Polished Up Lipstick by MAC

It's all about the brown tones these days!  I've rediscovered by love for the warm, rich brown and gold hues.  I've been incorporating them with splashes of pink and aubergine and I think it creates a lovely look.  I recently went into the MAC store to get my free lippie for the back to MAC program!  I wanted a day version of the shade Paramount (which is a deeper brownish red and currently my go to evening shade).  The makeup artist helped me pick up a shade called 'Polished Up' - I now addicted to this colour - and what I love about it is that name is true to the lipstick - it really is the perfect 'Polished Up' day look.  It's going to be perfect for when I go back to work and it's neutral enough to wear with almost anything.  I guess you can call it the perfect everyday chic lipstick.  Here is a new look I created:

I used just a touch of concealer and tinted moisturizer and I wanted my tan to take centre stage.  I love the golden look of a tan, so why hide it!  My current go to blush is Oasis by MAC and it goes perfectly with the other neutral tones that I picked for this look and it warm enough to compliment the warm tones I used as well.  For the eyes, I applied MAC Goldmine eyeshadow from the lid slightly into the crease.  I used Coffee eyeliner on the top and bottom lash-line.  I blended MAC Sketch and Deep Damson on my angular eyeshadow brush and smudged it into the upper lash line before finishing with two coats of black mascara (I'm currently using Dior).  Finally, I applied Polished Up Lipstick by MAC - I find this look so harmonious, neutral and classic!!! Perfect for day and day into night!!! :)

Summer Night Look

Summer makeup is light and fresh and I love pops of colour for summer.  I especially like makeup for summer evenings - I find that the best summer night look is slightly iridescent, slightly warm, yet very natural and 'fresh'.  I created a look that incorporated all these elements and I loved the end result.

I started with just a basic concealer and Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in Sand.  I created the iridescent look, by using colour products that have a natural sheen to them.  I used amber lights eyeshadow on the lid into the crease, then used teddy liner and smudged the upper lash line with a mix of cork and espresso shadows.  I used cork in the crease/outer corners of the eyes as well (all MAC products).  The amber lights and teddy both have a touch of shimmer, so they really 'shine' naturally and nicely when the light hits your face.  I rediscovered a blush colour that I really like - it's petal power blush by MAC.  In the container it looks like a bright coral pink with shimmer.  However, it applies as a sheer pink-coral with a beautiful shimmer effect.  It's the perfect summer night or summer garden party blush.  For the lips, I wanted to create the effect of natural warmth.  I decided to apply Boldly Bare lipliner and fill in my lips with this shade.  I then applied Strength lipstick over top - both MAC.  I really love this look!!!  It's also the perfect summer into fall cross over look - I look forward to creating this look again!!! :)

Finding your best Nude Lipstick!

I've noticed something very interesting since I've started my makeup wardrobe decluttering - I noticed that I was always on the quest for my best nude lipstick shade and was always getting it 'wrong' - I think part of that was because I was going towards the dusky pinks and pink toned beiges. Lately, I've been wearing the peach toned beiges, coral beiges and honey toned beiges and I notice a significant difference - warmth suits me much better!  Part of figuring out your best nude lipstick is figuring out the base of that nude and which looks the best on you - something cooler, pink beige or warmer, honey beige.  A light seashell pink or peach lies somewhere in between the two!  I've noticed a huge different too between wearing the cooler grey-blue shades of liner vs the warmer bronze/brown shades - warm tones seem to work much better.  You'd think that after 3 years of being on a colour journey that I would know this already?  I do seem to tee-totter a lot, but I'm not at all phased by that or see that as a negative - each time I make this kind of discovery or a-ha moment, I gain more confidence in what's right for me.  The thing that you don't get to see on this blog, is how much this journey has made me a better makeup artist when working on others.  It's really sharpened my skills!!!  Anyhow, tee-tottering all, here is my return to the 'warm side' of things:

I like that I took this photo in a very natural light and setting - I'm wearing trace gold and sincere blush by MAC.  I added the trace gold to my eyes as a shadow shade (lid to crease) and blended a lighter gold shade into the crease.  I used MAC teddy eyeliner and used the gold shade in the too faced natural eyes palette to blend into the liner.  I lined my lips with MAC etcetera and filled them in with Honeylove lipstick (also MAC) - voila - the perfect natural look with an elegant nude lip!!!

Summer Glow

One thing I love about the summer is how I'm able to get that 'golden glow' from the sun.  I have the type of skin tone that literally tans instantly - I tend to go golden and bronze.  I wanted to create a makeup look that is perfect for those summer casual days that lets your skin breath and take centre stage.  I thought about the colour 'bronze' and what other colours are in harmony with this shade - golden browns, corals and light beige all came to mind:

I started this look with a golden beige toned concealer and tinted moisturizer.  I like the laura mercier tinted moisturizer because it has SPF in it and it's a sheer wash of colour, so your natural skin tone still takes centre stage.  I applied MAC Trace of Gold blush onto the cheeks and also used it as an eyeshadow.  I used MAC teddy liner and then smudged it with a gold shade from the too faced natural eyes palette.  I finished off the natural eye look with black mascara (two coats).  For the lipstick, I decided to create a soft coral lip, so I blended two lipsticks - MAC Costa Chic with Honeylove.  I absolutely adore this combination.  It I wanted a swipe and go look, I'd apply the NudeStix 'Soul' - I'm currently obsessed with their products.  

