Fall Beauty Cravings

Reading Temptalia's blog is extremely dangerous for my pocket. I discover new makeup stuff that I absolutely must purchase asap or my life will never be the same. My latest obsession is eyeshadow. I've been having an eyeshadow year, or perhaps an eyeliner year... Mascara... An all-things eye-related year.

Check out this palette from Urban Decay and tell me if you, like myself, are not tempted to go to Sephora's website right this freaking second, ignore the price tag and just go ahead and hit the purchase button. Add to the temptation factor the little footer note on the product that says it's extremely high demand, selling out fast, limited edition yadda yadda. Oh Sephora, why do you do this to me?

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Now, I've never been a MAC girl. It's a great brand, don't get me wrong, but I like to use my Beauty Insider points at Sephora and they don't have MAC at Sephora, so in order for me to get something at MAC it must be somewhat irreplaceable, like their waterproof mascara. But oh holy crap, check this thing out! Tartan: awesome. Eyeshadows: awesome. Professional makeup brushes: awesome. All combined: you cruel bastards! It won't be released until the holiday season, so Santa, if you're reading this, insert this item on my wishlist. I have been kinda nice.

Yay! My local Sephora finally has the travel-size Oscar Blandi Pronto Volumizing Shampoo Spray available. It's only $11 and although I'm not a fan of their regular dry shampoo spray (as discussed in my review), I've heard great things about this version, saying it's totally innovative and effective. So guess where I'm heading tomorrow? :)

And Fall is here, for us Northern Hemisphere folks! My favorite season! It's still hot as balls here in South Florida but who cares, I'm gonna start rocking my wellies even if I look delirious doing so and wearing gray nail polish like nobody's business. Gray has been a hot color for nails in Europe and in Brazil (not random, that's where I'm from) for a minute but for some odd reason never made a hit here in the States. Not until now! Chanel (Les Khakis, Paradoxal), Essie and even L'Oreal are coming out with some great shades for Fall. At last!

...And I still wonder where my paycheck disappears to every month...

This I Tried: How To Do The Perfect Cat Eye

The cat eye is glamorous and never goes out of style. StyleCaster has some fantastic video tutorials and this one on how to achieve the perfect cat eye is so simple to follow, I had to try for myself.

I've always struggled with the cat eye look. I think it has something to do with the shape of my eyes or the angle I was aiming with the eyeliner. To try this look on yourself, I urge you to watch the video first. It's quick and easy and will explain far better than my amateurish pictures will ever succeed at doing.

I was going for a more natural cat eye look. Forget Amy Winehouse. This is why I like how they mix just a hint of plum eyeshadow as an eyeliner base and then liquid eyeliner on top.

What you will need:

• A concealer
• A setting powder of any kind (translucent is best)
• A neutral creamy eyeshadow close to your skintone or even a tinted eyeshadow primer.
• An all-purpose eyeshadow brush.
• A shimmery neutral powder eyeshadow, also close to your skintone.
• A plum eyeshadow, creamy, powder, whatever. Plum is hot, invest on it!
• An angled eyeliner brush. Very important. Just get one. 
• A liquid fine tip eyeliner. For this look I used black, but why not plum if you feel like it?
• A q-tip and a tiny dollop of moisturizer, vaseline or even water.
• Mascara.

1. I started by prepping my entire eye area with Maybelline Mineral Power concealer and Maybelline Mineral Power Finishing Veil in translucent. Don't forget the lids, this is how your makeup will stay on.

2. Using my fingertips, I applied Revlon Vital Radiance Mousse Shadow in Pearl Light (which I bought at the Dollar store!), but any creamy neutral eyeshadow will do. You're basically creating a background for the other good stuff.

3. With an eyeshadow brush, I followed with Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin, which is a great multi-tasking, all-purpose nude color. It has just enough shimmer to make your eyes pop and totally suitable for daytime. I use it as a base for pretty much any look.

Powder eyeshadow over creamy one makes color
stand out more and offers better lasting power

4. Next, I dipped an angled eyeliner brush on some plum eyeshadow. I chose L'Oreal HIP Eyeshadow Duo in Sculpted, which is a deep plum, so it doesn't scream "purple".

