Haute Chic

Day 15 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Lavender Eyes.  

What you will need:

• Foundation primer (I used, and highly recommend, Sephora Perfecting Primer)
• Light foundation (Today I used Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX Foundation in Light L3)
  
  
• Concealer (Benefit Erase Paste reigns supreme)
  
  
• Powder (I used Sephora Mineral Powder)
• Translucent setting powder (I used Laura Mercier Universal Invisible Loose Setting Powder)
  
  
• Bronzer (I used Lancome’s Star Bronzer Cream-to-Powder Bronzing Veil in 01 Dorè)
  
  
• Highlighter (I used Benefit’s Girl Meets Pearl liquid highlighter)
  
  
• Deep plum cream blush (Today I used Make Up Forever Aqua Cream Waterproof Cream Color in a deep purple shade)
  
  
• Warm, shimmery cream eyeshadow to act as your neutral (I used Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush Cream Shadow in Going Green, a pretty golden-green shade)
  
  
• Light lavender cream eyeshadow (I used Illamasqua Cream Pigment’s pretty lavender shade)
  
  
• Black inner rim eyeliner (Today I used POP Beauty In Liner in No 1 in Black; this is still my absolute favorite!)
  
  
• 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)
  
  
• Glossy, purpley-pink lip color (I used Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Sheer Candy in a pretty burgundy tint)

Instructions:  Okay, so my posting has fallen behind, although I have been executing the challenge daily.  For now, I’m going to put up the photos, and the corresponding content will follow within the next 2 days.  Be patient with me, I’m still working out the kinks with all this!

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 16 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 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 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:

• A de-puffing eye moisturizer, which should be kept refrigerated (I highly recommend Olay Regenerist’s anti-aging eye roller, which I keep stocked in my fridge)
  
  
• Tinted moisturizer (You know my recommendation: Philosphy’s The Supernatural)
  
  
• Concealer (Benefit’s Erase Paste is the absolute BEST concealer I’ve ever used for under eye circles)
  
  
• Powder (I recommend Sephora’s Mineral loose powder)
  
  
• Bronzer (I used Lancome’s Star Bronzer Cream-to-Powder Bronzing Veil in 01 Dorè)

• Highlighter (I used Benefit’s Girl Meets Pearl liquid highlighter)
   
• Blush or Cheek Stain (I used Benefit’s Posie-Tint poppy-pink-tinted lip & cheek stain)
  
  
• Light, shimmery eyeshadow (I used NYX’s Ultra Pearl Mania loose eyeshadow in Baby Pink Pearl)
  
   
• Dark eyeliner for around the eyes (I tried out Estee Lauder’s Automatic Eye Pencil Duo in 25-Plumwood)
  
  
• Dark waterproof eyeliner for the upper inner rims (I used Pop Beauty’s in-liner in No. 1 Black)
  
  
• Light (think white or nude colored) waterproof eyeliner for the lower inner rims (I used Tarte’s emphasEYES inner rim brightener today)
  
  
• A dark-colored lengthening mascara (I used Lancome’s Definicils Precious Cells in black)
  
  
• Lipstick, your choice of a bright or dark color (Today, I used NYX’s Lipstick in LSS 626)

 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.

Day 5 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Bombshell? Okay, so I’m not a Victoria’s Secret model, but I was inspired by the makeup on the October 2011 cover of Elle Magazine featuring Adriana Lima.  I may not be bombshell status, but it was fun to pretend for a while!  

What you will need:

• Tinted  moisturizer (Philosphy’s The Supernatural provides me with an even complexion and a warm glow)
  
  
• Concealer (Still swear by Benefit’s Erase Paste)
  
  
• Powder (I recommend Sephora’s Mineral loose powder)
  
  
• Bronzer (I used Lancome’s Star Bronzer in Bronze Solaire)

• Blush (Today I used Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Cream waterproof cream color)
  
  
• Highlighter ( I used Benefit’s Girl Meets Pearl)

• Golden shimmer eyeshadow (Today was the gold color from Lancome’s Colour Focus EyeColour Quad in 4Dreaming)
  
