Queen of Hearts: Valentine's Makeup Tutorial

About a month ago, I purchased loads of pigments from Coastal Scents, Blend Minerals, and Geek Chic Cosmetics and as much as I wanted to use them, I just never got around to it. Loose eyeshadows are notoriously hard to work with. While their color payoff is usually a step above what you can get from an eyeshadow in pan form, they are very messy to work with. However, if you have the patience, they can be worth your while, especially with more creative looks.

Step 1: Prime lid with MAC Painterly Paint Pot. This will help create an even canvas for the colors to pop and will also help the pigments to adhere better to the skin.

Step 2: Create a cut crease using Coastal Scents Nightingale Pigment, which is a bronzy color with gunmetal bluish-grey undertone. Blend out any harsh lines with MAC Soft Brown and go back with Nightingale to redefine the crease.

Step 3: Pat on Dream of Large Women Pigment by Geek Chic Cosmetics all over the lid. This pigment is from their Storybook Love Collection and it is a light pink with a lilac duo chrome.

Step 4: Create a thick winged eyeliner using Ruby Kisses Gel Liner in Rich Black. Pat Inglot Matte 330 eyeshadow on brow bone as a highlight.

Step 5: Run Nightingale on the lower lash line and blend it out with Dream of Large Women, creating a second wing.

Step 6: Add tons of mascara and Red Cherry # 73 lashes. Then, use ELF Liquid Eyeliner in Black to create a cutesy heart on the brow bone.

50th Blog Post! Special Occasion Makeup

I received a lot of requests to show the step-by-step on the makeup that I wore this New Year's Eve. I wore a subtle, champagne colored lid with smoked out eyeliner. It's a very classic, beautiful look that is simple and fast, yet still elegant.

Step 1: Prime lid with MAC Painterly Paint Pot to create an even skin tone canvas and to prevent the creasing of the following bases and eyeshadows.

Step 2: Apply NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cashmere to the inner two thirds of the lid. Then, pat a combination of Urban Decay Bootycall from the Naked 2 palette and MAC Naked Pigment over the top of it.

Step 3: Pat MAC Embark on the outer third of the lid and blend out any harsh lines with MAC Soft Brown.

Step 4: Darken up the outer V with Urban Decay Blackout.

Step 5: Line upper lash line with Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeliner in Taupe and create a thin wing to start with. A brown eyeliner would do as well.

Step 6: Smudge and smoke out the eyeliner using Urban Decay Blackout.

Step 7: Line the lower lash line with the Cashmere eye pencil and pat Urban Decay Half Baked over the top of it.

Step 8: Curl your lashes, apply Nicka K Waterproof Mascara in Black, and add Red Cherry #73 lashes. Add MAC Naked Liner to waterline.

For the rest of the face, I wanted flawless, glowing, and neutral, so that the main focus would be my eyes.

Products Used:

Foundation - Kat Von D Lock-It Longwear Foundation in shade 44 and Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand

Under Eye Concealer- Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in shade 15

Contour and Bronzer - Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Blush and Highlight - Milani Rose D'Oro Baked Blush

Lips - Nicka K Nude Lip Liner, ELF Mineral Lipstick in Natural Nymph, and NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Smokey Look

Shimmery Purple Smokey Eye Tutorial

I rarely ever use shimmery eyeshadows in my tutorials, not because I don't think they're beautiful, but because sometimes I just feel as though all the shimmer can take away from any shape or depth I might be trying to make. Overall, I prefer a good matte eyeshadow. However, I've been going through my makeup collection deciding what to get rid of and how I want to change my storage and I ran across a very gorgeous eyeshadow. NYX Single Eyeshadow in Morocco is a shimmery blue-based purple that blends out into a magenta sort of shade. It is a very holographic eyeshadow, making it much different than your average shimmery shade.

Step 1: Prime your lid with MAC Painterly Paint Pot to prevent the creasing of the following base and eyeshadows.

Step 2: After applying tape to the back of your hand a couple times to lessen its stickiness, apply the tape in an angle at the side of your eye to create a sharp edge. Then, line close to your lash line with NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean. Smudge it out to just below your crease.

Step 3: Blend NYX Morocco eyeshadow through the crease and outer third of the lid.

Step 4: Blend MAC Dark Soul Pigment through the crease and the very outer corner, making sure to leave some of Morocco peeking through around the edges.

Step 5: Remove the tape. Pat MAC Parfait Amour on the inner two-thirds of the lid and pat Lime Crime Mercurious eyeshadow from Palette D'Antoinette on the inner corner, blending it slightly into Parfait Amour. Then, run Urban Decay Foxy along the brow bone for a highlight.

Step 6: Darken the outer V and the outer portion of the lash line with Urban Decay Blackout. Run MAC Shadowy Lady on the lower lash line and Makeup Geek Corrupt on the waterline.

Step 7: Curl lashes and apply Nicka K Waterproof Mascara in Black to the upper and lower lashes. Apply Red Cherry # 73 lashes to finish off the look.