5. For the liquid eyeliner, I chose Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black. It's a felt tip pen rather than a regular liquid eyeliner. It makes drawing extremely easy for the uncoordinated because you never have excess ink all over the place. Bonus: it's waterproof. 

 

6. Using a q-tip dabbed in just a bit of moisturizer, I drew the eyeliner upwards, kind of making a smiley face on my lash line. The video explains this step better. If you're using a waterproof liquid liner, act fast because it dries very quickly, making it difficult to blend.

7. Finally, I patted some concealer in the outer corners of my eyes, just where q-tip traced before, making sure my face looked even. Finish with some translucent powder (but not over eyeliner!) and then you can use the same powder eyeshadow from before to highlight the inner corners of your eyes and the lower lashline.

8. I used Benefit Bad Gal Mascara on upper and lower lashes and that's it.

 

Success! \o/

Today's Link Thingies

• I heart NY and I'm CRAVING Urban Decay Book of Shadows Volume 3. Temptalia has a video on it.
• Beauty Junkies Unite also has the full breakdown of colors. Early Christmas wishlist alert.

• Get Jenna Fischer's easy Emmy look at Beauty Addict. So natural you can try it before your next trip to the grocery store.

• Why blueberries are the body's anti-aging best kept secret - at Daily Perricone.

• 5 Makeup Looks for Redheads in Red Dresses at Bella Sugar.

• Olivia Wilde's smoky champagne eye makeup at Cee Me.

• Also from Cee Me, a very, very useful post on face contouring. Life changing.

• Remember Clementine's hair from Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind? That and other 88 wild hair colors at Bella Sugar.

2010 Emmy's - Favorite Makeup Looks

I'm gonna keep this post semi-short and focusing on my favorite looks from last night's Emmy Awards. Also, some trend spotting on the red carpet and some real-life interpretation and how-to's. :)

Let's start with Claire Danes:

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Notice the Summer glow going on here!

Claire Danes is usually very pale, but opted for a natural-looking end-of-summer glow. I'm kind of digging it and wondering what bottle it came from. The color on her hair may be washing her out a bit and contrasting in the wrong way, but overall, I think this is one of her best looks to date.

The eye makeup she's sporting was also a common trend on the red carpet last night: a combination of bronze, golden and reddish browns. Those are shades that flatter pretty much any eye color, yet looking more natural than the classic smoky look that goes better in the colder seasons.

To achieve this look, start with a shimmery beige or gold all over lids and under the brow bones for highlight. Focus the darker colors on the outer corner of upper lids and lighter in the inner corner. For dramatic effect, you may apply black or brown eyeliner in the waterline and plenty of mascara.

On her cheeks, we see a soft rose blush, probably creamy or solid stick, to achieve a more natural glow that "comes from within". Try Nars - The Multiple in Orgasm , applying the color with your fingertips. To make the look even more natural and seemingly effortless, apply blush under foundation and finish with a highlighter.

Sweet Surprise: Kim Kardashian

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I'm flabbergasted by Kim's perfect, flawless skin. You can tell she's wearing (a lot of) foundation, but man, that is one fantastic airbrush job right there. She's naturally tan and one common mistake people sometimes make on the red carpet or otherwise is mismatch the shade of their foundation with the rest of their bodies. Not her case over here. Her makeup looks like a million bucks and it probably is.

The most interesting thing about her look besides her irritatingly perfect skin was her nude lips (a recurring trend), which can be achieved in the real world with Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Peach Petal (#150).

Also notice the white in her waterline. That was achieved with white eyeliner right in the inner rim of her lower lashes. That's a little technique I've been using ever since high school (with the good ol' Wet N' Wild white eyeliner pencil), in order to fake an 8 hour sleep. It pops open your eyes, giving a fresh yet dramatic effect.

For her lashes, oh boy, they better be falsies. The rest of us mortals can attempt that effect by curling the living crap out of our lashes with a good eyelash curler and amazing mascara. I swear by MAC Splashproof Mascara (thank you @Lietchka!). Makes your lashes seem impossibly long and voluminous. Like, tranny long.