  
• Black, black, black eyeliner (For today’s inner rims, I used Tarte’s EmphasEYES inner rim pencil in in black; and for the outer liner I used a fat black kohl pencil from Giella)
  
  
• Mascara (Today’s lashes were brought to you courtesy of Urban Decay’s Supercurl Curling Mascara)
  
  
• Pale pink lip color and gloss (Today was a combination of Wet n Wild’s long lasting lipstick in 901B with a touch of Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush lip gloss in Strawberry Fizz)
  
  
• A few spritzes of Victoria’s Secret Sexy Little Things scented body mist in Noir Tease (this is a Bombshell challenge, isn’t it?)
  

  

 Instructions:

After days of being sick, I had my first break today.  I woke up feeling vaguely, well, human.  As my health changed, so did my mood, bringing a bit of sunshine with it.  To celebrate, I decided to have some fun and attempt the classic bombshell look. 

I started off with the Five Minute Wake Up Makeup base (I said I was feeling better, but so enthused as to put much more work into it!).  I followed along with the contouring steps, but I added extra emphasis on the bronzer to bring more of the sun-kissed look to my cheeks.  Benefit’s Girl Meets Pearl liquid highlighter was tapped along the length of my entire cheekbones to brighten up what could be a very dark look.  I also changed up my blush, gently tapping Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Cream waterproof cream color along the apples of my cheeks to add a peachy glow.

Next, I lined the inner rims of my eyes with Tarte’s EmphasEYES inner rim pencil in in black.  (Check out my Moody Makeup post for inner rim lining tips!) I then dusted a light coat of the shimmery gold color from Lancome’s Colour Focus EyeColour Quad in 4Dreaming from lid to brow to bring more warmth to the look.

Then I tackled my biggest challenge.  I lined all the way around my eyes with a thick, black kohl pencil.  I am not an expert at this, and the smudgeable kohl pencil took over half my face.  Tip for saving the day?  Q-tips!  These handy little buggers can help clean up any mess you make, and with great precision.  Everyone needs these in their makeup tool box!  As for kohl pencil?  Practice, practice, practice!  Don’t give up! And when you survive the lining ordeal, top off your lashes with a thickening, curling black mascara top and bottom. 

Finally, I accented a natural pout with a dab of pale pink lipstick on the center of my lips (top and bottom) only, and a touch of gloss on top.  It makes the pout stand out without overwhelming the strong eyes.

Overall, it wasn’t as bad as I thought, although I have some reckoning to do with that kohl pencil….

 I know there are bombshells out there!  Show me your best, and have some fun with it!  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 6 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.

(Source: ELLE)

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:

• Tinted  moisturizer (I use and highly recommend Philosphy’s The Supernatural)
  
  
• Concealer; unless you’re one of the lucky ones who don’t need it! (The absolute best one I’ve ever used: Benefit Erase Paste)
  
  
• Powder (I recommend Sephora’s Mineral loose powder)
  
  
• Bronzer (I recommend Wet n Wild Ultimate Minerals Bronzer.  It is cheap, but the quality is great)
  
  
• Blush (Today, I used Benefit’s Coralista blush)
  
  

• Highlighter (for a quick powder highlighter, I recommend Wet n Wild Mega Glo Illuminating Powder)
  
  
• Light eye shadow (Today, I used Lancome’s Color Design eye shadow in Lavender Girl - Shimmer)
  
  
• Waterproof Mascara, in case your whining gets a little wet in the eyes (Today, I used Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto Voluptuous Waterproof mascara)
  
  
• Dark Eyeliner (Today I used Wet n Wild’s Coloricon eyeliner in Black Black on the outer eye and Pop Beauty’s in-liner in No. 1 in Black for the inner rims)
  
  
• Dark lip color for your skin tone (I used Kat Von D’s Foiled Love Lipstick in Oh My Goth)

  

 

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.

Taming Wild Eyes

Note: An apology to all for my delay in posting, but, as luck would have it, I became really sick just as Day 2 of the Challenge began, and Day 3 found me feeling even worse.  As I noted in Day 1’s post, you can always tell when I’m sick in my eyes, and these photos make that very evident!  Sick or not, The Great Makeup Challenge continues!

