink makeup for Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Post your photos, ask any questions you may have, or share any ideas you want me to try our via my  Submit page above or Email Me!

 See you tomorrow for Day 12 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.