The Chic Parisian Eye

Since I've writen my post about finiding the perfect parisian red lipstick, I've had a few request to blog about the parisian eye makeup look that my friend explained to me.  The basic idea of the parisian eye is to create brightness and open up the eye in a natural way vs creating shadows and depth with the smokey eye techniques.  The parisian eye is about creating a gentle, effortless, timeless and elegant look, using colours that are lighter, almost white to open up the eye!  I decided to re-create this look and explained how I achieved the bright eyed, youthful effect:

Here are the key steps that you need to achieving this look:  Start with a neutral base, add a light brown/taupe shade to the lid into the crease, use a very light/almost white shadow to highlight in the following areas: inner tear ducts, blended into the lower lasline and under the brow bone.  Then use a black or black-brown liner 'only' on the outside corners of the eye, creating an inverted 'v' shape and use a similar shadow shade to smudge ever so delicately into the liner - the look should be soft, not obvious.  Last but not least, a few swipes of black mascara (after your curl your lashes of course).  Here is a list of the products I used:

Basic face: primer, foundation, concealer, powder

Cheeks: Tawny as contour (Bobbi Brown), Laura Mercier Violet Orchid blush, light pink highlight

Eyes: From Too Faced Naked eye compact (In the buff as base, Like a Virgin lid to crease, blended well, MAC smolder liner smudged in Stiletto) - I then used Make Up For Ever Diamond shadow #301 to highlight and brighten the eye - I used it in the tear ducts, above the brow bone and blended into the lower lash liner. I used black mascara to finish off the 'parisian' eye look!

Lips - NARS Cruella

YLBB - Fastplay by MAC

In a previous post I was searching for that YLBB (Your lips but better) lipstick - the one that is a shade or two deeper than your natural lip tone and is the perfect 'swipe and go' about your business colour.  Shades likes Brownie Pink (Bobbi Brown), Ramblin Rose (MAC) and even Syrup (MAC) were very close contenders.  I especially like Syrup after it was recommended to me.  In my last post I wrote about MAC's Fast-Play and decided to do a photo comparison of it against my natural lip:

I think that this may be the closest I've come to finding my YLBB lipstick - its the perfect balance between pink with a slightly brown undertone - I just love this colour.  I think that when many people try to find a YLBB shade, they gravitate to colours called: nude, nude-pink, beige, caramel etc etc - just because these shades may be 'natural', they are not necessarily YLBB, especially if you have very pigmented lips to begin with.  I beleive more than ever than you need to look at the natural undertones within your lip colour to discover what your best YLBB shade is - when I really studied my natural lip colour, I saw a mix of pink-plum-brown.  For a woman who has more coral-brown undertones to her natural lip shades, perhaps a coral shade is her best YLBB look - whatever your natural lip shade is - study it, observe the natural colours that come through, really evaluate the natural shade that nature gave you - this will definitely help in your search for your own personal YLBB lip colour!!!

MAC Fast-Play Lipstick

I remember a long time ago wearing MAC's lipstick 'Twig', but always finding that this shade turned a little grey on my lips.  I started to hear similar reviews from other people, so I abandoned my search for the ultimate natural pink-brown shade.  Well, recently I came across 'Fast-Play' and it is everything I wanted Twig to be - a stunning your lips but better shade, the ultimate pinky-brown shade that is neither too dark or too brown.  It is such a beautiful colour for that everyday, classic look.  This is also one of those 'swipe on and go' shades, no lip liner necessary - just swipe on and go about your business - every woman should have a 'swipe on and go' lipstick!!!

For this look, I wanted a soft and natural look - I started with my basic face (primer, tinted moisturizer, concealer, translusent powder).  I then used Tawny blush by bobbi brown as a blush contour and applied Laura Mercier's Violet Orchid blush.  I used a light pinkish-rose shade as a highlight.  For my eyes, I used a mix of shades from the Too Faced Naked Eye compact - I started with the lightest highlight shade as a base, then mixed the taupy shades to apply on the lid into the crease.  I lined  by eyes with MAC Blooz eyeliner and applied the grey shade in the Too Faced compact to the upper lashline and smudged.  I finished off with black mascara.  I then applied Fast Play lipstick by MAC. 

