Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Urban Decay Vice Palette LOTD

Hello winged liner, I've missed you!  If I were to be accused of having a signature look, it would definitely entail winged liner.  I have not worn winged liner for about a week as I wanted a change- every single one of my makeup applications basically ends with a bold, black winged liner.  I figured if I went without for a week I would get more used to seeing myself without it.  Well, I've certainly figured out that smudging a kohl pencil on my waterline is quicker, and can look quite sultry as well.  I think it opens the eyes a bit more and makes my lashes appear fuller.  The winged liner elongates and lifts the eye and gives more of an edgy boost to any look.

This week has definitely been a week of using things I've neglected as well.  Yesterday's LOTD reintroduced me to Time Balm foundation by The Balm as well as Benefit They're Real Mascara.  Today I wanted to use my often neglected, but loved Urban Decay Vice Palette.  I don't know why I don't use it more- it has beautiful colors and the usual UD high quality shadows.

Face
The Balm Time Balm foundation
MAC ProLongwear concealer in NW15 under eyes
MAC MSF Natural in Light plus to set foundation
NYX Taupe blush to contour
MAC Warm Soul blush
NYX Beige lip gloss

Eyes
Urban Decay Eden Primer Potion  on lids to prime
Urban Decay Vice Palette:
Anonymous on inner corners and brow bone
Blitz patted on lid up to crease
Laced in crease/transition color
Muse on outer corners blended into crease, also outer corners of lower lashline
Unhinged on lower lashline
Chaos tightly on lower lashline- right by lashes
Prestige Soft Kohl Pencil-Lagoon smudged on lower lashline as base for shadows
Rimmel Waterproof Kohl-Black on waterline
Makeup Geek Gel liner- Black on upper lashline
Benefit They're Real Mascara












Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Naked 3 LOTD

YAYYYY!!!  What an amazing surprise to come home from work yesterday and find my Naked 3 palette sitting in the mailbox.  Needless to say, I busted into that package as soon as humanly possible.  First impressions tell me this is going to be a well used palette, the 2 matte shades are fantastic.  The satin highlight color is beyond amazing.  None of the shades in the palette were disappointing!

Of course, today's look uses the Naked 3 palette on the eyes.  I also used a few products today that have been in my stash for a while but have gone virtually unused.  The first being Time Balm foundation by The Balm-  I purchased this months ago when The Balm was having a sale.  I tried it once and thought, Meh this isn't going to work for me.  Little did I realize it was an application failure and no fault of the product itself.  I did some reading last night and came up with some application tips, what a difference!  I originally was trying to buff it on with a flat top synthetic kabuki- swirling the brush in the product and then buffing it on.  This yielded a streaky, patchy mess on my skin.  This morning, I swirled my fingers around the product to warm it up a bit and dotted it onto the areas that needed it and then buffed it out to blend with that aforementioned brush- WOW!  Think I'm gonna like this stuff after all- a few more wears before the verdict is out.  The second ignored item is Benefit They're Real mascara.  I have a sample size that I never even opened as I was having a love affair with Voluminous Smoky Lash mascara by L'oreal.  The smoky lash has begun to let me down, the honeymoon was over and it was just not living up to my expectations.   So I gave Benefit a whirl, I will not say anymore because the picture of my lashes below will tell you why there is a full size of this in my near future.

Face
The Balm Time Balm foundation in light medium
Tarte Amazonian Clay setting powder
NYX Taupe blush to contour
Aromaleigh Pomegranate blush
Bare Minerals Buxom Lipstick Pencil  London
MAC Brow Pencil dirty blonde
NYX Brow Kit  in blonde

Eyes
MAC Painterly PP to prime lids
Naked 3-
Burnout patted all over lid, up to crease
Liar patted on outer half of lid
Limit buffed into crease, quite blown out with fluffy crease brush
Nooner to deepen crease
Darkside tapped into outer corner and blended out into crease a tiny bit, also to smoke out lower lashline
Dust on inner corners for some sparkle
Strange as highlight on brow bone and tear duct area
Prestige Waterproof pencil liner in Charcoal Brown- smudged out on upper lashline, in water line and on outer half of lower lashline
Benefit They're Real mascara (holy shit my lashes look great!)







Deer in headlights pose.



Do you see those lashes??  I was all ready to apply falsies until I realized how awesome this mascara is.





I love you Benefit!!


Monday, November 25, 2013

Matte Subtle Eye/Bold Lip with Aromaleigh

Hello

Lately I've been loving the look of a bold burgundy lip.  I tend to stick with safe, nude-ish pale shades (Self proclaimed lipstick wimp right here) for my lips so this is a nice change.  I've actually gone with bold lips 2 days in a row and am loving it!  I blotted off the bulk of the lipstick for a lip stain like effect, ya' know... baby steps. This look keeps the eyes and cheeks very simple, getting most of my color from the dark lipstick.  My go to blush for when I sport a bold lip is The Perfect Cheek by MAC.  It is the perfect neutral matte, sort of a buff pink which provides a bit of life to the face without shouting "I AM WEARING BLUSH!!!!"  Even though it is a very light shade, the pigmentation is great- I dust just the tiniest bit on my light skin.  It is matte, but does not look dry on the skin.  I like it quite a bit.

