I find myself stuck in a dreaded makeup rut. So I’ve decided to return to my challenge.
Here’s the new gist: submit your ideas, photos, inspirations, questions, etc. I will then give them all a whirl - good, bad, or otherwise.
Together we can kick these extended winter blues with some fun new makeup ideas!
Bring on the challenge!
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 41 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Neon! After finishing my week-long series of inspirational looks from The Colorist October 2011 issue, I needed a new idea. In considering what to do for today’s look, I started reviewing the recent resort fashion collections. As with the collections we saw throughout 2011, a common theme amongst them were pops of bright (often neon) colors. To me, this is a perfect way to cheer up on a drab Fall day. I’ve always been a fan of a pop of color, and lately I’ve been exploring using unexpected lines in makeup. So I decided to combine both today, taking inspiration from a Spring 2011 look above. Starting with today’s look, I’m going to explore some various ways to play with these bright colors. Remember: if you have any specific bright colors or color combinations you want me to try out, or any shapes you want to see, 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 inspirational look above is rooted in a very bare-skinned look as the base for the bright eye makeup. My skin has a tendency to look sickly if I go with too bare a look. I know my limitations. So I varied this a bit to meet my skin’s needs. I opted to go with the same base I’ve been using the last few days, as I feel that its really helped to present an even, warm complexion. I began with a tinted primer, applied concealer to my under eye circles, and dusted on a light coat of a warm powder to set. I then applied eyeshadow primer to my eyelids, and while that set I moved on to contouring my cheekbones. I opted to go back to using both parts of my favorite bronzer/highlighter palette, applying the darker shades of the palette to the hollows of the cheekbones and the lighter tones to the tops of the cheekbones. I applied both very lightly, to add just a subtle contour. To add a touch of color and warmth to my cheeks, I lightly applied a warm beige blush to the apples of the cheeks.
Moving to the eyes, I lined the top inner rims only with black inner rim liner and lined the bottom inner rims with inner rim brightener to really open the eyes up. I then applied applied a light, neutral shadow to the entire eye area to set a light, eye-opening base for the bright shadows. For those bright shadows, you can opt for eyeliners if you have them, but I used what I had in stock, bright shades from my limited edition bright Givenchy Le Prismissime 9-Colors Eyeshadow palette. I began by first applying the light purple shade in the palette to the under eye area. Using an angled brush, I began at the inner corner of the and worked my way outward. When I reached the center of the eye (where the lash line naturally begins to turn upward), I drew my line straight outward, ending just past my natural brow. I applied additional layers of the purple color on top of the line I created until I was satisfied. I then moved to the bright orange shade. Once again using an angled eyeshadow brush, I began at the inner corner of the eye, arcing upward to just below the brow, and created a line mimicking my brow arch as it moved outward. When I reach the end of the brow, I created a sharp, straight line outward, running parallel to my purple line. I layered the orange shadow as well until I reached the intensity I was looking for. I then finished the eyes with a quick swipe of two coats of lengthening mascara to the top lashes and one to the bottom.
I finished the look with a simple orange lip gloss to add a little punch of color and shine to the lips.
The look was overall very simple, but very fun. Today’s weather was dark, dreary, cold, and rainy. The bright colors provided a bit of a pick-me-up. Try it out for yourself! Of course, if you do, don’t forget to share! 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 42 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 39 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Precious Gems, Part 3! Today’s look is once again a continuation of the Precious Gems pictorial in the October 2011 issue of The Colorist. The color focus for today is on deep blue and gold tones with a pop of ruby. The combination was surprisingly flattering. 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:
As Fall’s chilly weather is settling in, my skin is beginning to dry out a bit. I knew I needed to go with a thicker moisturizer this morning, so I wanted my makeup base to remain light to prevent clogged pores and breakouts. I began with a tinter primer, applied concealer to my under eye circles, and dusted on a light coat of a warm powder to set. I then applied eyeshadow primer to my eyelids, and while that set I moved on to contouring my cheekbones. I opted to go back to using both parts of my favorite bronzer/highlighter palette, applying the darker shades of the palette to the hollows of the cheekbones and the lighter tones to the tops of the cheekbones. As I’ve noted with the other looks in the Precious Gems portfolio, this look did not utilize blush, instead focusing on the eyes, and in this case, the lips as well.
