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.
Day 38 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Precious Gems, Part 2! Today’s look is once again a continuation of the Precious Gems pictorial in the October 2011 issue of The Colorist. The pictorial focuses on jewel (or gem, whatever your preference) tones, and today’s look focused on emerald tones. I’m a big fan of this look, and I believe the color combination is one that will work for almost every skin tone and hair color out there. Try it out for yourself! If you do, don’t forget to share wish me via my Submit page above or E-mail Me!
What you will need:
Instructions:
For my base today, I began with my favorite tinted moisturizer, applied concealer to my under eye circles, and dusted a warm powder over it all to set. I wanted to give my skin an overall warm glow, so I blended all of the shades in the Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo palette and lightly dusted it over my entire face and neck. I then contoured my cheekbones, first applying a warm bronzer just under the tops of the cheekbones, and then applying a highlighter to the tops of the cheekbones. As with most of the looks that I’ve been mimicking from The Colorist, this look does not entail the use of blush.
Moving to the eyes, I applied an eyeshadow primer, and while that was drying, I lined the inner rims of my eyes with black inner rim liner. I began my eyeshadow by first applying a shimmery neutral eyeshadow along the brow bone. I applied an emerald green eyeshadow to the eyelids, and then, using a small, angled eyeshadow brush, I lined around my entire eye area with the emerald green eyeshadow. Next, I applied the olive green eyeshadow to the crease of the eye and slightly above. I then applied the olive green eyeshadow in an almost circular fashion around the outer corner of the eye and underneath, creating a line just below the line I had drawn with the emerald green eyeshadow. I dabbed a yellow-gold eyeshadow to the inner corner of the eye, blending it with my fingertip outward into the green shadows. I then lined the outer lash line with a dark green eyeliner, and finished the eye look with two coats of lengthening mascara to the top lashes and one to the bottom.
The lips in this look are a nude understatement to really let the eyes tell the story. I applied my favorite nude lipstick from Sephora, but then I dabbed a touch of pink lip gloss to the very center of the lip.
That, my friends, is my precious gems emerald look for the day. I highly recommend that you each try this one out! As I noted above, the colors utilized in this look are flattering for almost everyone. You don’t necessarily have to apply the makeup as heavily as I have (or you can go for more!), it’s completely up to you! Just be sure to let me know how you do!
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 39 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 20 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Rusted! Okay, so I know that I’ve been lecturing about using pops of color to break up the monotone colors typically associated with Fall. However, there are those of us who may want to work with the earthy Fall tones. So for my challenge today, I wanted to come up with a palette based on those nice rusted hues we see so often in Fall.
What you will need:
Instructions:
To start my look, I began by applying a makeup primer. I highly recommend Philosophy The Present Clear Makeup face primer. You apply the primer and allow it to set for two minutes before applying the rest of your makeup. The product goes on clear, but it helps any foundation and makeup you apply afterwards to go on smoothly and stay put. Once my primer set, I applied a light coat of foundation, followed by concealer under my eyes and a light dusting of powder to set the base.
To stick with my theme of a warm rusted look for Fall, I used Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Powder in Catwalk Pink to bronze and highlight. I used the darker shades of the palette to warm up my complexion by applying a light dusting over my entire face, along the jawline, and down my neck. I then used the same shades in the hollows of my cheeks for contouring, followed by highlighting the tops of my cheekbones with the lighter shades in the palette. I finished my base by applying the pretty warm beige blush (courtesy of Chanel) to the apples of my cheeks.
Next, I started work on my eyes, beginning with lining the inner rims with Tarte emphasEYES High Definition Inner Rim Eye Pencil in a dark brown shade. However, I must note that this pencil was not easy to apply (it did not go on smoothly, and barely deposited any color). I actually had to apply multiple coats, and it still did not reach the color that I wanted. As you can guess, I am not a big fan of this one. Luckily, the rest of my eye makeup went smoothly.
