pinks and purples

Today was the oddest day at work! One of the pipes burst, so we had to shut off all the water! So because the water was down, the air was down...long story short, it was very hot! And I had to go across the street to go to the bathroom! Very odd day...

Anyways, I'm surprised my makeup lasted through the heat! Today I went a little subtle...pinks with a bit of purple. I started with Touchbase in Canvas from Clinique, and then used Clinique's Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Pink Tweed, mixed with a bit of their Colour Surge Eye Shadow in Night Plum. My liner was a limited edition Quickliner for Eyes (sorry, no link for this one!) in Intense Plum...this is one of my favorites! I only have one though so I barely use it to make it last. I finished up with my usual Diorshow Mascara in Black, and I'm done!

It was such a crazy day, and my brain is fried, so I'm afraid the pictures aren't the greatest and the post is going to be a bit short today, but I hope you like the makeup! It's brand new, the first time I've used it, so let me know what you think!

long day of work!

Today was probably the longest day of work I've ever had!! I worked a 12-8 shift, which is no longer than I normally work it just went by sooooo slowly! At least my makeup looked good, though!

Before applying any shadows, I used Clinique's Touchbase for Eyes, as always. It makes the colors look much brighter and last so much longer! For colors, this morning I was feeling purples...I went with Clinique's Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad in Plum Seduction. I used the lightest shade all over, the dark purple shade in the crease and in a v-shape on the outer corner of my eyes. The lighter purple shade I used (graciously) over the lid. The fourth color I didn't use today, partly because I was running out of time!

My liner today is Lancome's Le Style Waterproof in Noir. I did a relatively thin line for what I normally wear, but I liked how it looked so I left it alone! I ended with a few layers of Dior's Diorshow mascara in Black. I did a few more coats than normal with the mascara, but it made my lashes look amazing!

Overall I was very happy with how my makeup turned out today...my eyes especially! I was also going through my lipgloss bag and found one of my favorites! It's Chanel's Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss in Confidence! It gives such amazingly smooth color, and so pink! I love it! 

my favorites: eyeliners!

So, when brainstorming different post ideas, I decided to do some on my favorite makeup products. I obviously have not tried everything under the sun, but I'll be talking about what I have tried and what I've learned to love!

Today I wanted to talk about EYELINER! Eyeliner is probably my favorite part of makeup...it adds so much definition and pop to your eyes when applied correctly! The trick I tell customers is to apply a thin layer from corner to corner on the top lash line...this really opens up the eye and makes it look bigger! Always start with a thin line...it's much easier to add more than to take everything off and start over! I like to thicken the line up a bit towards the outer corner of my eye, it adds a cool shape and definition. When lining the lower lid, I go corner to corner, through the lash line and sometimes on the inner rim of the lid...it all depends on how dramatic or defined you want your eye to be!

Now for my favorite products! As far as regular pencils go, I really enjoy Clinique's Quickliner for Eyes. These are nice because you don't have to sharpen them...just twist up for more product! The benefit to non-sharpening pencils is you save product...when sharpening, you shave off more product then you end up using! Quickliners are really simple to use, and very soft...just lightly press and let the pencil do the work for you! They also come with a smudger on the other end, which can help for a smokier look. The colors I use the most are Black/Brown, Dark Chocolate, Violet and Slate.

If you prefer regular pencils, I enjoy Clinique's Cream Shaper for Eyes. This pencil is so soft and easy to use, and all of the colors have a bit of a shimmer to it! My favorite colors are Black Diamond and Starry Plum.

If you're looking for brighter, fun colored liners, I would definitely go with Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil. I just got three of these a couple weeks ago, but I already love them! They're very soft and easy to use, and the pigment is so bright! Mine have a bit of sparkle to them as well, which is nice when you're using just liner and no shadows. The colors I got are Crash, 1999, and Bourbon, but I really like Covet, Rockstar and Baked as well!!

My personal favorite type of liner is liquid liners...as long as I can find one that is easy to use and doesn't dry out too quickly. The best one by far that I've found is Lancome's Artliner. These are so easy to use, have a precision point sponge applicator, and don't dry out when you're trying to apply! They come in awesome colors...I own Noir, Smoke and Aubergine. I also picked up one from their summer collection, the Artliner Waterproof in Beach Gem. The waterproof is a bit tricky to get off sometimes, but the color looks really cool on.

There are so many different types of liners, and I admittedly have spent my fair share of money on different types, trying to find my favorites! These are the ones I use the most, and hopefully you'll all love them just as much as me! 

all natural

Today I had to get up early for work, so I went for easy makeup. The colors are so natural, yet very pretty...they make my blue eyes pop!

I started with Clinique's Touchbase (in Canvas, as always), followed with their Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo in Stawberry Fudge. Very simple application...sweep the lighter pink/gold shade all over, from lash line to brow, and put the darker brown lightly on the lid and heavier in the crease area. Remember to blend!

 

After the shadows I did a semi-thick line of Clinique's Quickliner for Eyes in Black/Brown (one of my favorites) on the top lash line, and a light line on the bottom, through the lash line. Finish up with a few layers of Diorshow Mascara, and viola!

These colors are perfect for an every day look...they are simple and natural, but give just enough color to make any eye color pop! The pink/gold shade from the shadow duo is especially versatile because, depending on your skin tone, it will go more pink or more gold. On me it always goes more gold, but I've used it on plenty of people as a nice, light pink! So if you like it, go to the nearest Clinique counter and play with it!

fun summer colors

today i decided to wear some bright, summery colors! it's been a little dreary out, so i thought i would brighten things up with these blues and purples! the shadows are from Lancome's Bronze Azure Summer: 2011 Color Collection, which i am absolutely in love with! I used the shadow quad Molten Shore...it is absolutely beautiful, especially for women with bright blue eyes.

to start, i applied a thin layer of Clinique's Touchbase for Eyes...this is a really great shadow primer that makes every color stand out even more (i use Canvas).  for the shadows, i first sweep on a thin layer of the lightest shade all over the lid, from lash line up to the brow. next, a generous layer of the bright blue all over the lid (making sure to not go above the crease). the dark brown color goes next, using a thin layer on top of the blue to give it a smokey look. lastly, use the sparkly purple shade in the crease and slightly higher, making sure to blend everything together.

i applied a semi-thick line of black liner, using Lancome's Le Crayon Kohl in Black Ebony. this liner is amazing...you get really great pigmentation, even lines, and nice and smooth application. i lined from corner to corner on the top, opening the eye up with lots of definition, as well as through the lash line on the bottom. i followed that with a thin line of Lancome's Artliner in Noir for even more definition. the last step is a few generous coats of Dior's Diorshow mascara to the top and bottom lashes, and i'm set to go!

the inner you

makeup inspires me...it is a way for me to express myself, how i'm feeling, and to make myself feel good about myself. if i'm ever feeling down, sad, or even just bloated (because every girl feels that every now and then!), putting on some kick ass makeup gives me a great boost to my self esteem and makes me feel brand new.

as a cosmetics consultant, i work with women and makeup on a regular basis. it's amazing what a little shadow, liner and mascara can do for a woman's confidence...everyone has the ability and potential to look amazing. you just have to know what works for you, and (more importantly) what doesn't work for your features. it takes practice, but everyone can learn the skills to bring out the best in themselves through makeup.