My original intention this morning was to braid the front of my hair to disguise the second day messiness a bit, but my braiding skills failed me.  Instead I twisted the front and pinned it back into my hair.  I teased the back of my hair a bit to kinda just go with the messy hair flow.  My pictures are not the greatest today :(  Someday you have it, some days you don't.

FACE
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation
Tarte Amazonian Clay Setting Powder
NYX Taupe blush to contour cheeks
MAC The Perfect Cheek blush on cheeks
Rimmel Lipstick- Bordeaux

EYES
MAC Painterly PP to prime lids
Aromaleigh Oyster (now called Echo in V 2) dusted all over lids fro lash to brow (matte light cream)
Aromaleigh Bark on outer corners and blended into crease, and along lower lashline (matte brownish soft black)
Aromaleigh Slate (now called Limestone) to blend out edges of Bark
Rimmel Waterproof Kohl Pencil in black lightly on upper lashline and smudged
Cover Girl Lashblast 









 Love my new Infinity Scarf from Target! (It has been dreadfully cold here in NY!)  



Saturday, November 23, 2013

Some Palettes I'm Lusting After

The holiday season is upon us, which means that every company out there is releasing gorgeous and lustworthy palettes.  Here are a few that I have my eye on, some holiday releases others are not...


1. Urban Decay Naked 3, $52.00 at Urbandecay.com

This puppy is chock full of nudey neutral shades in a rosey pink hue.  This one really sets itself apart from the other two Naked palettes due to this pink undertone you will find running through all of the shades.  I already own Naked 1 and 2 and love them both, though I definitely love my original Naked palette more- the matte browns in the palette are super useful.  I have a feeling Naked 3 will be giving the original Naked palette a run for its money when it comes to my adoration.  I feel like pinky nudes are so flattering and wear so easily on most complexions.  This is already sold out, but I  have one on its way to me- shipping notification is in my inbox :)

2. Lorac Unzipped Palette, $40 at Sephora.com


Do I really need another nude/neutral palette?  I've just admitted to owning all of the Naked palettes, will this one really be necessary?  Probably not.  There's just something about the mauvey shimmery pinks with their slight golden glow that make me think I need this.  How lovely they would look on the lid with those gorgeous and somewhat unusual mattes deepening up the outer corner.  Sigh.

3.  Too Faced, A Few of my Favorite Things $56.00 at Sephora.com


This one just screams out perfection to me.  The value is incredible.  I love that it has a gorgeous collection of both neutral and more colorful shades in both matte and shimmer finishes.  The lip balm looks like a gorgeous shade as well, and I would love to try out the cheek color.  I actually don't own anything by Too Faced other than one single shadow.  Isn't that reason enough to pick this one up?

4.  Kat Von D , Spellbinding, $55.00 at Sephora.com


This one might be out of stock because I am no longer seeing it on Sephora's website.  I played around with this one at Sephora the other day and the quality of the shadows just blew me away.  Creamy and highly pigmented, and in a gorgeous array of colors.  I really love the way this palette is set up, paired in suggested wear together sets.  



What palettes do you have your eyes on??  







Purple and Taupe- Wet n' Wild Silent Treatment and Sleek

This look uses the same method of application as my previous green and gold look (darken both the inner and outer corners of lid), just with different colors.  I recently purchased the WnW Silent Treatment trio and have been using the taupe from it quite a bit- smudging it on my lid and popping some darker neutrals in the crease for a quick but pretty everyday work look.  This taupe shade is a great dupe for Chanel Fauve- almost spot on copy cat!  It can be used in looks in place of Mac's Satin Taupe- though it is a bit lighter.  The purple that I used from the Sleek Ultra Matte Palette is a great dupe for the famous  MakeUp Forever #92.  This Sleek shadow is a highly pigmented matte purple, and like its MUFE counterpart, it is a bit difficult to blend.  When using either of these colors for crease work, I suggest applying a matte highlighting shade on your brow bone first to help these matte purples blend.

Face
Rimmel Match Perfection foundation
MAC Pro Longwear concealer NW 15 under eyes
Tarte Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder dusted on lightly to set foundation
NYX Taupe Blush  to contour cheeks
Be a Bombshell Blush in Sweet Cheeks
Rimmel Eastend Snob lipliner applied all over lips
NYX Beige Gloss on top of lip liner

Eyes
CoastalScents eye shadow primer
NYX Milk Jumbo eye pencil Milk all over eyelids as base
Sleek Ultra Matte V. 2 - Purple on inner corner and outer corner and blended into crease, also along lower lashline
Makeup Geek Unexpected applied to crease, to help the Sleek purple blend
MAC Vanilla eyeshadow on browbone, and on inner corners of eyes
WnW Silent Treatment trio- taupe shade- patted in center of lid, blended into the sleek purple shade
NYX Barely There to brighten up tear duct area
Rimmel Waterproof Kohl liner Black, on waterline, lower lashline and upper lashline
Cover Girl Clump Crusher Mascara, Black










Thursday, November 21, 2013

Milani and Sleek Gold and Green

Today's look uses my Sleek Ultra Matte V 2 palette that I have barely used in the long while I've owned it.  I don't know why because it contains a bunch of really nice, decently pigmented matte shades.  I love matte shadows and feel that no look is complete without them!  This palette is quite nice as it contains darker matte shadows which make great definer colors for other shimmery shades.  I wish Sleek was easier to come by in the states.

