Monthly Archives: January 2013

NEUTRAL LOOK WITH NAKED2 PALETTE!

HELLO LADIES!! It’s been a couple days since I did a post, so I decided to do an Eye of the Day!

I did a VERY neutral look using mostly the Naked2 Palette by Urban Decay with a couple MAC shadows thrown in the mix. I love the Naked2 but it is definitely missing some key elements… like a transition shade!!! Anywho, this look is meant to be a little more effortless, so don’t worry about doing exact placement.

Unfortunately I could not get a picture that did this look justice… Partly because my camera isn’t up to par, and secondly because shadows with this much shimmer can be difficult to capture. Soon I will be getting a new camera and will be filming videos on YouTube, so keep an eye out for that!!! I hope you like the look and here’s the items that I used:

MAC Kid — transition
UD Verve — inner third of lid
UD Suspect — outer 2/3 of lid
UD Snakebit — outer v and crease, lower lashline
MAC Wedge- blend lower lashline
MAC Vanilla — highlight

MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre
MAC Espresso — Eyebrows
MAC Omega — Eyebrows
MAC Fling Eyebrow Pencil
Maybelline Brow Pencil in Blonde
Lorac Brow Pencil in Brunette
Clinique Cream Liner in True Black
MAC Smolder Eye Kohl
Salon Perfect Lashes #110
Revlon Lash Adhesive
Voluminous Mascara

BRUSHES:
MAC 217 (2)
MAC 224
MAC 210
MAC 266
Brow Grooming Brush
Tweezerman Tweezers

By the way my dears, it is not necessary to use 5 brow products like I did, but I am growing them out so they are requiring A LOT more attention these days 🙂

HAVE A GREAT DAY, AND DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE!!!!

TOP 3 MAC BLUSHES FOR FAIR/LIGHT SKIN

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I’m continuing my fair skin series with today’s post, which is the three best MAC blushes for pale or light skin. Now, some people find the word “pale” to be insulting… But I embrace how fair skinned I am and I use the term pale with pride!

The three I have listed all appear matte on the skin, which I think is important because they are the most versatile. You can always add shimmer later with a highlighter. If you would like to check out the eyeshadow installment of the series, click here.

You need three basic blushes in your collection: a neutral, a pink, and a peach. There are other color families that are great to have but, these are the necessary three! On to my blush choices… Click pictures to enlarge.

CUBIC (SATIN)

Cubic is the perfect go-to blush for ANY look. If I am in a rush and need to just grab something and throw it on, I always reach for this one. It is a satin finish, and while there are tiny amounts of sparkle in the pan, Cubic applies completely matte. You do have to build this blush up a little bit, and it is definitely the least pigmented of the three. But honestly girls, that’s one of the reasons I love it… It is great for beginners and it’s next to impossible to mess up when using this blush. Absolutely perfect, LOVE!

MAC DUPES: Cubic vs Tenderling? If you put the pans right next to each other they are a CLOSE match, although they apply to the skin a little differently. They are both neutral, but Cubic has more rosy undertones when applied. Do you need both? I would definitely say, NO.

MELBA (MATTE)

Heellllloooooo gorgeous!!! I am absolutely obsessed with this blush, and I’m talking an extremely unhealthy obsession. Well, maybe not to that extent, but you know what I mean, right? This is the most beatiful baby peach blush I have ever seen. It is extremely pigmented and blends like a dream. A lot of peach blushes can look too orangey on light complexions, but not this beaut. It warms up the skin in the most perfect and subtle way — truly a “lit from within” look.

MAC DUPES: Melba vs Peaches? They are similar but Melba has a little more brown and pink in it, and is definitely more pigmented. If you already have Peaches by MAC you may want to skip this one. I don’t think they are different enough to justify owning both if you are just starting your collection. I definitely like Melba a lot more than Peaches, which is just too orange on a lot of fair ladies.

FLEUR POWER (SATIN)

MAC describes Fleur Power as a “soft, bright pinkish coral” This is an AWESOME pink for all skin tones. I love Fleur Power for its versatility. Because this blush is so pigmented, you can use a light hand and get a very natural look, or a heavier hand and rock a statement cheek! If you want a more subtle pink I would suggest Well Dressed (click HERE).