Day 3 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Today’s challenge is to tame the wild eyes I sported for Livestrong Day.  Not everyone is comfortable sporting so much eye makeup, let alone in all yellow!  So for today I’ll incorporate a bit of yellow in a more user-friendly look.

What you will need:

• Tinted  moisturizer (I use and highly recommend Philosphy’s The Supernatural)
  
  
• Concealer; unless you’re one of the lucky ones who don’t need it! (The absolute best one I’ve ever used: Benefit Erase Paste)
  
  
• Powder (I recommend Sephora’s Mineral loose powder)
  
  
• Bronzer (I recommend Wet n Wild Ultimate Minerals Bronzer.  It is cheap, but the quality is great)
  
  
• Blush (Today, I used Beneftit’s Coralista blush)
  
• Highlighter (for a quick powder highlighter, I recommend Wet n Wild Mega Glo Illuminating Powder)
  
  
• Yellow eye shadow (Today, I used a combination of NYX’s Mellow Yellow eyeshadow and the Strawberry side of Clinique’s Color Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Strawberry/Fudge)
  
  
• Mascara (Today, I used Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes!)
  
  
• Eyeliner (Today I used Wet n Wild’s Coloricon eyeliner in Dark Brown)
  
  
• Lip color, which I decided to do in a pink lip gloss (I used Clinique’s Color Surge Impossibly Glossy lip gloss in Cherry Apple)

  

 Instructions:

Sickness continued today, once again dictating that I stick to my quick Five Minute Wake Up Makeup base, contouring, and blush tips.  For today’s blush, I opted for a soft shimmery peach to wake up my sickly complexion. 

Next, to tame yesterday’s eyes, I applied a very sheer application of NYX’s Mellow Yellow eyeshadow form the inner corner of the eye up and along the brow line to the outer corner of the eye.  The great thing about this yellow eyeshadow is that it’s buildable, so you can apply it as sheer or opaque as you would like to give some contrast.  I applied the Strawberry side of Clinique’s Color Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Strawberry/Fudge along the eyelid and into the crease.  This soft shimmery pink blends beautiful with the sheer yellow, giving a nice shine to help wake-up eyes.  I lined the top lash line only with Wet n Wild’s Coloricon eyeliner in Dark Brown to give my eyes some definition, and a coat of Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes! finished up the look of the eyes.

For my lips, I swiped on a quick coat of Clinique’s Color Surge Impossibly Glossy lip gloss in Cherry Apple.  This gloss leaves a pop of shiny color that finishes off this skin-brightening look.

This is a look that each and every one of you can try.  Play around with the intensity of the eyeshadows, finding the level of color that works best for you.  Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone!

 

 Share your versions of this look, questions you may have, or any ideas you want me to try out on via my Submit page above, or  Email Me!

 See you tomorrow for Day 4 of The Great Makeup Challenge!

Note: All products I recommended above are available from Sephora, Ulta, your local department store, and your local drug store.

Note: An apology to all for my delay in posting, but, as luck would have it, I became really sick just as Day 2 of the Challenge began.  As I noted in Day 1’s post, you can always tell when I’m sick in my eyes, and these photos make that very evident!  Sick or not, The Great Makeup Challenge continues!

Day 2 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge: Today is Livestrong Day!  I had great plans for the day, which were cut a bit short by an unexpected severe cold (low-grade fever, chills, etc.), but The Challenge must go on!  I decided to incorporate my support of Livestrong and the fight against cancer into my makeup, so I wore my yellow on my eyes!

What you will need:

• Tinted  moisturizer (I use and highly recommend Philosphy’s The Supernatural)
  
  
• Concealer; unless you’re one of the lucky ones who don’t need it! (The absolute best one I’ve ever used: Benefit Erase Paste)
  
  
• Powder (I recommend Sephora’s Mineral loose powder)
  
  
• Bronzer (I recommend Wet n Wild Ultimate Minerals Bronzer.  It is cheap, but the quality is great)
  
• Blush (Today, I used Chanel’s powder blush in Tempting Beige)
  
  
• Highlighter (for a quick powder highlighter, I recommend Wet n Wild Mega Glo Illuminating Powder)
  
• Yellow eye shadow (Today, I used a combination of NYX’s Ultra Pearl Mania in Yellow Pearl with NYX’s Mellow Yellow eyeshadow)
  
  
• Mascara (Today, I used Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes!)
  
