ColourPop's Fantasy

Fantasy...I love the name of this Super Shock eyeshadow. It is everything I could ever want in a bright shadow: purple yet pink and chock full of glitter. It makes my inner fairy princess want to come out and play!

ColourPop Super Shock Pressed Pigment in "Fantasy"

The more I use these shadows, the more I fall deep in love with them. Fantasy is considered a pressed pigment, and wound up staining my arm where I swatched it. So, for today's eye look, I made sure to prime with Too Faced Shadow Insurance and put down a base of MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly. I have found that using a base makes the color pop even more, although they do not need a primer to stay perfectly in place until I take off my makeup at night.

Fantasy was dabbed on the outer 3/4 of my lid and slightly into my crease. Then I added I Heart This on my inner corner and on the upper edges where Fantasy stopped. The two blended together really well. As a brow bone highlight of sorts, I used White Chocolate from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. A thin line of black liquid liner gave the finishing touch. You can faintly see the glitter in the picture, but in person = sparkly goodness to the max!

I tried to keep the rest of my face fairly simple, but needed to use Becca's Opal Highlighter to tie together the shimmer in my eyes to the semi-glossy pink lipstick I used (Estee Lauder's Color Envy in Desirable). I hope you like this! I did not want to use Fantasy all over my lid since it is such an "in your face" color anyways, but I like to think it can be highly wearable this way. Have a good Christmas!

Mossy Green Subtle Smokey Eye

I had gotten a Lancôme Color Design quint in the color "507 Metallic Moss" last month, but never used it. My reasoning for buying it was that I didn't have any green shadows, and this would be the last palette I get before going on a no-buy. Today I cracked that baby open:



Lancôme Color Design - 507 Metallic Moss (flash/natural light)


If you've never used a Lancôme quint before, the colors all  mesh together beautifully, taking the guesswork out of what colors to pair with one another. It even tells you where to place the separate shadows on the eye. Easy peasy. The formula is a dream to blend, but there is a lot of shimmer (which I don't mind, but others may). The highlight shade (middle row, all the way to the right) is to die for. I don't know how else to describe it, except: light wash of beige with micro multi-colored shimmer...it is so pretty and is ultimately what drew me into this palette in the first place. The bottom pan (dark shade) can be used wet/dry as eyeliner...it's pretty much the best formula I have ever used for "shadow as liner".

 

These shadows are not overpoweringly bright, and the effects of the shadows are hard to see unless you are right up on someone. I personally like the subtleness of Lancôme products in general, especially on normal days. Again, I know my pictures aren't the greatest, but this blog is more for myself, a diary and a place to keep my favorite looks/products/thoughts. Have a good day!

Falling in Love with Pigments

I had forgotten how much I love pigments. Pigments are color at its finest. A loose powder that can be used dry (as is), or wet (mixed with a medium such as water, or MAC's Fix Plus). When used dry, pigments are a softer wash of color. But when used wet, oh my goodness: The color is intensified and the shadow stays put for a very long time. 

I had gotten a set of four pigments from MAC a few years ago, and they sat in a forgotten makeup bag ever since. Today I 'found' that bag and happiness ensued. A color called "Mauvement" inspired today's look, following are pictures and steps on what I did.



Excuse the hair, it's not working with me today...

I like the shadow from the eyelashes...

Spraying a brush with Fix Plus, I dipped it into the pigment and patted (not swept) the shadow all over my lid up into and just over my crease. Then I used Naked [from Urban Decay's Naked palette] (a light nude brown) and blended the pigment up into my brow bone. Next I used Virgin (a light champagne color) and swept that as a highlight near my eyebrows and inner corner of the eye. Since blending the light brown took away some of the pigment on my brow bone, I added a little more Mauvement pigment onto the brow bone. The eye needed a little more definition, so I took a dark brown with gold glitter eyeliner (Twice Baked from Urban Decay) and lined my upper and lower lash lines, making a slight wing. Topped it off with a coat of Too Faced's "Better Than Sex" mascara and the eyes are done! Super easy, with a ton of shimmer/color payoff.  Below is a better picture of just how pigmented the pigment is (haha).

Do you see that shimmer/glimmer?!? I took these pictures with just the close up & flash on my camera.