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What is your favorite blush? Leave a comment below!

NC15, NC20, NC25, NW15, NW20, NW25

MAC: BRIGHT PURPLE LOOK

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Purple is one of the few colors that looks great with ANY eye color! You will want to pick a purple in accordance with the undertones of your skin. If you are cool toned, you will look best in blue based purples, while a warmer skin will pair nicely with a more red based purple.

PRODUCTS USED:

EYESHADOWS
MAC Beautiful Iris — inner 1/3 of lid, inner corner
MAC Satellite Dreams — middle 1/3 of lid, lower lash line
MAC Nocturnelle — outer 1/3 of lid, crease, lower lash line
MAC Wedge — transition
MAC Gesso — highlight
MAC Omega — eyebrows
MAC Espresso — eyebrows

MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder
Clinique Cream Liner in True Black
Maybelline Brow Pencil in Blonde
MAC Brow Pencil in Fling
Loreal Voluminous Mascara
MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC25

TOOLS/BRUSHES
MAC 217 (2)
MAC 219
MAC 239
MAC 210
MAC 266
MAC 208
MAC 224
Lancome Lash Curler
Eyebrow Grooming Brush (unknown brand)

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Comparison of MAC’s Black Eyeliners

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Which black is the blackest black? That is usually the oh-so important question that determines which liner we buy, and so in today’s post I decided to compare MAC’s Ebony, Engraved, and Smolder. Can one black be blacker than the other? Most definitely! With these swatches you can see the major differences in the way the liners appear, and later I will explain the differences in how these liners apply and wear. Ebony vs Engraved vs Smolder… I will be rating these on a scale of 1-10 describing how dark the shade of black is. LET THE SHOWDOWN BEGIN!!

From left to right: Ebony, Engraved, Smolder

EBONY: Ebony is called an “Eye Pencil” by MAC but it is drugstore quality disguised in MAC packaging… what a huge disappointment! The color is so light that it isn’t even black. It also is a very dry liner so when used on the eye lots of pulling and tugging — NOT cool! When you finally get it on, the wear isn’t very good, and just forget about trying to get it on your waterline! Fail. Rating: 1

ENGRAVED: Engraved is called a “Powerpoint Eye Pencil” by MAC which basically means that it is waterproof and longwearing. It has medium darkness, but it is a total neutral black, not leaning cool or warm! What makes Engraved special is it’s wear. I love that it won’t smudge or budge, but that’s also what I don’t like about it. That may sound crazy, but hear me out… because it wears so long it applies sticky. When used on the waterlines, it feels especially so. I don’t like for my eyelids to feel like they are sticking together everytime I blink. Some people love this liner, but personally the stickiness is a deal breaker. Rating: 6

SMOLDER: Smolder is called an “Eye Kohl” by MAC, which means that it is a soft-on liner that is very pigmented and great to smudge out. This is my favorite of the three and I highly recommend it to anyone! It’s amazing on the waterline, and stays put most of the day. Ladies with oilier lids may need to set it with a black eyeshadow on the upper lashline. This one is definitely the deepest of the three, but has the slightest blue undertone. This liner smudges when I want it to, sets quickly, and stays where I put it. LOVE. Rating: 9

MAC makes a couple other blacks and occasionally they’ll even come out with limited editions. My next purchase will be Feline, which is considered to be the blackest of them all! I will be sure to do a review. I passed on Graphblack, their twist up black, because I’m not a fan of twist up liners. I hope this post was helpful! Don’t forget to subscribe!

MAC: GREEN SMOKEY EYE

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My favorite look for a night on the town… Or to the grocery store 🙂

As always, if you’d like to recreate this look, you don’t have to use the exact items that are listed below… Just something similar in color and finish.