For my eyeshadow, I once again opted for an eyeshadow duo that contained a shimmery tan color and a dark brown color in one. I began by applying the shimmery tan color to the inner corners, guiding it up along the brow bone towards the outer eye. I then applied the rust color eyeshadow to the entire eyelid. I then worked the dark brown color into the crease, and, following the angle of the crease upward from the center of the eye, I extended the dark brown color up above the crease outward to just past the outer corner of the eye, angling back in and filling in the center. Next, I lined my eyes all the way around with a pretty copper eyeliner, gently smudging it after application. I finished lining the eyes by applying a shimmery gold eyeliner to the inner corners of the eyes for for a pretty touch of sparkle. I finished my eye makeup with two coats of Chanel Inimitable Multi-Dimensional Mascara on the top lashes and one coat of Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Waterproof Mascara to the bottom lashes.
I finished off my entire rusted look by trying to new lipstick shade. I used Wet n Wild Wild Shine Lip Laquer in Flirtatious. It’s a toasted coffee color, and it’s very different from what I usually wear. In fact, I’ve never really worn any lipsticks in brown tones. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the color, and I’ve decided I need to try other brown-tones lipstick! Stay tuned!
Show me your favorite Fall natural look! Share your photos and experiences, and show me some of your makeup skills! 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 21 (FOLLOWER FRIDAY!) 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 7 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Follower Friday! Here’s the gist: 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 Mary W-D. out of Pennsylvania:
“How do you cover up circles under the eyes?”
A girl after my own heart! Check out Day 1 of The Challenge to see my frustration over hereditary under eye circles. I am more than happy to share my tips on this one!
What you will need:
Instructions:
Okay, we’ve all dealt with this one at some point or another. For some of us, it’s hereditary (thanks, Dad!), and for others it comes with stress or sleepless nights. One way or the other, we’ve stared down the girl in the mirror, wondering how we could possibly combat the dark, puffy eyes looking back at us. Most of us just would rather go back to bed and hide for the day. Today I offer you an olive branch: we can hide them. Really, we can, and I’m going to take you through this step by step (photos included!).
The first step in covering up your tired, puffy, dark eyes is with a good moisturizer. There are plenty of new roller ball moisturizers out there targeted at reducing puffiness and lighting eyes. The bonus? There are studies (and my own experience) proving that they DO work! My pick is Olay Regenerist’s anti-aging eye roller, which has the added bonus of fighting lines and wrinkles. I actually keep mine in the fridge because the cold alone helps to reduce inflammation. After rolling it on, I move on to my tried and true friend: tinted moisturizer. As I’ve gone on an on about, this helps even out skin tone. However, I also apply it around my eye area to help blend the skin tone a bit more with the rest of my complexion.
Next, you absolutely need a great concealer. I’ve dealt with hereditary dark under eye circles my whole life, and nothing - NOTHING - has ever done nearly as good a job as Benefit’s Erase Paste. Gently tap this on with a fingertip around the eye, and you will notice an instant difference (check out my photo above!). To help set the moisturizer and concealer, I lightly apply a loose powder on my face, including the under eye area.
Then, I move on to lining my eyes. I lined the inner rims of my upper lids with Pop Beauty’s in-liner in No. 1 Black, followed by Tarte’s emphasEYES inner rim brightener along the bottom inner rims. As I’ve noted before, the black on top adds definitions to the eyes, while the light color on bottom helps to brighten the eyes up. (Check out my Moody Makeup post for inner rim lining tips!) I then added a medium-dark liner along the upper lash line only of each eye. I refrain from lining the lower lash line, as we want to draw the eye upward.
I follow up with a shimmery, light eyeshadow from lid to brow to lighten the entire eye area. I add a bit more in the inner corner of the eye to brighten it. This is one area of the eye that often goes untouched, but a big of bright shimmer here instantly brightens. I finished off the eyes with a lengthening mascara on my top lashes to open up my eyes and add definition.