I'm happy with the result, very simple but with a surprise of flash when I blink I guess you could say.

Because of the neutralness of the eyes, I wanted to do a soft cheek and bold lip. I used Shiseido's Face Color Enhancing Trio in the shade RD1, and a Lancôme La Laque Fever in the shade 384. The Shiseido Trio is basically just a blush that is swirled around to combine all 3 colors, it creates a soft peachy color with a soft highlight. The lippie is an intense pink. The texture of this isn't the greatest, it's extremely sticky at first and takes two coats to build up the color, but once it wears off a little bit, a very nice pretty stain is left behind that lasts a long time. I don't suggest eating directly after applying it.

I got hairs on my upper lip!



Shiseido Trio & Lancôme La Laque Fever

MAC Pigment in Mauvement, Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Twice Baked, & sample size Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara.

Side note: Pigment is a little pricier than a 'normal' eyeshadow but a little goes a long way and a small tub of it will last a very long time. If you haven't ever tried it, I suggest giving it a go and find out for yourself just how easy they are to use. Have a good day and remember to smile pretty!

Vice 2 Neutrals/Golden Eyes

I never used to like to wear neutral eyeshadow. I thought it boring and always liked brighter colors on my eyes. Looking back at pictures, what was I thinking?!? I got the Vice 2 palette from Urban Decay for the bright colors, but have honestly used the neutrals more than anything. Now I realize that there are times when a neutral eye is better than a bright eye. Granted, I still love those bright colors, but have learned to use them as a pop instead of a full eye look. Older and wiser I suppose. (When I am brave enough I will find one or some of those old photos...)

The other main reason behind my not going full on clown with the brights: The night before my husband and I got married (rather, eloped in Vegas), he told me I look like a clown with all that nonsense on my face, specifically my eyes. For a while I quit wearing makeup all-together, but that wasn't me. I am a tried-and-true makeup addict, and honestly, I feel better (inside and outside) when my face is on.

So, here it is, yesterday's look using the Vice 2 palette, all bottom row shadows with a touch of gold glitter from MAC on the inside corners for added sparkle.

Makeup items I used:
Eyeshadow: Urban Decay's Vice 2 palette - all bottom row colors
Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil - Roach (gorgeous chocolate brown with gold shimmer
                Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil - Whiskey (on water line)
Blush/Bronzer/Highlight: Urban Decay's Flushed palette
Lips: Hourglass Femme Nude lipstick - Nude #3

~You can click on any of the pictures to view larger~

Tip of the day: Glitter on the inside corner of the eye will catch the light, giving a little something extra to your look. It's definitely a personal preference, so go with what you feel comfortable with.

Leave a comment with your favorite nude eyeshadows/palettes!

Naked 3 Everyday

Have you jumped on the Naked train yet? I was so very excited for Urban Decay's release of the Naked 3 palette and was lucky enough to have been one of the first to get it. The drama that surrounded its release due to not enough being manufactured definitely made it all the more exciting to have gotten my order in before they ran out the first time. That said, it has become the palette I use the most. I have the original Naked, but not the Naked 2. I like the cooler colors that is in the original & 3, feel they look better on my skin tone.

Here is the look I did today using the Naked 3. It looks subtle in the photos up close I think, but face-to-face it is a little more "in your face". I am still trying to figure out the best way to photograph, so please bear with me!

The products I used are as follows:
Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow - Seashell Pink
Urban Decay Naked 3 - Trick, Nooner, Factory, & Strange
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil - Roach
Lancôme - Hypnose Drama mascara
MAC blush - Cubic
Smashbox Soft Lights - Shimmer
Urban Decay Flushed - bronzer
Tarte Lipsurgence Lipluster - Glitzy

I really like how the pinks look with brown eyeliner, gives it a softer feeling.

When applying my eyeshadow I use the same technique every time, just switch up the colors to create different looks. Some days I use perversion eyeliner on my water line, other days I leave it bare, depending on the look I am going for. I suggest always using an eye primer, I use Too Faced's Shadow Insurance, the one in the pretty blue tube. I never used to use a primer, but have found that it is the secret to not only helping your shadow stay in place all day, but it helps to place color where you want it, instead of the shadow slipping all over. It is also really helpful for shimmer shades, keeps the glitter in place.

Have a beautiful day everyone!