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PRODUCTS USED:

EYESHADOWS

MAC Greensmoke — Lid

MAC Wedge — Transition (crease and slightly above)

MAC Smut — Outer V and crease

MAC Era — Blend

MAC Vanilla — Highlight

MAC Vex — Inner corner

MAC Humid — Lower lashline

MAC Omega — Eyebrows

MAC Espresso — Eyebrows

MAC Smolder Eye Kohl — Smudge on lid as eyeshadow base and waterlines

Clinique Cream Liner in True Black

Loreal Voluminous Mascara

Maybelline Brow Pencil in Blonde

MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC25

BRUSHES/TOOLS

MAC 217 (2)

MAC 239

MAC 219

MAC 208

MAC 210

MAC 227

Lancome Lash Curler

Brow Grooming Brush (I don’t know what brand)

EYEBROW TUTORIAL — Filling in Thin Brows

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As you are about to see I have very thin eyebrows… they are naturally sparse, and I over plucked for about 10 years. Currently I’m growing them out but it doesn’t seem to be doing much good. Anywho, on with the tutorial. Here are some important tips and tricks when filling in your brows:

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Eyebrow grooming brush/spoolie
Eyebrow pencil
Eyebrow powder (2 shades)
Angled brush
Brow gel (optional)

1. Determine the shape of your brows: In my opinion, it is always best to go with the natural shape that you already have, just making small adjustments. Line A – your brow should end in line with the outer corner of your eye. Line B – The highest point of the arch should be right over the outer edge of your iris. Line C – The beginning of the brow should be in line with the edge of the bridge of your nose. Line D – The bottom of the eyebrow should be in a straight line to the arch. You can take a white pencil and put dots where Line A-C should hit your brow, if that helps you in the beginning.

2. Pick the correct colors for your eyebrow. Using two different shades in colors that suit your eyebrow will help to create the most natural look. If you have hair that is warm or has red tones in it use a warmer color, and the same goes if your hair is an ashy color. For example, a blonde or person with ashy eyebrows like myself would look strange if I used a pencil/powder with any warmth (red undertones) in it.

3. Use a pencil and a powder. The pencil is used to determine the shape and fill in bare spots, and the powder will softly fill in thin areas.

4. Use clear brow gel. If you have hairs that march to the beat of their own drum, use a clear brow gel to set the brows in place.

STEP ONE: Use a spoolie or eyebrow grooming brush, and brush the hair upwards. You can also trim the hair if they are extremely long, but be VERY careful… One snip too short, and the you may have a tragic turn of events. I choose not to trim my brows.

STEP TWO: With a pencil that is close to the same color of your brows, draw a smooth line on the bottom of the brow to determine shape. Use short strokes while doing this. If you have darker brows, I would stop the line a little after the arch, because it can look very drawn on. You can use the powder in a later step to fill in the tail.

STEP THREE: Using that same pencil, make small strokes in the direction the hair grows to fill in the bottom of the brow. Our goal in this step is blending the line from Step Two into the brow. Leave the top and front of the brow bare.

STEP FOUR: Using an angled brush and the lighter powder, fill in the front and top of the brow. Then, use the darker shade to emphasize the arch and other sparse areas. If you are going to use brow gel, you would apply now.

I use MAC eyeshadows to fill in my brows, and Omega is one of the most versatile and most popular MAC shadows used on brows. Here are some other colors that I recommend, although you don’t have to stick to the categories specifically. I, for example, use Omega and Espresso and have blonde hair.

Blonde: Omega

Brunette: Brun, Charcoal Brown, Mystery

Redhead: Cork, Espresso

PRODUCTS USED:

Maybelline Brow Pencil in Blonde

MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

MAC Eyeshadow in Omega

MAC Eyeshadow in Espresso

On the eyes:

MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre

Urban Decay Stray Dog Eyeshadow

MAC Cork

MAC Vanilla

MAC Smolder Eye Kohl

Loreal Voluminous Mascara (it’s almost out, so they aren’t looking very voluminous!)

So, that’s how I do brows… Now, if yours aren’t as thin as mine, you may just need a little powder. I hope that was helpful, and enjoy the rest of your day!

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MY MAC PALETTES

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Click HERE for the updated post!