Moving to the eyes, I began by lining the inner rims with my favorite black inner rim liner. I began trying out the Clarins Colourful Horizons Eye Colour Palette, first applying the light, neutral shadow to the inner corner and along the brow bone. I then applied the gold shadow to the eyelids only, and I must say I was quite impressed with the gold tone. Gold is one of those shades that can run too dark, too light, too yellow, too shimmery, or not shimmery enough. The gold shadow in this palette was a great shade, and it will definitely be a staple in my makeup routine moving forward. On a side note, this palette also contains an emerald green shade with a touch of gold shimmer that would be perfect for the Emerald Precious Gems Challenge that I did yesterday. Back to today’s challenge, I applied the shimmery bronze shadow from the palette to the crease of the eye, and then slowly blended it up and above the crease from the inner eye outward. I also extended the bronze shadow out past the outer corner of the eye, softly arcing it downward as a I did so. I must note that I was not as impressed with the bronze shadow as I was with the rest of the palette. In the palette itself, it appears more bronze, almost coppery, but upon application it comes out more brown. However, I don’t feel that it negatively affected the overall look.
Now, one of the main parts of this look is the deep blue shadow under the eyes. Although I have a massive makeup collection, I realized that I didn’t have a deep blue shade. It just happens to be one of the few colors that I don’t really wear, so I had to improvise a bit. I lined the bottom lash line with the dark blue liner from the tokidoki Brillante Glitter Eyeliner Set. Although my goal was not glitter, it was the closest I had to a dark blue liner. I then applied the darker blue shade from the Givenchy Le Prismissime 9-Colors Eyeshadow brights palette over the top of the blue eyeliner, extending the color past the outer corner of the eye to meet where I left off with the bronze shadow. I then applied the blue shadow to the inner corner of the eye, lining both the top and bottom lid of the inner corner, and gently blending with my fingertip. I then finished the eyes with two coats of mascara to the top lashes and one to the bottom. Although my eyeshadow was a vibrant blue instead of the dark jewel tone used in the inspiration photo, I was quite pleased with the result. I think I preferred the juxtaposition of the bright color against the warm golden tones.
The last part of the look was the ruby red lip. For this, I decided to try out a new product: Maybelline New York Superstay 24, 2-step Lipcolor, in No. 025 Keep Up The Flame. With tomorrow being time for our Wednesday Product Review, I thought that this would be a good time to see if the product really lives up to its 24-hour promise. Following the instructions, I applied the color side first, allowing it to dry before moving on. I was quite impressed with the color right off the bat. It was the perfect shade of red for me. As the color dried, I could also feel it tightening and drying out my lips in the process. I’m assuming that’s why the second step is to apply a balm. Once the color dried, I applied the balm, which instantly made my lips feel moisturized again while adding a pretty shine. Now I’ll see if it actually can last!
Check back tomorrow to see if Maybelline New York Superstay 24 hour Lip color actually lives up to its promises! Of course, don’t forget to 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 40 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 37 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Precious Gems, Part 1! So I continued to be inspired by the October 2011 issue of The Colorist . In the issue, there’s a pictorial entitled “Precious Gems.” Although the magazine focuses on hair color, the makeup used for the models’ styling is what inspired me. The pictorial contains four different looks that involve various uses of jewel (or gem, if you prefer) toned makeup in different shapes and styles. I decided to try the pictorial for myself. For today, I thought I’d start with the look above, a blend of purple, blue, and gold. Enjoy!
What you will need:
Instructions:
For my base, I decided to actually start with a matte skin tone. Even though the skin in that photo is glowing, I decided to take a different approach to get the look. I started out with a BB Cream. If you recall, I had tried out some BB creams, and I used this particular one on Day 12 of The Challenge with mediocre results. However, I thought I would give it another try. Some products just take adjusting to get used to. Not sure what BB cream is? Check out my Day 12 Challenge post for all the details! After I let the BB Cream set, I applied my concealer to my under eye circles. I then dusted on my powder to set the base and give my complexion a warm, matte effect.