Kim's makeup artist also used a highlighter shade in the inner corner of her eyes, making her "well-rested" glow even more enviable. To achieve that, choose a pearly eyeshadow or highlighter (not a bronzer) at least one tone lighter than your skin color. Don't be afraid, it's supposed to accentuate.

Now onto Mrs. Seal:

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Do I love that hair? Probably not. But moving on:

Heidi followed pretty much the same guidelines as Kim Kardashian. Flawless, even foundation application, nude lips (lighter than your natural lip color), white in the waterline, highlighted inner corner of upper lids and gallons of mascara.

REAL WORLD HOW-TO:

She completed the look with black eyeliner on the upper lids. This dramatic effect can be achieved by using both liquid and kohl eyeliner. I love combining Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes in Mat Black with Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen in Black (gives you perfect precision and easy to draw). Aqua Eyes is creamy and easy to blend or smudge, not to mention it's waterproof*. After applying the eyeshadow that will highlight entire lid area, use the kohl pencil along lash line, thinner on the inner corner and thicker on the outer. Smudge slightly and on the very outer corner, draw the smudger (or q-tip) upwards. Once that's done, you can apply a taupe shadow over that black, so the smoky effect is not dramatic but just a touch of mystery. Finish off with the liquid eyeliner for definition. Liquid eyeliners are especially great for the cat eye effect.

To achieve Heidi's highlighted cheek bones, use something like Nars The Multiple in Copacabana or even E.LF All Over Stick (which I own and it's really good and it's $1!). Using your finger tips, blend color starting just below outer corner of eyes, drawing a "C" inwards above cheekbones. This is a technique I learned from Lauren Luke in this video.

*For night time events, I always recommend waterproof makeup in the eyes. You don't have to worry about sweating, reapplying, smudging or even the walk of shame the next morning!

Gorgeous Emily Deschanel:

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Everything about this look is fabulosity! From the beautiful jewel toned purple gown - a color I'm kind of obsessed about - to her hair and makeup, the girl was dazzling.

Emily kept it simple, her complexion was even (notice the pattern!) and her lips, very natural. According to Temptalia, she might have used a plum liner on the lower lash line. And oh, how I love to hear that! For that effect, I would use ELF Eyeliner in Plum, which is light and discreet. You can smudge it for a more toned-down effect while still playing with color. She also lined her waterline with black and I notice a bit of smoke on the outer corners of her upper lash line.

To achieve this, try L'Oreal HIP Shadow Duo in Sculpted. The darker color will give you a smoky touch that's not quite purple, not quite black, but something in between. She used a very light pearly-peachy-cream color on her inner corners. Try Buxom Stay-There Shadow in Mutt or Poodle.

For the lips, I recommend starting with plain ol' cherry Chapstick - it gives you a very light hint of color while smoothing out surface of lips. Skip the lipstick and go for a lip gloss. I like Sephora Collection Super Shimmer Lip Gloss in Rusted Rose (a rose-tan-nude). Use your fingertips to blend and keep it from looking too glassy.

Overall Makeup Roundup:

Bronze, taupe, champagne and reddish browns ruled the red carpet for this year's Emmy Awards. I spot a trend I've been observing for a while, and a color that hits that nail in the head is Nars Eyeshadow in Lola Lola. Do I want to spend $23 on a single eye shadow? No. Will I probably do it anyway? Yes. In the meantime, I've adapted my budget restrictions to ELF Custom Eyes in Mocha (it's ONE freaking Dollar!) for the same effect. Worth the money: Urban Decay in Sin (an amazing all-over color!). Probably worth the money: Buxom Stay-There Shadow in Mutt.

Pair up with black eyeliner and plenty of mascara. Favorites are Diorshow Mascara, MAC Splashproof Mascara and Maybelline's The Falsies.

Naturally glowing cheeks. Nars Orgasm is always a winner, or Bare Escentuals All-Over Face Color in Faux Tan or in Bare Radiance (or both paired up). Just go with an all-over, even glow (streaks and obvious blushes are so not the way to go), perhaps a discreet little tan-in-a-bottle (not you, Nancy Juvonen) and some nice cheek highlighters.