For my cheeks, I follow my standard tips for contouring with bronzer and highlighter. However, I also dab a bit of highlighter in a C-shape around the outside of each eye, blending down the top of the cheekbones. This gives a pretty glow and draws the eyes away from any under-eye ailments. I finished off my cheeks with a pop of a pink stain on the apples of the cheeks for a pop of color.
Finally, I finished off my lips with a bright pink shimmery color. This is where you really vary up this look by adding emphasis to the lips. Go bright, go dark, go bold. Just go any way but neutral! The eye will naturally be drawn to a stand-out lip, and no one will even notice your eyes!
So yes, there is salvation for genetics, stress, sleepless nights, and other life woes that are reflected in our eyes. Give it a whirl, Mary W-D, and let me know how it goes!
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 8 of The Great Makeup Challenge!
Note: All products I recommended above are available from Sephora, Ulta, your local department store, or your local drug store.
Moody Makeup
Day 4 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: As my illness (and whining) continues, so does the challenge. Today, my makeup was dictated by my mood: dark. Let’s be honest: three days of being so sick you can barely move starts to wear down on you. We all of those days, and we often reflect them in clothing choices (black, anyone?) and our outlook for the day. So today I was moody. Can you blame me?
What you will need:
Instructions:
Okay, before you think I’ve gone all dark and Goth on you, let’s think about this. We all get in these modes. It may be a day, a few days, or a week. We simply don’t feel like being an outward ray of sunshine. It happens. Personally, projecting my feelings of gloom and doom onto something can be therapeutic. In this case, it’s my makeup…and my clothes. Darkness be damned, I’m letting my moody side out, and it just seems to have brought out a bit of a smile. After all, makeup can be transformative and therapeutic. We can let our makeup change our outlook and project ourselves (or that other version of ourselves) to the rest of the world. Today was my day. To start the day, I continued utilizing my quick Five Minute Wake Up Makeup base, contouring, and blush tips. Not only am I moody, I’m also feeling lazy.
Next, I decided to go with the darkness that seemed to be emanating from my sickly eyes and line, line, line in the blackest black I own. I started off with Pop Beauty’s in-liner in No. 1 in Black for the inner rims. First of all, inner rim lining can take some practice. Holding up that upper lid and not blinking is a fine art, not to mention a great challenge if you’re oddly ticklish like me. Another war can be with the watering eye that can ensue. This is where I’m making a big recommendation: buy an eyeliner meant for the inner rims! They exist, and they are meant to combat common eye irritation that can occur from regular pencils (me!), as well as running from teary eyes (me again!). I highly recommend Pop Beauty’s in-liner, which I purchased at Ulta. I’ve tried many, many brands, and this inner rim liner glides on easily and beats all the typical woes that can occur with inner-rim lining.
After darkening my inner rims, I dusted a light coat of a shimmery eyeshadow from lid to brow. I chose Lancome’s Color Design eye shadow in Lavender Girl – Shimmer, as it has a touch of lavender that will play nicely off the burgundy lipstick I had planned for the occasion. The bit of shimmer helps to keep the look from looking too, well, sad. I topped the eye look off with a line all the way around my eyes of Wet n Wild’s Coloricon eyeliner in Black Black and a coat (top and bottom lashes) of Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto Voluptuous Waterproof mascara.
Finally, to top off the look, I chose a dark lipstick, specifically, Kat Von D’s Foiled Love Lipstick in Oh My Goth. Just as the name projects, this lipstick can go very Halloween, very fast. Here’s my tip for taming a super-dark lipstick: put on a light coat, blot some off, and blend with your fingers. Using this approach, you can go with a just-bitten look, or you can keep slowly layering until you reach the darkness of your specific mood.
Get moody, people! I want to see your moods, good or bad! Share with me your best and worst moods expressed through your makeup, 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 5 of The Great Makeup Challenge!
Note: All products I recommended above are available from Sephora, Ulta, your local department store, or your local drug store.
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