For my contouring today, I also mixed it up a bit. In my inspiration photo above, the contouring on the cheekbones looks like she could cut glass. I’d be interested to see the side views of the look to see how sharply they actually contoured the cheekbones. However, since no such photo was provided, I had to use my imagination with this one. I began by applying a dark, warm bronzer into the hollows of the cheeks, blending up and out towards the hairline. I chose a darker bronzer shade than my typical application because I really wanted the tone to stand out. Additionally, in applying the bronzer, I also blended it slightly on top of my cheekbones itself to provide the illusion of higher cheekbones overall. It’s an example of faking it with makeup. I then applied highlighter to the very tops of the cheekbones, blending up and out. Now, I know I stated that I wanted to start with a matte skin tone and take a different approach to obtain the glowing skin. For my next step, blended together all of the shades in the Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Powder Palette and dusted across my t-zone. In case you are not sure what the t-zone is, it is the area across your forehead and down the,center of your face (bridge of the nose and down to the chin), which creates a ‘t’ shape. I decided to add a warm highlight to this area to pick up the light in all of the right areas without making my skin look oily (always a worry for me!). Once again, this look did not involve blush. However, with both the bronzer and the highlighter, I extended them over the apples of the cheeks instead to add glow and warmth.
Moving onto the eyes, I began by applying eyeshadow primer, and while that was setting I lined the upper inner rims of my eyes with black inner rim liner. This look varies from my typical inner rim lining. When reviewing the inspiration photo, I noticed that it appeared that the top inner rim and the very inner corner (top and bottom) of the eyes were actually lined. So this is what I did, including lining the inner corner of the inner rims. I then applied a light neutral eyeshadow to the inner corners of the eyes and the area between the eye crease and the brow bone. I then applied a yellow-gold shimmery eyeshadow to the eyelids only. Next, using a small angled eyeshadow brush, I applied a light purple eyeshadow to the bottom lash line. Once lined, I went back and created a ‘U” shape with the purple eyeshadow, moving from the inner corner to the outer, and allowing the eyeshadow to expand to a wider application at the center of the eye. I then moved on to my medium blue eyeshadow. Beginning at the outer corner of the (where the purple eyeshadow ended), I used an angled eyeshadow bruse to create a straight line upward to meet the outer edge of my eyebrow. I then created a second line with the blue eyeshadow from the end of my first line, straight back in toward the eye, ending in the crease in the center of the eye. I filled in the triangular shape created by my lines with the blue eyeshadow from the crease and out. I also filled the crease from the center of the eye to the outer edge with the blue eyeshadow. I finished the blue eyeshadow by adding a bit of the color to the outer corner of the eyelid around the yellow-gold eyeshadow, essentially allowing the blue eyeshadow to surround the yellow-gold eyeshadow in a wedge shape.
Now there are a couple of things in the inspiration photo that I think I see, but that I’m not really sure. First, after staring endlessly at the photo, to me it appears as if there’s pink shadow in the inner corner of the eye. I don’t know if it’s actually there or if it’s my eyes playing tricks on me. Either way, I decided it would be a great accent to the color palette already in place. Accordingly, I applied a bright pink eyeshadow to the inner corner of my eyes, blending it slightly outward to both the top and bottom colors. Second, to me it appears as if there is a darker shade outlining the bottom purple eyeshadow in the inspiration photo. Once again, I’m not sure if there is, but I went for it. I selected a deep bronze eyeshadow, and I lightly applied a line around the entire bottom eyeshadow, starting at the inner corner and working my outward to the very end of the blue eyeshadow at the brow. For my mascara, I wanted to use something that would really lengthen and separate, so I went with Lancôme Definicils Precious Cells High Definition Amplifying Mascara, applying two coats to the top lashes and one to the bottom.
The final part of this look is the lips, which have a very soft, natural tone with a touch of shine. For this, I opted to go with a tinted lip balm, which gave me just a hint of color with shine. Plus, it had the added benefit of moisturizing my lips!
So there you have it: the first of my four-part Precious Gems segment. Tell me what you think. and let me know if there’s any jewel/gem tones you want me to try out, or any color combinations that you want to challenge me with! Remember that I still need a lot of ideas! We are past the first month mark, but there’s still a long way to go! 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 38 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 36 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Fresh-Faced, Part V! Today wraps up my five-part inspiration series of fresh-faced looks from the October 2011 issue of The Colorist. If you’ve missed this week’s fresh-faced looks, be sure to check them out: Fresh-Faced Part 1, Fresh-Faced Part 2, Fresh-Faced Part 3, and Fresh-Faced Part 4!
