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The Daily Face - May 16, 2012 - Lime

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss

eyeshadow: MAC Eyeshadow in Lime, MAC Pure Pigment in Golden Olive

eye brows: MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: L’Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara

blush: MAC Powder Blush in Swoon

For this look I started by applying MAC Lime shadow to the lid from the lash line, blending above the crease. 

I then applied the Golden Olive pigment on top of the shadow.

Next I applied Illamasqua Precision Ink in 60’s cat eye.  I find this Illamasqua liquid liner very easy to use, so if you are a liquid liner beginner this might be a good product for you to try out.  I like to play around with the shape of my winged liner.  Sometimes I apply the liner very flat against my lash line and other times I like to make a thicker line with more exaggerated curves along the eye.  Here I went for exaggerated curves, keeping the liner thin along the inner corner and building it up thicker around the highest point of the lid and through the wing.  The shape of your liner will change the shape of your eye, so play around and see how it works on your own eye.

Last I applied mascara and a sweep of Swoon blush to the apples of the cheeks.  Swoon is a very bright pink so I applied it very lightly.  Bright pinks and greens together can look clownish, so keep your bright pink blushes soft.

The Daily Face - April 11, 2012 - Dark Blue

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeshadow: Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow in Obsidian, MAC Eyeshadow in Deep Truth

eye brows: MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

This black Illamasqua shadow is great, probably the best black shadow I’ve used.  Often I find dark shadow difficult to apply and blend smoothly, but this stuff is super velvety.

For this look I started by applying the black Illamasqua shadow to the lid from lashline to crease.  When you are using dark shadows start light and then build on top of it until you reach your desired color saturation.  Use the eye socket bone as a guide for the shadow, diffusing the shadow at the edges so there are no hard lines.

Next I brought the shadow down on the lower lid as a drop shadow.  I chose to keep the shadow on the outer edge of the bottom lid only.  Make sure the shadow on the top and bottom lid connects at the outer corner of your eyes.

Then I blended the dark blue MAC shadow onto the outer area of the top lid and into the crease.  Make this blue shadow as subtle or bright as you wish.

Finish the look with plenty of mascara.

The Daily Face - April 5, 2012 - Pinks

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeshadow: NARS Eyeshadow in Ashes to Ashes, Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Berber

eyeliner: NARS Liquid Eye Pen

eye brows: MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

For this look I used a combination of purpley-grays and golden pinks, an unusual color palette that somehow works together.

I started by blending NARS Ashes to Ashes to the lid from lashline to above the crease.  You want to be able to see the color above the crease when your eyes are open, but make sure to blend thoroughly up toward the brow so there are no hard lines. 

Next I applied Berber, the Illamasqua pure pigment with the small flat brush to the outer corners of the lower lid.  Pigments should be applied lightly at first since they can be very bright.  You can always add more if you desire a brighter look.

Then I blended a small amount of the pigment in the corner of the top lid.  This should add a little brightness to the Ashes to Ashes, but should be subtle.

Last I applied NARS liner pen to the outer edge of the top lid right along the lashline and a few coats of mascara.

The Daily Face - April 2, 2012 - Stripes

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeshadow: Illamasqua Eye Shadow in Sex (matte white)

eyeliner: Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss, Illamasqua Precision Ink in Scribe

eye brows: MAC Brow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: MAC Haute & Naughty Mascara

To get this black and white look I began by applying the matte white eyeshadow to the lid from lashline to crease.  Then I applied white shadow wrapping around the inner corners of the eyes and blended it onto the inner corners of the lower lid.

Next I applied Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss to the top lid in a sweeping wing from inner corner to outer corner.  The Precision Ink is fairly easy to apply and also manipulate with a Q-tip if you need to, but I still applied it in stages, first the outer corners then connecting the inner corners.  Liquid liner is pretty difficult to apply in one swoop.

Next I applied a thin line of Precision Ink in Scribe (white) directly into the lower lashline, connecting it to the wing of black liner.  Directly beneath the white I applied a thin line of black liner and connected this into the wing as well. Then I applied another thin line of the white under the black and brought the line all the way up under the wing. Use the photo as reference for this to make sense.

Last I applied mascara, my faaaavorite thing.

The Daily Face - February 2, 2012 - Mod

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: Illamasqua Precision Ink, MAC Kohl Pencil in Fascinating (white)

eye brows: MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: Lancome Hypnose Drama

Illamasqua sent me a few products to try out, one of them being their Precision Ink, and I immediately wanted to create a 60’s mod eye with it.  This product creates a super smooth, rich black, gloss finished line, perfect for dramatic winged liner.  If you are a makeup beginner this might not be the easiest liner for you to start out with, but if you have a steady hand, are comfortable with makeup application, or are willing to practice I highly recommend trying the Precision Ink out.

I applied the Precision Ink in a fairly thick line from corner to corner, winging the liner at the outer corners.  Next I carefully extended the liner past the inner corners of the eyes.  (If you have wide set eyes this line can be longer, but if your eyes are closer together you will want to make this line fairly short.)  Then I lined the bottom lash line also extending past the inner corners.  When you do this follow the natural shape of your eye, and it might take a couple of tries to get right.  Next I used the tip of the liner to draw on little bottom lashes beneath my natural lashes.  Draw these on an slight angle toward the outer corners of the eyes, not straight down.

Next I lined the eye socket bone.  There are many variations on how this cane be done, and all of them can be tricky.  You can connect the line with the wing, you can bring the line farther into the inner corners, it all depends on the shape of your eyes; experiment!  Also, remember that the more symmetrical your face is the easier this will be.  My eye socket bones are not symmetrical so I have to draw the liner on the left eye slightly higher than the right.

Last I added a little white liner under the lower lashes, in between the inner corner lines, and to my lid between the liner and the eye bone line.  If you want to go really over the top add false lashes, otherwise just apply some mascara.

The Daily Face - February 2, 2012 - Winter makeup for people who don’t wear makeup

under eyes: Make Up For Ever HD Concealer in 325

eyeliner: NARS Eye Pencil in Hollywoodland

eye brows: MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Fling

eye lashes: Lancome Hypnose Drama

cheeks: Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Betray

The winter can make our faces look a little dull.  Of course you can combat this by wearing a lot of bronzer, highlighter, foundation, etc, but in my opinion that looks worse than being pale and slightly lackluster.  If you want to brighten up your face without wearing much makeup focus on your eyes and you cheeks.  All you need is some mascara and a little highlighter under the bottom lashes and around the inner corners of the eyes.  Then add a slight flush to your apples of your cheeks with your favorite blush.  If you are pale or dark try a pinkish shade.  If you have an olive or yellow based complexion you’ll want to use a more golden toned blush. 

This is an easy way to bright up your face without piling makeup on your face.

Optional for those of you who feel comfortable with a little more makeup is highlighter on the top of the cheekbones and a light tinted moisturizer to even out any unevenness of the skin.