Nude and rusty-rosy lips are the perfect complement. I did spot some coral and red (Maria Menounos, Jewel, Christina Hendricks) but my favorites were the nudes. Dianna Agron's look summarizes the idea.

Kudos to the purples worn by Jane Lynch, Emily Deschanel and Kyra Sedwick. January Jones was almost there: loved her dress (guilty pleasure!), but the hair was a walk-of-shame hot mess and makeup did not do the look justice. So close.

For the fashion hits and misses on the Emmy's red carpet, visit the Trend Menu blog, written by my dear friends @Querouaquino and @Lietchka.

Search For The Perfect Primer

A few years ago, I had never heard of a makeup primer. But then again, I wasn't too concerned about visible lines, creases, mattifying power, that sort of thing. Once upon a time, wearing foundation and some setting powder sufficed, maybe a little moisturizer beforehand, if you were the type of girl who took extra time and care with your skin. Those days are long gone.

I used to think makeup primers were an unnecessary, superfluous item. That was until I tried one on. First makeup primer I ever got my hands on was the classic Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. Oh, and what a milestone! It's one of those things that once you try, you can never go back to being your old self without it. That stupid thing starts at $38 for a 1 oz. container but somehow it finds its way to the top of your grocery list.

Smashbox Photo Finish line now comes in a huge array of primers, with different formulas, shades, all designed for specific needs you never knew you had. They feel like heaven on your skin. Like your cheeks are made out of baby's butt. So velvety smooth, poreless, creaseless, flawless.

A good makeup primer works as a sort of canvas for your foundation, evening out your skin tone, texture, minimizing pores, lines and enhancing the staying power of your makeup. Although the premise for these primers is silicone (to smooth out texture and create that wonderful "velvety" effect), a lot of them are oil free and claim to be non comedogenic and won't clog pores. Still takes me some guts to buy and endorse a product which main ingredient is silicone, but for 38 bucks or more, it must be freaking good.

Which is why after my first Photo Finish trial - despite loving it to death - I couldn't stay faithful. I assumed there could be another makeup primer out there just as good or even better. These days, there are a lot of fish in the primer sea, especially at the place where I like to drop off my paycheck every other week, otherwise known as Sephora. Drugstore brands are still a couple of light years away in the primer department. So far, I think I've only seen L'Oreal market such product, but don't quote me on that. Without that option, one has to be prepared to cash at least $18 on such beauty marvel.

Here are a few primers that I've tried so far:

Make Up Forever HD Microperfecting Primer in Blue

What it Claims: "Adds radiance to fair skin/ reduces minor imperfections."

Conclusion: Why did I waste my money? For $32 for a 1 oz pump-jar, I'm still wondering why I didn't return the product and exchanged for something else. I'm a huge fan of Make Up Forever, their eyeshadows are amazing, they have the best eye makeup remover in the Universe, but I still don't get the hype with their HD line. The blue color in the primer does help even out a little bit of redness, but not enough. The texture of the liquid is so not what I expect from a primer - it's no different from a lightweight moisturizer and this is not why I wear a primer. I still have a little bit left in my bottle; I'm an eternal optimist when it comes to certain products and I want to get the most out of every penny spent on that thing. Would I buy this primer again? Oh noes.

Bare Escentuals Prime Trime

What it claims: "Prepares your skin for the most amazing foundation with this preservative-free foundation primer that's great for all skin types."

Conclusion: It's true, Bare Escentuals is the most amazing foundation out there. It should - and probably will - get its own 5 page post some time in the near future. But as far as makeup primers go, BE is just okay. If you're on (sort of) a budget, this is a good option (21 George Washingtons for a 1 oz container), but whatever you do, don't get the oil control version. It's terrible! Texture is just awful. Looks messy and sticky on the skin. Stick to the original flavor.

Smashbox Photo Finish Targeted Pore and Line Primer:

What it claims: "An ultra-concentrated primer that works to erase fine lines, stubborn pores, and other complexion imperfections—all while absorbing shine for a flawless finish."