NUDESTIX Lip and Cheek Pencil in Soul

I've hit the jackpot!  I don't think I've ever been this excited to blog about a lip shade!  Sephora currently is promoting and selling a makeup line called 'NudeStix' - it's a range of concealers, shadows, lip/cheek pencils that are multipurpose!  I love the idea of a 'two in one' product - something you can swipe on your lips and cheeks and just 'go'.  However, the issue with a lot of the two in one products, its that there is not usually a wide range of shades to choose from - until now!!!  I really like that the Nudestix company is all about natural beauty and featuring shades that are 'your lips but better' - I think that finding your perfect nude/neutral shade can be really tricky - they are either too pastel like or too beige or too pink etc etc.  As soon as I swiped on the 'Soul' lip/cheek pencil - I was 'in love' - its the perfect peachy-neutral and it's the best nude/neutral lip I've ever 'loved' right away - most of the time, I try to 'force' colours or work or try to convince myself it's a wearable nude shade.  However, this time, it was a different story - no 'forcing or convincing' needed - it truly is the best neutral for me!!!

 I think I'm going to be scoping out the Nudestix line again soon - I'm curious to try their concealer and eyeshadow shades! Right now I'm returning to wearing warm browns and golds on my eyes - I'm also trying to create more minimal eye makeup looks, so a swipe and go shadow will be a fun technique to try vs my standard heavy handed liner.  In this pic, I used the too faced natural eye palette with MAC's Coffee liner and black mascara.  I'm wearing the Soul lip shade from Nudestix and also dapped this shade on my cheeks!!!

Darker Hair and a New Look :)

I recently decided to go back to the dark brown hair colour and I'm so happy that I did!  My colourist did such a great job and we talked about how much the dark shades suit me better then trying to go lighter!  I guess it's a matter of embracing my authentic self:

I wanted to create a look that is both natural and dramatic, to suit the depth of my hair colour.  I recently got netflix (I know, I was a but slow to get it lol) - and have my current favourite shows.  The first one that I really got into was 'House of Cards' and I really love everything about Robin Wright's character Claire Underwood!  I especially love her wardrobe and style.  I wanted to try and create a look that was reminiscent of her striking 'power woman' work look.  I noticed that her lips and cheeks are quite natural//neutral, but she plays up her eyes with black liner/mascara.  So, I guess you could say that this look is half inspired by my hair colour change, and half inspired by Claire Underwood :). I used the following makeup products to create this look: Too Faced - Natural Eyes Palette (I used the Day and Casual shades) MAC Smolder eyeliner NARS Madly Blush MAC Etcetera Lipliner + MAC Pervette Lipstick.

MAC Prevette Lipstick

This summer, I'm all about icy pinks.  There is something so feminine and powerful about a light pink lip with subtle shimmer.  I recently spotted MAC 'Pervette' lipstick and I'm completely in love with this shade.  I decided to create a look with a charcoal grey and pink combination:

First, please don't mind the matching pink pyjama and bed head look lol - I always like to do my makeup first and then figure out what I'm going to wear for the day!  Since I'm off for the summer, its nice to have those lazy mornings!!!  I started with my basic concealer and tinted moisturizer.  I then applied NARS Sin blush - which is my current absolute favourite blush (of all time) and it looks amazing with most pink and plum shades!  For the eyes, I started with MAC Electra shadow on the lid into the crease.  I then used Phone Number eye liner and smudged Smut into the upper lash line.  I used Whirl lipliner to fill in the lips and then layered on Pervette lipstick (all MAC products)!!!  I think this is such a pretty, natural look for everyday (or lazy morning lol)!!!

Revisiting MAC Auburn

There is something that I love about a rich, dramatic and elegant makeup look.  I tend to go through makeup phases where I really like a natural look or a soft look or a warm look etc etc.  However, one look that I've always loved and keep coming back to, is one that is deeper, richer, more defined and contrasting.  I was playing around with my lip liners this morning, created various red shades.  One of the liners that I tried was MAC Auburn Lip Liner.  I haven't worn auburn in a while, so I tried it with various shades.  Finally, I stumbled upon the combination of Auburn paired with NARS Fire Down Below!!!  It was a makeup 'a-ha' moment for me.  Auburn is rich, deep and warm and Fire Down Below is a deep, neutral red!  I decided that I needed a rich and deep eye makeup look too, so this is what I put together:

I used the following products to create this look:

MAC Smolder Eyeliner smudged with Embark and Smut shadows on the upper lashline Black Mascara MAC Raizin Blush MAC Auburn Lip Liner NARS Fire Down Below Lipstick.  I know that many of you like when a wear a more natural eye-makeup look, but I just love this deep, dramatic eye!!!  I love how the Auburn/Deep Red goes so well with the Black-Smokey eye!!!  :)