  
• Lip color , which I decided to do in a bright pink to offset the yellow around my eyes (I used Tarte’s Lipsurgence natural matte lip stain in Lively)
  

  

 Instructions:

Sickness dictated that I stick to a really quick base today.  I simply didn’t have the energy for anything more!  I followed my own tips from the Five Minute Wake Up Makeup, applying my base, contouring, and blush.  For today’s blush, I opted for a soft brown tone.  I didn’t want a bright blush to clash with my bright eyes.

Next, I applied NYX’s Ultra Pearl Mania in Yellow Pearl from the inner corner of the eyes, across the eye, to the brow, and out to the hairline.  I like to think of this as my Yellow Warrior look.  On the eyelid, I added NYX’s Mellow Yellow eyeshadow to give some contrast.  I skipped the eyeliner, allowing the yellow to shine, and swiped on Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes! for a nice fringe around my eyes.

My skin has a very yellow base, and even without being sick, yellow can often make me look sickly.  To try to offset this effect, I selected a rich fuchsia lip stain to brighten my face and accent the yellow.  Plus, the stain’s lasting power allows me to avoiding constant reapplication.

I realize not everyone is comfortable with trying out such a drastic look, so tomorrow I’ll tackle making this look user-friendly for our day-to-day lives.

 Did you support Livestrong Day?  Show me your yellow!  Share photos of you getting your yellow on via my Submit page above, or  Email Me!

 See you tomorrow for Day 3 of The Great Makeup Challenge!

Note: All products I recommended above are available from Sephora or Ulta.

Honesty is the best policy, right?  So I thought for my first blog post that I would be honest: brutally honest.  I wanted to show you exactly what I look like before I put makeup on (see the top two photos above).  After all, we all don’t wake up with flawlessly made up faces.  We all have imperfections in some form, and the ultimate goal of makeup is to cover the imperfections and present a better version of you.  In the process, it can make you feel better, and it really can brighten your day.  As the first photos above demonstrate, the biggest imperfection I battle with is my dark under eye circles.  For me, it’s a hereditary issue from my father’s side of the family (thanks, Dad!).  When I’m sick or stressed, the circles get even darker!  Accordingly, my biggest challenge is to cover up the circles.

So today is Day 1 of 365 of The Great Makeup Challenge, and I was pondering how important it is to always walk out of the house with at least a ‘base’ on to cover my imperfections.  Some days, it seems an impossible challenge.  After all, we all have busy schedules and don’t always have the time.  Not to mention the days that we hit snooze a few too many times (I know you’re with me on this!).  As such, I thought the best way to kick of The Challenge is with a quick, simple five minute makeup application that will not only wake up your face and make you look presentable for the world, but it can also be crammed into your schedule before running out the door.

What you will need:

• Tinted  moisturizer (I use and highly recommend Philosphy’s The Supernatural)
  
  
• Concealer; unless you’re one of the lucky ones who don’t need it! (The absolute best one I’ve ever used: Benefit Erase Paste)
  
  
• Powder (I recommend Sephora’s Mineral loose powder)
  
  
• Bronzer (I recommend Wet n Wild Ultimate Minerals Bronzer.  It is cheap, but the quality is great)
  
  
• Highlighter (for a quick powder highlighter, I recommend Wet n Wild Mega Glo Illuminating Powder)
  
  
• Eyeliner (Wet n Wild Coloricon eyeliner pencils do the job, are cheap, and they last!)
  
  
• Mascara (Today, I use Beneft Bad gal Waterproof, as I knew the weather would not really help a non-waterproof!)
  