What you will need:
Instructions:
For today’s base, I decided to follow with the steps I used for Fresh-Faced Part 4, as I think it worked rather well. I mixed my two favorite Sephora primers, and applied the mixture over my entire face, evening out my complexion and providing a touch of color and glow! I then applied my concealer to my undereye circles (you can tell from the photos above that my insomnia is weighing heavily on my eyes!), and added the brightening makeup I’ve been using this week to my entire face. I then set the look with a clear loose setting powder. I proceeded with my standard contouring tips, utilizing the Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo palette. After adding the darker shades to the hollows of the cheekbones and along the jaw line for added definition, I applied the the lighter shades on the tops of the cheekbones. I started at the temples, moving my way downward to the apples of the cheeks. I then added the lighter shades to the apples of the cheeks in lieu of blush. My goal was to achieve the luminescence that the model has in this photo.
Moving to my eyes, I lined the inner rims with black inner rim liner. I applied a shimmery neutral eyeshadow from the inner corner of the eye, upward and outward to the area between the crease and the brow. I then applied a shimmery silvery-gold eyeshadow to the eyelid. Using an angled eyeshadow brush, I lined the bottom lash line with the same silvery-gold eyeshadow in place of eyeliner. I then began working on the outline of the main shape of the eye look. Using a soft, smudgeable black eyeliner, I began creating my line towards the inner part of my eye, where the eye crease naturally begins to level off after curving upward. From this point, I created an outward arc, moving above the crease of the eye, yet following the general shape of the natural crease. However, instead of moving downward with the crease at the outer part of the eye, I continued outwards until I reached where my natural brown ended, at which point I flipped the black eyeliner upward. I then softly drew a line with the black eyeliner from the outer corner of the eye, arcing it upward to meet the top line at the point where my brow ended.
Next, I applied silver eyeshadow to the crease of the eye, beginning at the inner corner and working my way outward. I then went back and filled in with the silver eyeshadow any area left blank between my black eyeliner line and my eye. I then worked dark grey eyeshadow into the outer corner of the shape I had created with the black eyeliner, allowing it to gradually become lighter as it moved inward towards the eye. I then went back with my silvery-gold eyeshadow and extended the line I had created underneath the eye outward to meet the edge of the line of my design. The eye look was all about blending and gradation, and I used my fingertips and smudge brushes to adjust into I obtained the look I wanted. I then finished the eyes with two coats of black mascara to the top lashes and one to the bottom.
I completed the entire look with a pretty peachy-pink lipstick topped with a gold lip gloss for a bit of shine.
Although I didn’t get the exact look as shown in the photo, I was pretty happy with the results. The varying shapes from this week gave me some ideas of different looks I can try out in the future.
Remember that I still need a lot of ideas! We are past the first month mark, but there’s still a long way to go! 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 37 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 35 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Follower Friday featuring Fresh-Faced, Part IV! It’s time again for Follower Friday! Today’s question comes from Amber L. in Pennsylvania :
“What is a good mascara for volume and length all in one?”
Great question, Amber! This is actually a common one that I am often asked. Today I will answer Amber’s question, and, in keeping this week’s inspiration from the October 2011 issue of The Colorist, it will be fresh-faced! If you’ve missed this week’s fresh-faced looks, be sure to check them out: Fresh-Faced Part 1, and Fresh-Faced Part 2, and Fresh-Faced Part 3 !
What you will need:
Instructions:
For today’s base, I decided to switch it up a bit and try something different to achieve the glowing skin I’ve been working towards. I mixed my two favorite Sephora primers, and applied the mixture over my entire face. It helped even out my complexion, give a bit a color, and add some glow! I then applied myconcealer to my undereye circles (got some sleep last night, so they are improving!), and added the brightening makeup I’ve been using this week to my entire face. I then set the look with a clear loose setting powder. I decided to go with the clear setting powder instead of my standard colored mineral powder to see if it would allow the glow to shine through more. It did dampen some of the glow, but it definitely let more shine through! Now, when you look at the photo above, which was my guide for today’s look, you can see the cheeks are done in much the same way that I did yesterday for Fresh-Faced Part 3 . As such, I followed the same steps to achieve a glowing look on the cheeks with a bit of contouring.
Then I got down to business with the main focus of the look: the eyes. To begin the eyes, I first applied eyeshadow primer, and once that set, I dusted a neutral eyeshadow from the inner corner of the eyes, upward and outward to cover the area from the crease to the brow bone. Although in the inspiration photo you can’t see exactly what color is on the eyelids, to me it looked like something with a golden tone. So I decided to use a shimmery gold eyeshadow, applying it to the eyelids only.