Favorite Products of 2012

It has been exactly a year since I gained a serious interest in makeup. I have went from using all ELF products to expanding my horizons and trying out a lot of the higher end brands. Sometimes, I've found, the splurge has been worth it and at other times I've found that there are dupes or even better alternatives in the drugstore. It all just depends and, in the end, it comes down to trial and error and personal preference.

Here are some of the products that I have really enjoyed. These are definitely not all of the products that I love using, but some of the standouts.

Red Cherry # 73 Lashes - These lashes are on the longer side of natural looking lashes, but if you are a fan of wispy-style lashes, I highly recommend trying these out. I find that they help to make my small eyes appear bigger. Also, I purchase my lashes from Miz Accessory Outlet--they have great deals on some popular lash brands.

Ruby Kisses Gel Liner in Rich Black - This is the best eyeliner I have used thus far. It has a very creamy, workable texture, but dries very matte. It has great lasting power as well. In fact, you will need to use a good makeup remover to get this sucker off. I purchase my Ruby Kisses products from my local beauty supply.

MAC Soft Brown - For whatever reason, I have yet to make a dent in this eyeshadow despite the fact that I have used it almost religiously all year. For my fair complexion, this is the perfect transition and blending eyeshadow. When I don't feel like wearing much makeup, but want definition in my eyes, I'll pop this in my crease, add some mascara and I'm out the door.

Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara in 01 Black - I received this mascara in an Estee Lauder gift set. At first, I was not expecting much out of this mascara because I'm generally not a fan of Estee Lauder overall, but this is by far my favorite mascara. The formula is not wet and it is not dry, but it is dry enough to create volume, but without the clumpiness. It creates a natural and full wispy effect on the lashes that is perfect for days when you don't have time or don't want to apply lashes.

Stila In The Know Eyeshadow Palette - It is very rare that you come across an all-matte eyeshadow palette and Stila created the perfect one that takes you from day to night. The palette also comes with Stila's Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Halfmoon. I'll be doing a review on this palette shortly, but I absolutely love it!

Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Lip Color in Pink Freeze - I have been wearing this color practically nonstop for the better part of three months now and, sadly, I'm almost done with it. I find the color to be a great everyday pink. It adds just a touch of brightness that awakens the complexion and also provides some moisture to the lips. It is the only lipstick with a frost finish I have enjoyed using.

Nivea A Kiss of Milk and Honey - A highly moisturizing, yet non-greasy lip conditioner. It lasts on the lips for a very long time, so you won't need to constantly reapply it and it makes lips feel very soft.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Liquid Foundation - Best foundation I have tried for my super oily skin. It is a medium, buildable coverage foundation, but your skin still feels like skin after applying it. I plan on reviewing this foundation, so more on that soon.

NARS Douceur Powder Blush - I have a review and swatch of the blush on my blog already (click HERE), but it an awesome everyday blush. It's matte finish and mauve-pink color create a natural flush to the face. It is also a great blush to create more contoured and chiseled cheeks.

Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer - I have also done a review of this product (click HERE) and, despite my first impressions, I use it every day that I'm going out but don't feel like wearing foundation. I apply tiny dots to the areas that need some coverage and blend with my MAC 224 brush. MUFE is one of the best brands out there in terms of face products since that is all I have tried from them so far. They are a little bit of a splurge, but well worth the investment. Their products are long-wearing, pigmented, and photo-friendly.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer - I think for drugstore, Maybelline has the best concealers. Along with their Lumi Concealer, I really enjoy using this concealer under my eyes. It doesn't cause any cakiness and its pink undertones help to make my undereye circles appear brighter and less tired.

What have been some of your favorite beauty or makeup products of 2012?

Review: MAC Taste Temptation Quad

MAC released their Winter 2012 collection, Taste Temptation, in mid-December. The color palette consists of various shades of rich purples and blues, for a seductive and more edgy theme. I'll only be reviewing the eyeshadow quad, but the collection also consists of three mattene lipsticks, three lipglasses, two fluidlines (both permanent), two nail polishes, and two blushes.

This palette has a good mixture of some of MAC's more popular textures and is great go-to palette for smokey eyes. Since the palette does incorporate blues and purples, it is especially complementary to brown eyes.

From left to right:

Look At The Eyes - Light, Frosted Lilac

Stay Sultry - Satin, Smoked Plum

Naval - Matte, Dark Navy Blue

Carbon - Matte Black (permanent)

The mattes in the palette are very dry, but not chalky. Their pigmentation could be enhanced by using a corresponding base, especially for Carbon, which is no longer as dark of a black eyeshadow as it used to be. The eyeshadows are not some of MAC's best in terms of color payoff as compared to, say, their Crushed Metallic Pigments from their Guilty Passions Collection. However, the quad is handy if you want to create a subtle smokey eye. For a dramatic smokey eye, just add a base underneath. 

How To: Highlight & Contour Like a Pro

This is by no means an everyday foundation routine as it's more on the glamourous, high-maintenance side, but it is a great technique to have up your sleeve. For this tutorial, I'll be using creme foundations to highlight and contour and then I'll be setting them with matching powders. I highly recommend creme foundations because they are much more pigmented (meaning you'll need less to get the job done) and are easy to blend. They also feel much lighter than most full coverage foundations, so you won't have to worry about your client feeling like they're wearing a heavy mask.