I have my MAC eyeshadows organized into an Everday Palette, a Bright Colors Palette, and my Neutrals Palette. How you organize your shadows really depends on you and what colors you have. When organizing I think it’s important to have one palette that you use as your “Everyday” palette, because it is much easier working from just one on a day to day basis… but hey, that’s just my opinion!

When it comes to organizing the shadows within the palette, I try to make a gradient from the top left down to the bottom right. So, you would put the lightest shade in the top left corner and then put the next two lightest shades beside and below it. This can be seen the easiest in my Neutrals Palette. I do not take the finish of the shadows into account.

The Bright Colors Palette is organized a little differently. For my kit, I don’t think it’s necessary to have an entire palette devoted to different colors, like a blue palette, green palette, etc… So I have them in one palette and they are in groups of three going downwards according to color.

My Everyday Palette is organized with the gradient in mind, as well as grouping similar colors. It’s hard to describe how I put that one together; I just tried to make it aesthetically pleasing. If you want to hold 26 shades in the palette rather than 15, you can pop out the divider and then glue down the metal sheet to the palette, like I did below:

EVERDAY PALETTE (Click to Enlarge)

Top Row: Gesso, Blanc Type, Vanilla*, Kid*, Era*, Omega*, Cork

Second Row: Shroom, Nylon, Dazzlelight*, Vex*, Naked Lunch*, Espresso

Third Row: Sumptuous Olive*, Club*, Humid*, Bronze*, Patina*, Mulch, Brun

Last Row: Cranberry, Sketch*, Embark, Sable, Satin Taupe*, Smut*

NEUTRALS PALETTE (Click to Enlarge)

Top Row: Mylar, Jaunty, Ricepaper, All That Glitters, Copperplate*

Middle Row: Malt, Jest, Woodwinked, Twinks*, Knight Divine

Last Row: Wedge, Tempting*, Brown Down, Handwritten, Print

BRIGHT COLORS PALETTE (Click to Enlarge)

Top Row: Lucky Green, Gorgeous Gold, Expensive Pink, Shale, Beautiful Iris

Middle Row: Greensmoke, Shimmermoss, Amber Lights, Star Viotlet, Satellite Dreams

Third Row: Plumage, Contrast, Coppering, Plum Dressing

I like to keep Carbon in a quad because it has a slight crack in it, and the last thing I would want is Carbon exploding in my palette and ruining all my other shadows.

I plan on making more detailed blog posts about each palette describing colors and showing swatches. Please leave a comment below if you would like to see that!

Enjoy the rest of your day, and don’t forget to subscribe!

EVERYDAY SMOKEY EYE TUTORIAL

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You don’t have to be Jersey girl to love a good smokey eye!! In today’s post I’m going to show how I do a neutral, everyday version of this look. So, what makes a smokey eye a smokey eye? Well, it’s placing your darkest color near the lashes and creating a gradient towards the browbone. A gradient is when you go from the darkest color to the lightest color gradually. You can do this look with any colors you wish, as long as the darkest color is by your lashline and your crease has a transition to the browbone. Keep reading to learn how to create this look!!

STEP ONE: Fill in brows and apply primer (As always, I use Urban Decay Primer Potion)

STEP TWO: Apply transition shade. A transition shade is a color that is 1-3 shades darker than your skin and acts as a… well, transition from your lid to your highlight. Apply this color in and right above the crease. In order to get the right effect, you want the transition shade to be a matte or satin. Also, it is important to apply the transition shade before any other colors. I am using MAC Era, my new favorite!

STEP THREE: Apply lid shade. I am using Brown Down by MAC but any dark brown will do. Brown Down is a matte — you could also use one with shimmer, you’ll just have to make a small adjustment in the next step. Also, leave the inner corner bare, because we want to highlight that area later.

STEP FOUR: Apply highlight (MAC Dazzellight) to inner corner and browbone, and apply lid shadow (MAC Brown Down) to lower lashline. This highlight has shimmer, so if you used a shimmery lid shade I would use a matte shadow in this step. The reason I recommend that is because if you use only shimmery eyeshadows for a look, it can be a bit too much — kind of like a disco ball 🙂

STEP FIVE: Apply liner, curl lashes, and apply mascara.