Next, I worked on creating the black line that is the odd focal point of the eye look. Using a black eyeliner, I began to line starting in the crease at the very center of the eye, drawing a straight line outward past the outer corner of the eye. When I reached the point where my eyebrow ended, I arced the line up sharply, creating a sweeping effect. I will be honest: I had to do the line a couple of times until I was happy with it. This is where Q-tips and makeup remover come in handy! I don’t always get it right the very first time, so if you don’t either, don’t worry about it!
Moving on, I began applying the dark grey eyeshadow using an angled eyeshadow brush. Beginning at the outer end of the black line I had created, I pressed the brush down, angled diagonally back toward the eye, creating my outer edge line for the shadow. From where that line ended, I drew a straight line with the eyeshadow brush back to the outer corner of the eye, and then filled in the area with the dark grey eyeshadow. I finished with the dark grey eyeshadow by applying it to the crease of the eye as well. I lined the inner rims with black inner rim liner, and lined the bottom lash line with copper-colored eyeliner, leaving the top lash line unlined.
Now for our Follower Friday question from Amber. As you can tell by now, I am a big fan of makeup products that do double-duty. When it comes to mascara, I’ve had trouble finding one single product that does everything I want it to. Quite honestly, the best mascara I have found to do both volumizing and lengthening is Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Mascara. It volumizes and lengthens beautifully. It’s not everything I want, but it’s close! Now, as I’m sure you’ve all experienced, most mascaras target one specific need (i.e. volumizing or lengthening, but not both). One tip that I have used many times when I was unable to attain the look I was going for with one product was to layer. Yes, I mean using more than one mascara! I would first apply my favorite volumizing mascara, and then I would top it with my favorite lengthening mascara. It really does work. Another helpful option is what I started today’s eyelash look with: lash primer. Not only does a good lash primer add length or volume and prep your lashes for mascara, it also can have moisturizing benefits to care for your lashes. Try some different products, and figure out what works best for you. Mascara is a very personal choice: the efficiency of the product depends on the user’s lashes. Don’t be afraid to experiment (or layer), and, Amber, let me know what works for you! As for me, I started off with one coat of lash primer to the top and bottom lashes, and followed this by applying two coats of mascara to the top lashes and one to the bottom.
I finished the look by applying a warm tawny lipstick and topping it with gold lip gloss. There you have it!
Do you have a favorite mascara? Have you tried out any interesting eye looks? Have any you want me to try? 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 36 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 34 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Fresh-Faced, Part III. This week’s inspiration comes from the October 2011 issue of The Colorist, and today’s look is a continuation of these looks. In case you missed them, be sure to check out the Fresh-Faced Part 1 and Fresh-Faced Part 2 looks! The inspiration photo above was part of the spread I’ve been using for the past two days. It offers a different take on eyeshadow application. I was a big fan of this look, and within two hours of putting it on, I got multiple compliments!
What you will need:
Instructions:
For today’s base, I began with a tinted primer, and I topped it with the Borghese Splendore Brightening Makeup I tried out yesterday to add some glow to my skin. I once againconcealed my undereye circles, although you can tell from the photos above that my dark circles are still popping through a bit! I need sleep! As usual, I then set my base with a light dusting of mineral powder. Now, when you look at the photo above from The Colorist magazine, there isn’t any color on the apples of the cheeks. The focus is on fresh, glowing skin. So I went with my standard contouring tips, utilizing the Wet ‘n’ Wild MegaGlo palette . After adding the darker shades to the hollows of the cheekbones and along the jaw line for added definition, I applied the the lighter shades on the tops of the cheekbones. I started at the temples, moving my way downward to the apples of the cheeks. I then added the lighter shades to the apples of the cheeks in lieu of blush. My goal was to achieve the luminescence that the model has in this photo.
Moving to my eyes, I began by trying out Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer on the eye area to help keep my structured shadow in place. The eyeshadow primer went on smoothly and lightened the eye area slightly, which helped conceal my lack of sleep even more! I applied a light dusting of a shimmery white eyeshadow to the entire eye area. I then went back and added a heavier application of the shimmery white eyeshadow to the eyelid itself, starting in the inner corner and working it outward past the outer edge of the eye, angling it upward at that point.
