Details Details Details…

Hi Ladies!

I received some really positive feedback on my last post about my “bad day” makeup so I wanted to list some of the products used and also tell you guys the steps I took in order to achieve this look because it’s honestly so simple and you can spice it up very easily! 

EYES:

• Base/Primer: MAC Paint Pot in Painterly applied with a concealer brush and blended out with my finger (I put this from my lash line up to my brow bone because I have product on my brow bone later on) 
• Setting Powder for Eyes: I personally like to set the paint pot with a cream shadow one that matches my skin tone because I find that it makes it easier to blend out my crease colors but this set isn’t necessary. I applied this with a domed shadow brush from Real Techniques and used a MAC Skin Finish in Light (you can use these powders for multiple things, not just to set your skin).
• Crease Color#1: I then went in with my first crease color which is Cocoa Bear from Make Up Geek, I personally love this shade but you should swatch it out before you commit to it all over your crease. If you find this color is too orange for you then use a light shade of brown like Brown Script from Mac which has a slightly orange undertone but it is more brown so you might feel more comfortable if you aren’t yet used to shades like Cocoa Bear. I applied Cocoa Bear into my crease with a MAC 217 brush, I started with a very light layer and then started to build up but I always focused the product into the outer edge of my eye and then swept whatever was left onto the brush further into my eye. 
• Liner: I started with Maybelline Gel Liner in Black I used a MAC eyeliner brush that is now discontinued but I recently found out that the MAC 226 Small Angle Brush is an exact replica for the original one so if you are on the hunt for a new liner brush definitely try this one out. I personally love this one because it does all the work for you, it creates a really nice tapered edge at the edge of the wing and because it is small it is so easy to be precise. I just started with small strokes from my inner corner to outer and then I put the brush tip on the edge of my eye facing up from my brow bone and draw the wing then I connect it back to the rest of the liner…Sounds confusing but you just need to practice some wing sizes and lengths to figure out which one works for your eye shape the best. 
• Inner Liner: This part I’m still struggling with my I took some extra gel liner onto my brush (barely any) and drew the point in my inner tear duct area… I don’t have a lot of advice on this yet because it was my first time doing it and I definitely need some more practice with this style liner. 
• Crease#2: I took MAC eye shadow in Embark and used the MAC 217 to apply this right above the outer wing of my liner to darken up the crease. 
• Lashes: I slightly curled my top lashes and applied Miss Manga Waterproof Mascara in Black to my top lash line (I did two coats) then I applied Ardell Lashes in 109 (perfect dupe for House of Lashes Iconic) and used Duo lash glue in black. I wait about 40 seconds to apply my lashes to really let the glue start to dry then I take tweezers with a longer handle and start by adhering them to the center of my lashes and then adhere them to the back and front of my lashes. Then I hold them down with my finger and they should be completely dry and held to your lashes. 
• Bottom Lash Line: (I did this after my foundation). I started with a definer brush and packed on embark from back really close to my lower lash line from inner to outer corner then I took a pencil brush with Cocoa Bear lightly on it and blended from inner to outer corner really well so that my eyes just had a smokey bottom lash line.
• Liner: Then I went in with L’Oreal eye liner kohl in dark brown (amazing drugstore liner) and applied this to my inner lower lash line and also tight lined my upper lash line. 
• Mascara: I finished off the bottom lash line with the same Miss Manga Waterproof Mascara in Black.

FACE: 

• Base: I started with a base about 30 minutes before after I washed my face which was Philosophy Hope In A Jar For Dry Skin.
• Foundation: Once my face was done I went in with Makeup Forever HD Foundation, I applied some Jose Maran Illuminator to the foundation on the back of my hand and then pressed it into my skin with a beauty blender.
• Concealer: I used IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Circles Concealer and blended this in with a beauty blender. 
• Setting Powders: I used MAC Skin Finish in Light to set my under eyes and Ben Nye Powder in Buff for the rest of my face. 
• Contour: I went in with Anastasia Contour Kit using the lightest shade to bronze and then used Benefit Hoola Bronzer to lightly contour my face with a MAC 209 for both products.
• Blush: Then I went in with a coral shade from Ben Nye blush palette and applied this very lightly to the apples of my cheeks with a Real Techniques Multi-Task Brush. 
• Eyebrows: I used Anastasia Dip Brown in Auburn and set it with Anastasia Clear Brow Gel. 

A little Recognition…

Hi Ladies! 

If you follow makeup channels on YouTube, you most likely are aware of the most popular YouTube faces out there right now. After I found that I ran out of Jacklyn Hill videos to watch I started searching things like contouring and highlighting, after doing this I came across a very talented YouTube face that deserves a lot more publicity and viewers. Her channel is Shonagh Scott on YouTube and she focuses on a lot of cream highlighting as well as cream contouring. After getting my RMCA concealer palette a few months ago I found that it was just sitting in my makeup collection but I was never actually picking it up to use it but after watching Shonagh’s videos the entire highlighting and contouring concept was so much easier to understand… You should be aware though that she is doing more dramatic heavy looks so she is using the concealer to contour and highlight on her face and then she applies foundation over top of that layer and then adds powders. While her channel may not be for the everyday girl looking to do some light bronzing, it is worth checking out because she will teach you some very basic tips about where you should be laying the highlight and bronzer and from there you can modify it to your liking. I love her videos too because unlike a lot of other YouTubers she uses a lot of the same products so if you wanted to invest in what she is using not only is it not very expensive but you know that you would really be putting that product to use over time. If you are not interested in her contouring and highlighting videos then skip to the middle and watch her do her eye shadow because it looks flawless every time. She is so talented and you will really be missing out if you don’t check out her blog. 

 

xoxo

 

Blending Brush Dupe…

Hi Ladies!

Recently I did a post on a foundation dupe and it got me to thinking, do we really need to spend so much money on makeup brushes? If you’re like me, there are some things when it comes to makeup that just have to bite the bullet on and invest in. I personally can not live without some good quality brushes but today there are so many brands out there that have affordable brushes, these brands do not get the attention they deserve and honestly they are just as good if not better than our expensive brushes. 

I kind of found this dupe on accident. I’ve been doing the same eye makeup look everyday recently which is a dramatic cut crease with a copper color and some liner but to achieve the perfect crease, you need a really good blending brush. I keep all of my brushes in jars on my makeup counter and when I went to grab my usual MAC 217 brush I accidentally grabbed my Crown Brush C433 Pro Blending Fluff brush. After I finished with my makeup and was totally happy I went to darken the color a little bit and that’s when I noticed that I had been using the Crown Brush, at first I checked in natural lighting for streaks, patchiness, and just blotchy color but to my surprise I didn’t find any. In the photo you can see that the brushes are almost identical, they are both sleek black brushes with cream bristles. Both of the brushes are an oval shape with densely packed fibers making them easy to really pack on the colors. I’ve always thought that the MAC 217 did all of the work for you, you barely had to blend it at all and it always looked perfect. I found that with the Crown Brush it also did the work for me, the only difference was that the head of the brush was a larger oval so if you want a thinner crease you need to be careful to not pack on to much color onto the brush. Although I would recommend the MAC 217 to someone who is looking to get a thinner cut crease look, you can achieve the same look with the Crown Brush if you use a lighter hand. The MAC 217 brush is $24 and the Crown Brush is $6… So I say save your money and order the Crown Brush, you will not regret it.

XOXO