Face:
L'oreal Magic Lumi Foundation in W1-2
MAC ProLongwear Concealer in NW 15 under eyes
Benefit Coralista Blush on cheeks
NYX Taupe blush to contour
NYX Gloss in Beige atop a pinky lipliner pencil on lips

Eyes:
MAC Painterly PP to prime lids
Sleek Ultra Matt V 2 Palette dark green on inner corners and outer corners and blended into crease, also on outer lower lashline
NYX Taupe eyeshadow, applied lightly to blend out edges of green shadow
NYX Highlight on brow bone
Milani Runaway Shadow #11 Beach Sand patted on center of lid with damp brush (to try to capture the glitter), also on inner lower lashline
NYX Mermaid Green to outer corners to slightly darken
Rimmel wtaerproof Kohl liner in Black on waterline and upper lashline
Lashes are some cheapie ebay lashes that came in a 10 pack








Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Rosey Neutrals Eyeshadow Look

All these sneak peaks of the upcoming Naked 3 palette must have inspired me as I don't normally gravitate towards pink or rosey toned neutrals.  I can't wait for Naked 3 to come out, looks absolutely lovely.  In the meantime, I perused my collection to come up with something in the same color family and realized my supply of pinky neutrals is quite slim.  Hooray, I just justified my future purchase of the Naked 3 palette!
 I quite like the way this look came out, though in the pics it looks to lean a bit more peachy than it actually did in real life.  My camera tends to make everything look a bit warmer- giving a slight yellow cast.

Face
MAC Matchmaster Foundation in 1.5 (this foundation looks so amazing in photos!)
MAC Prolongwear concealer NW 15 under eyes
NYX Taupe blush to contour
Aromaleigh Nectar blush on cheeks
NYX Extreme Lip Cream in Buttery Nude

Eyes
Coastal Scents eye primer
NYX Jumbo Pencil Milk  on lids up to crease
MAC Temperature Rising patted all over lids, blended up to crease
NYX Salmon patted onto outer corners
MAC Folie in outer V, into crease
Makeup Geek Cupcake to blend out crease/transition color
Inglot DS 467 on inner corners
Ben Nye Toast on brow bone
Physician's Formula Eye Booster liquid liner in black
Ardell Demi Wispies lashes
















Sunday, November 17, 2013

MAC Club Eyeshadow

MAC Club is a shadow that is just so gorgeous in the pan, but many find it hard to work with so it often goes unused. MAC describes it as satin shade in a red brown with green pearl.  Perhaps its the ruddiness that makes it a bit difficult- but I just love it smudged atop a dark base.  Club makes the most interesting smoky eye, and this look features it on the lid blended out with some warm midtone matte browns and some matte black to deepen the look a bit.  Though Club on its own is one of those shades that makes for a complex one shadow look- blend out some black kohl liner on your lid and smudge Club on top- as you buff and blend out the edges the color buffs out to a pretty red brown and appears as if you applied a couple of shades! Love it.

I think some false lashes would make this look sexier!  Maybe next time.

Face
Revlon Colorstay whipped in the color Buff, applied with a synthetic buffing brush
MAC Prolongwear Concealer NW 15 under eyes
MAC Shaping Powder in Emphasize to set under eye concealer and further brighten under eyes
NYX Blush in Taupe to contour cheekbones
Benefit Coralista Blush on cheeks
Makeup Geek Lipstick in Adorable  on lips

Eyes
MAC PP in Painterly to prime lids
NYX Black Bean Jumbo eye pencil as base- applied from lashline to just below crease and blended up and out (or any black cream shadow or kohl liner)
Makeup Geek Purely Naked and Frappe in the crease to blend out edges of the Black Bean cream shadow (Coastal Scents Hot Pots in Oatmeal Tan and Barista would work well too, and they only cost $1.99 each!)
Makeeup Geek Corrupt on outer corners (any deep matte black- NYX makes a fantastic one)
MAC Club patted on lid, smudged up to crease into the matte browns.  Also smudged on lower lashline (there are tons of brown green duochrome shadows out there in both loose pigment and pan shadow form- there's a pretty one in the Wet n' Wild Comfort Zone palette)
Ben Nye Toast on brow bone (matte, pale off white)
NYX Barely There for inner corner highlight and blended into Club on lid
Rimmel Waterproof Liner in black on waterline, lower lashline
Physician's Formula lash booster  liquid liner on upper lashline