When doing a smokey eye it is usually a good idea to do foundation last so that the darker eyeshadows that you’re using don’t fall down and ruin it.

Hope that is helpful!! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to subscribe!

WINGED EYELINER — CAT EYE TUTORIAL

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Oh winged eyeliner, how I love thee!!!

If you are new to winged eyeliner it can be quite intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. There are a couple of different methods to create the perfect cat eye, but this is the one that works for me.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Matte black eyeshadow
Small angled brush (I use the MAC 208 pictured below)
Liquid liner (or you can use gel liner, but I personally find it more difficult)

STEP ONE: Apply primer and eyeshadow. (I use Urban Decay Primer Potion, and the eyeshadows above are by MAC in the shades: Naked Lunch, Era, and Vanilla)

STEP TWO: With small angled brush and matte black eyeshadow, line the outer two thirds of your top lash line. Then line the very outer corner of your bottom last line — extending the line up to make the wing. You can go much farther than I did, but I prefer a small wing.

The wing should appear to extend from your bottom lashes and point to the very end of your eyebrow. This doesn’t have to be exact, but it is a good rule of thumb.

STEP THREE: Fill in the area between the end of the wing and the upper lash line with the matte black eyeshadow. You can stop at this step for a less dramatic cat eye, which I often do… Just curl your lashes and apply mascara, and you’re all finished.

STEP FOUR: Apply liquid liner. I like to use Revlon ColorStay liquid liner, but use whichever you think is easiest. You want to make sure that it has a felt tip applicator because these allow for the smoothest application. Also, when you initially take out the applicator, be sure to wipe off a little of the extra product — much like one would do with a mascara wand. The line should be thinner the farther you go towards the inner corner. Do not try to make this line in one swipe — doing this takes away your precision –instead take small strokes. In the inner corner I dot the eyeliner along the lash line and then use small strokes to connect the dots and smooth the line.

STEP FIVE: Line your upper and lower waterlines, curl your lashes and apply mascara.

Practice definitely makes perfect when it comes to achieving a perfect cat eye!! I don’t always use the eyeshadow in steps 1-3… you can always just go for it and use the liquid liner first. Using the eyeshadow helps a lot in the beginning when you are trying to visualize the correct angle for the wing. If you mess up, simply take a cotton swab with a little bit of make up remover on it and wipe away your mistake. Another tip is to look at your mirror in a downward angle. This helps to smooth the eyelid and makes it easier to see how close you are getting the liner to your lashes.

I hope this was helpful! Do you use liquid or gel? Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to subscribe!

MAC: EASY PURPLE DAYTIME LOOK

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Sugar Plum Inspired Daytime Look

Without Liquid Liner

With Liquid Liner

This is an easy and wearable purple eye, that is appropriate for work or school. The key to making most looks daytime appropriate is using a light hand and making sure to BLEND, BLEND, BLEND!! My favorite brush to use is the MAC 217. If you don’t have the 217 just use any dome shaped blending brush. A less expensive brush version is the Sonia Kashuk blending brush, which can be found at any target.

Shadows used:

MAC Satin Taupe (metallic purpley taupe): Inner two-thirds of lid to crease

MAC Nocturnelle (dark purple with shimmer): Outer third of lid to crease, and line bottom lashes

MAC Kid (matte light brown — two shades darker than yor skintone): Blend crease and transition

MAC Vanilla (matte off white): Highlight

MAC Vex (multi-color shimmer): Inner corner

MAC Carbon (matte black): Line top lashes

You don’t have to purchase these shadows necessarily… Just use something you have that is similar in color and finish.

In the first picture I used a matte black eyeshadow (Carbon) on a small angled brush (MAC 208) to line my eye and create a small wing… You can stop there for a more natural look, or you can use the shadow as a guideline when creating your winged eyeliner using liquid or gel liner. I like to put on one light coat of mascara before using liquid or gel liner because it keeps my lashes out of the way.

I hope this was helpful and I will be experimenting with different lighting to take the best pictures possible for future looks.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!