Here is my before and after:

On the left is my face with just the regular foundation routine and on the right is my face after highlighting and contouring. As you can see, my face looks much more bronzed, glowy, and sculpted on the right.

Step 1: Apply a pea-size amount of your regular foundation to your face in the same way you usually would, focusing on problem areas such as blemishes and redness. You can also apply a primer before this step if you are worried about longevity or the skin's natural oils breaking through. I used the ELF Flawless Finish Foundation in Porcelain and applied it with my ELF Powder Brush, but you can certainly stick to your creme foundations. The foundation I used has an SPF, so if you are planning on taking pictures, you may want to stay away from it.

Step 2: Contour your face with a creme foundation 3-4 shades darker than your skin tone. Contouring causes areas to recede, appear smaller, or thinner depending where you place it. The key areas to hit are directly underneath the cheekbones (to make them stand out), along the jawline (to make it appear smaller), along the side of the face, the temples (if you have a big forehead like little ole me), and along the sides and bottom of the nose (if you want it to appear smaller). I used Graftobian HD Glamour Creme in Smoke and my Sigma P84 Precision Angled Brush.

Step 3: The next step is to highlight. Highlighting does the opposite of contouring in that it causes the areas that you place it to come forward or to stand out. To do this you will want to use a foundation 1-2 shades lighter. Anything lighter than that will appear overdramatic and may cause an ashy appearance on some skin tones. You'll want to highlight the center of your forehead, down the bridge of your nose, your Cupid's Bow, the center of your chin, underneath your eyes all the way across the tops of your cheekbones, and directly underneath your cheekbone contour. I used Graftobian HD Glamour Creme in Prima Donna and my Real Techniques Pointed Foundation brush.

Step 4: Blend out the harsh lines. I did this by patting over the lines with my original foundation brush (the ELF Powder Brush). You could also use a cosmetic sponge or a dampened beauty blender.

Step 5: Separate a tissue and using only one layer of it, pat it over your face. This will remove the excess oil and moisture of the foundation. Doing this is extremely important because it ensures that you will not look like a cake face. Over the highlighted areas, placed a matching or slightly lighter powder. I used the white shade in the ELF Cool Bronzer Palette. Over the contoured areas, use a matching shade. I used the lighter brown shade in the same palette. I also recommend running a powder in your shade in between the contoured and highlighted areas. This will act as a transition shade in much the same way it would with eyeshadows. I used Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand for this.

Step 6: Add a blush of your choice to bring more life back to your face. I went for my favorite natural blush, NARS Douceur, and focused this along the back of the cheekbones and only lightly on the apples of my cheeks.

Christmas Glitter Tutorial

As complementary colors, red and green go well together, in theory. They are also the colors we associate most with Christmas. However, when it comes to makeup, the two can be a bit overpowering on one face, unless you make one the focal over the other. I promised before that I would do a few glitter tutorials, showing different uses for glitter. Last time I used glitter all over the lid and this time, I incorporated some into my liner as well as in my Dorothy "Ruby Slippers" inspired glitter lips.

Step 1: Prime your lids to create an even base for your eyeshadows. I used MAC Painterly Paint Pot.

Step 2: Place Coastal Scents Oatmeal Tan as your transition color.

Step 3: Slightly closer to the crease, blend in Coastal Scents Timeless Taupe.

Step 4: Create a defined cut crease using Coastal Scents Chocolatier. You can sharpen the cut crease by running a small amount of the MAC Painterly Paint Pot along the lower edge.

Step 5: Mix Foxy from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette with a white eyeshadow from the BH Cosmetics 120 Color Palette (1st ed.) and pat this all over the lid, inner corner, and brow bone.

Step 6: Create a thick winged eyeliner using Ruby Kisses Gel Liner in Rich Black. Also, use this gel eyeliner to create a cat eye in the inner corner and run what is left on the brush on the inner and outer corners of the lower lash line.

Step 7: Run a bit of Coastal Scents Fresh Chive along the center of the lower lash line, blending it with the gel eyeliner. Deepen up the inner and outer corners of the lower lash line with Blackout from the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, blending it in with Fresh Chive. Line directly underneath these eyeshadows with ELF Liquid Eyeliner in Copper, flicking it out with the upper wing. Then, apply Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara in Black Drama and iEnvy by Kiss lashes in Paparazzi.


As for the rest of the face, I'll be showing how to highlight and contour with creme foundation and powders in my next post...

...but, for now, I will show you how to get the Dorothy "Ruby Slippers" lips. They aren't the most practical, but they are cool to wear out to a party.

Step 8: Line your lips and fill in the corners using a rich, chocolate brown liner. I used Nicka K Lip Liner in Cocoa.

Step 9: Add Wet n Wild 911D Lipstick to the center of the lips and smoosh lips together to blend. Then, reline your lips with the Cocoa lip liner.

Step 10: To make your lips more Ruby Slipper worthy, add tons of red glitter to the lips. The lipstick should provide enough stickiness for the glitter to adhere to. I used MAC's Red Glitter.

And now you can have yourself a very merry Christmas!