To create the interesting shape, I chose one of my favorite grey eyeshadows, Estee Lauder Pure Color EyeShadow in Granite Block . I applied the dark grey shadow to the eye, beginning by applying from the inner corner outward above the crease. I began my line around where my lash line started, and at the point where my lash line ended, instead of following the curve of the eye crease, I used and angled brush to create a line pointing upward and outward toward the end of the brow. I then used the same angled brush to create a line back towards my first arcing ling, creating a triangle at the outer part of the eye. I then filled in the triangle with the dark grey shadow, and I went over the lines I had created with the dark grey shadow until I reached the shade that I was looking for. I then repeated these steps on the other eye, making any necessary adjustments to ensure that they were symmetrical. I finished the eyes by lining the bottom lash line only with I lined the bottom lash line with a copper-colored eyeliner, and leaving the top lash line unlined. I swiped two coats of mascara to the top lashes and one to the bottom lashes.
Finally, I wanted to keep the lips nude, but maintain the natural glow. I applied a pretty, creamy, moisturizing nude lipstick (I love multi-tasking products!), and finished it off with a dab of gold lip gloss to the center of the lips.
Have you tried out any interesting lines or shapes? Have any you want me to try? 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 35 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 32 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Fresh-Faced. First and foremost, I survived my first month of The Great Makeup Challenge! I want to send out a big thank you to everyone out there who’s been following along, sharing, and offering suggestions and words of encouragement!
Starting off my second month of The Challenge, and after going through a week of heavy Halloween makeup (good and bad!!), I decided I want to do something a little more light and airy: a fresh-faced look. After all, a week of heavy makeup can be very taxing on your skin. I was inspired by a spread in the October 2011 issue of The Colorist magazine, which featured photos of various fresh-faced looks (although the magazine is all about the hair!). The photo above just screamed fresh, healthy, and glowing to me. So that’s what I decided to do.
What you will need:
Instructions:
As always, I started with primer, followed by my standardconcealer to cover up my undereye circles. I honestly didn’t sleep well last night, and there my circles were especially dark as a result, presenting a bit of a challenge! I then set my base with loose mineral powder. In an effort to keep some semblance of summer around, I’ve been trying to keep my skin warm as we approach winter. I’ve been using a self-tanning moisturizer daily, and as such, I didn’t need to use a heavy foundation or even a tinted moisturizer today. Now, on the other end of the spectrum, if you happen to have the beautiful porcelain skin of the girl in the photo above, good for you! With such a skin tone, this look can be especially flattering.
Once I set my base, I moved onto contouring. I was aiming to obtain that nice flush that you can see in the model’s cheeks above. I opted to use my favoritebronzer/highlighter palette, first blending all of the colors and lightly dusting over my entire face for a warm, glowing effect. I then began contouring my cheekbones by applying the darker shades of the palette to the hollows of the cheekbones, and the lighter tones to the tops of the cheekbones. Once I was happy with the shape of the cheekbones, I moved on to my blush. When reviewing the photo, the blush is a pretty rosey color, and is focused on the apples of the cheeks, moving upward into the hollows of the cheeks. This leaves thehighlighter on the top of the cheekbones to capture and reflect the light. Following suit, I applied a rose blush to the apples of the cheeks, and worked it slightly upwards over the bronzer in the hollows of my cheeks, blending with my finger tips.
Now, the photo does leave a little to the imagination regarding what exactly was done with the eyeshadow. From what I can glean, there appears to be a soft grey shade in there. So I decided to go that route, and to also keep up the warm tones with a rosey-grey shade as well. I first applied a neutral shimmery shadow from the inner corner of the eye, working outward and upward along the brown bone. I applied the warm grey eyeshadow to the eyelid only, and then worked the grey eyeshadow to into the crease only. I then lined the inner rims of my eyes with black inner rim liner, and lined the bottom lash line with a copper-colored eyeliner.
I then thickly lined the top lash line with black eyeliner. As you can see in the photos above, this line continues outward past the inner corner of the eye toward where the brow ends. There’s a simple trick to getting this line. When your eyelid is closed, start lining in the inner corner of the eye, moving outward. As you reach the outer edge of the eye, keep lining straight out. When you close your eye, the line will appear to be almost perfectly straight out. However, when you open your eye, it appears to have some shape ti it. Let your own line be your guide, and it will make it a lot easier on you! To finish the eyes, I swiped on two coats of black lengthening mascara to the top lashes. I left the bottoms bare.
Finally, for my lips I wanted to add a touch of color and shine, but still keep the natural look I was going for. I tried out Covergirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm in Coral, and it added a nice shine a touch of color with the added benefit of moisturizing my lips.
Show me some of your fresh-faced looks! 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 33 of The Great Makeup Challenge!