Conclusion: Now this is a very specific primer. It's sort of a Photoshop for your face, once you're finished with all the makeup and everything. Texture is uber velvety, silicone concentration probably higher than Pamela Anderson's implants. They instruct you to use only around undereye creases, fine lines along the lip area, nose etc. I used it as an undereye primer before my concealer and what a big mistake! I had to remove all my makeup and start over. You're supposed to just pat over the fine lines (not rub), but even so, it didn't do it for me. You can wear OVER makeup, and that might work as a finishing "airbrush" touch for minor flaws, but I don't think it's worth the investment. I'm not a professional makeup artist and perhaps this product was designed for people who know what the heck they're doing, which is probably not my case. After two trials and repeated error, I returned the cute and pricey little tube to Sephora.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer in Color Adjust (Green):

What it Claims: "The silky blend of vitamins and antioxidants smoothes and perfects skin, while the unique formula helps to inhibit the destruction of collagen, and fills in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish."

Conclusion: Worth every penny. Get it in the supersized or even travel sized squeezable tube instead of the pump because you will want to use every last drop of it. And then some. The texture is what a perfect primer should deliver: feels lightweight on the skin, makes pores way less noticeable, prepares a smooth canvas for foundation, dries out quickly, never cakes. Once you give this makeup primer a try you will know why this kind of cosmetic gimmick was invented in the first place.

Philosophy The Supernatural:

What it Claims: "An oil-free, tinted foundation primer that multitasks as a skin perfector and an SPF."

Conclusion: This is the one I keep coming back to. Texture is very similar to Smashbox Photo Finish color adjust primer but with one added bonus: SPF 15! This primer has a hint of tint but goes on clear in the skin - believe me: I'm very pale. For $30 you get 1.6 oz, almost double the amount of most other brands market. Philosophy makes great products and so far I'm a fan. My pores become less visible, the fine lines smoother and it feels really good on the skin. My foundation already comes with SPF but I like multi-tasking products and this is definitely one of them.

I hear Boscia Skin Perfecting Primer is also very good and I might give it a try when I run out of my Philosophy primer. Boscia products are all natural, so if you have sensitive skin, it might be a good option.

A lot of cosmetic brands now have eyelid/eyeshadow primers as well - most popular one being Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and most recently, Benefit's Stay Don't Stray. They claim to increase staying staying power of your eye makeup, making it creaseless, smudgless and all. Personally I think it's a little too much. If you prep your entire face with a primer, add a good concealer and finish off with some translucent powder, you should be more than fine. I work in a hot and greasy kitchen all day and my eyeshadow still stays put after a long shift. If you wear good eyeshadow and eyeliner, there's no reason why it should crease. I don't recommend wearing eyeshadow paste alone but under a powder or solid shadow, since the creamy texture is not made to stay on for a long time.

When it comes to primers, you should always wear over a moisturizer, whether primer will be worn alone or under a foundation. Primers are not made to substitute moisturizers, they are supposed to lay over your skin and not be absorbed by it. Even if you have oily skin, it's important to not skip the moisturizer step, since it literally helps balance the moisture levels on your skin, keeping water in and protecting your cells from free radicals, loss of collagen etc. I like Murad Oil Control Mattifier SPF 15. It acts as a moisturizer while seriously controlling excess oil and delivering SPF protection. I've used this product alone for a long time before adding a primer to it and it still helped my makeup stay put for hours while preventing my acne prone skin from further breakout. When I go out and want my makeup to look more "red carpet" ready, that's when I add the primer step.

I currently only wear powder mineral foundation, which is very primer-friendly. I've tried with liquid foundation before and felt like it just melted in with the primer and desired effect was not achieved. If you wear liquid foundation, I recommend you choose a primer that is designed to go along with said foundation, so they don't "clash". My concealer is still liquid and a lightweight primer such as Photo Finish (not the Targeted Pore one) and The Supernatural work very well with it.

I wouldn't go as far as saying primers are crucial to beauty routines, but once you find one that suits you, it can really make a difference.