  
• Lip color, which I recommend a sheer color or gloss (I used Yves Saint Laurant Colupte Sheer Candy in 1AAB, which gives a beautiful glossy color) 

  

 Instructions:

First and foremost, a really quick base for me is tinted moisturizer in lieu of foundation.  I use it during the summer when I don’t want anything heavy on my face, but I’ve also found that when you’re in a hurry you can do double duty instead of taking the time to apply foundation.  Tinted moisturizer moisturizes, provides you with essential SPF, gives you an even color base, and can even skin tone (Philosophy’s The Supernatural acts like a primer, smoothing your skin out beautifully).  The center photo above features just an add on of tinted moisturizer, and you can always see the skin evening our and improvement in my under eye circles.  Total time for application of tinted moisturizer = 30 seconds.

Second, I dabbed concealer underneath my eyes to help cover up my dark under eye circles.  Of course, everyone else can use concealer for variety of reasons such as covering up redness, acne, under eye circles or any other imperfections that you want to blend into the rest of your face.  Or, if not needed, skip this step altogether.  Total time for application of concealer = 45 seconds.

Third, I did a quick dusting of loose powder over my entire face to help set everything and control shine throughout the day.  Total time for application of powder = 15 seconds.

I will digress momentarily to discuss an issue that I see time and time again.  Let’s remember that our skin does not suddenly end at our jaw line, and therefore a sold line of makeup along the jaw is not necessary!  I always blend my tinted moisturizer (foundation, powder, etc.) down my neck and slightly over to the ears.  First, with regard to the tinted moisturizer, one of the most overlooked areas for SPF protection is the neck, and that’s one of the areas where we see signs aging.  Apart from that, blending past the jaw line helps the face to appear like it belongs with the rest of the body, looking more natural.   

Moving back to today’s challenge, my fourth step was to take black eyeliner and do a quick line along my upper lash line of each eye.  A quick swipe it all it takes.  I used black eyeliner, but you can utilize any color you want.  Be creative!  Total time for application of eye liner = 30 seconds.

Fifth, I swiped a quick coat of mascara on my lashes.  This really helps to make the eyes really open up and give it a subtle, natural look.  Total time for application of mascara = 30 seconds.

Sixth, I moved on to my cheeks and the rest of my face in order to warm up my complexion, giving a bit of warmth and definition with contouring.  To contour my cheeks, I sucked in my cheeks, and using an angled brush blended my bronzer (as my contour shade) under the cheekbones from the hairline to the hollow of the cheeks halfway down my cheekbone.  I then applied a powder highlighter along the top of the cheekbone from above the hollow to the temple.  This was followed by applying a powder blush with a soft brush to the apples of my cheeks.  I did a quick finger blending to soften the look.  Total time for application for bronzer, highlighter, and blush: 1.5 minutes

Seventh (and lastly), to finish off the look, I did a quick swipe of sheer lipstick, which gave the lips a subtle pop of color.   In my case, I chose a sheer glossy lipstick that almost looks like a natural lip color.  Of course, you could always put on a lipstick or lip gloss.  However, take heed that I find a matte lipstick takes a more time to apply to ensure your accuracy.  Therefore, my super quick and easy option is a good sheer lipstick or a lip gloss.  You can even do it as you’re running out the door!  Total time for application of sheer lipstick = 10 seconds

Total application time: 4 minutes, 10 seconds.

As you can see from the bottom two photos above, my final overall look is a quick natural look that hides my imperfections and lack of sleep!  It brings out the better version of me and takes five minutes or less!

Tip:  If you find yourself in need of Five Minute Wake-Up Makeup often, you may want to consider making your own ‘emergency’ kit.  Essentially, take the products that I’ve described above and put them aside in a separate bag (or cabinet, case, etc.).   This way, if you’re going to wake up late or be in a hurry, you know that all the items you need are one quick bag.  Just grab, apply, and go!  After all,  the last thing you want when you’re in a hurry is to have to dig to find what you’re need, which may have you spending more time hunting than applying the makeup itself!

 So give the Five Minute Wake-Up Makeup a whirl, whether you are in a hurry or not, and share your experiences with me, either on my blog or Email Me!

 See you tomorrow for Day 2 of The Great Makeup Challenge!

Note: All products I recommended above are available from Sephora, except the Wet n Wild brand products, which can be purchased from your local drug store.