Classic Parisian Red

Today I went shopping with a good friend Peter - we are both so into the European philosophy of life and living.  Peter has spent a lot of time in France and we started talking about French Women - how they dress, what their makeup is like, what they eat, the things they like etc etc.  Peter described the French woman as very classic, feminine, with a touch of romantic flair.  They go for a minimal face with a classic red - a richer one for day and a true, brighter shade for evening!  We decided to go to Sephora and play around with some colours until we found the perfect red that mimics the shades than French women would wear in Paris.  After trying various shades, NARS Cruella was the clear winner - In fact, other women in the store were stopping us and asking 'what red is that?  thats the perfect red!' -  Then it was off to MAC to find that slightly brigher, truer red that a French woman would wear to go out for the evening.  Again, after trying a few shades, MAC's Ruby Woo was the clear winner.  One thing that Peter really brought to my attention is how to create an elegant, Parisian eye makeup look.  He said that women in north america are all about the smokey eye - wearing shadows, liners to define the eye, but this is essence closes up the eye - the key is to 'brighten' the eye area, to make your eyes pop and look brighter and more open.  He suggested I try a a lighter, almost white eyeshadow shade to create a highlighted eye effect (I used Make Up For Ever Diamond Shadow in #301).  I couldn't beleive how amazing this trick was - I was always going crazy for heavy liner, but realize now that the natural, brightening effect is so much sexier!!!

Here is a little photo journey of discovering the perfect parisian red:

We had a blast at Sephora and discovered some great reds: NARS Jungle Red, NARS Dragon Girl, the Laura Mercier red shades (audrey in particular seemed nice for day) - but the clear winner for being the most 'parisian' was NARS Cruella:

We loved Cruella because its a wearable red for both day and evening and Peter said it was the closest match to the red shades women would wear in Paris.  He also said that along with a wearable day red, French women also wear a more 'true', slightly brighter shade of red.  There was no question that Ruby Woo by MAC would be the ideal lipstick choice:

I love the classic red lip - nothing is more feminine and powerful than a women who can embrace the sophistication and classic poise of a red lip!!!

Elegant Cool Shades of Plum and Violet

I've been really missing wearing my plum shades.  Today I decided to create a look centred around these shades.  There are a lot of great plum/berry lip shades - some of my favourites are: MAC Craving, Rebel (for a deeper, darker plum-red look), Laura Mercier Plum Wine and NARS Shrinigar, just to name a few.  For this look I've decided to pair Laura Mercier's Plum WIne lipstick with her Violet Orchid blush - I absolutely love this combination - it looks so sophisticated for day!

For this look I started with my basic face - primer, foundation, concealer and powder.  I then used Laura Mercier's Violet Orchid on the cheeks and added a sheer light pink highlight shade.  I used Bobbi Brown's navajo eyeshadow as a base, adding cement to the lid into the crease and Too Faced 'lap dance' shadow into the crease.  I liner my upper lashline with Cliniques brown-black liner and smudged Bobbi Brown's mahogany into the upper lash line.  I used MAC"s smolder on the lower lashline before adding a coat of black mascara.  I finished the look with Laura Mercier's Plum Wine lipstick!

Subtle, Feminine, Pretty

The last few posts that I did centering around my favourite 'look' each have a common thread - subtle smokey eyes, a healthy glow, a natural pop of colour on the cheeks, a your lips but better lip-colour.  I attended a wedding yesterday and although I went totally glam for the evening, I wanted to create that harmonious, subtle yet sensual look for the ceremony.  Here is the look that I came up with:

I will have to decribe some of the colours that I used because many of the shades were part of a kit that I got from the makeup collage that I attended.  I started with my basic face - primer, NARS St. Moritz, Secret Camoflauge #4 as concealer and a translucent powder from my kit.  I then used a deeper dusky rose shade as a contour and applied a pale pink shade as a pop of colour to the cheeks.  I used warm brown shadows on the eyes with a colour similar to woodwinked on the lid.  I then used Cliniques Black-brown eyeliner on the upper lashline and smuded it with a black-brown toned eyeshadow.  I applied MAC's Teddy to the lower lashline and finished with black mascara.  For my lips, I applied MAC's Soar lipliner and topped it with Chanel's Glossimer #158

Rosie Huntington Whiteley

I am always looking for new makeup inspirations and looks - I have been intrigued by Rosie Huntingtin Whiteley's look because she has that inspiring balance between sensuality and natural/girl next door appeal.  She is also very consistent with her look, usually sporting a bronzed glow, naturally smokey eyes and a soft, neutral lip.  Here are some of my favourite makeup looks on her:

RHW looks so amazing in the neutral-warm makeup shades.  I love how her lipstick has that 'your lips but better' effect.  She perfectly balances her neutral shades with very well contoured cheeks and a natural, yet elegant smokey eye - I also love her hair colour in this photo - the warm honey tones in her hair are perfect against her skintone!

I am so inspired by this subtle smokey eye and neutral lip makeup look - This has to be my favourite makeup look of all time because for me it represents all the best elements of a feminine look: defined, bedroom eyes, a natural glow to the face and cheeks and kissable lips!  Love this!!!

Burberry has chosen RHW to represent their makeup line and she looks amazing in their makeup ads.  RHW wears the neutral shades so well - I love how healthy and glowing her skin looks and the touch of rose to the lips is perfect to compliment the neutral/earthy shades of Burberry's clothing.

  This warm rose shade of lipstick is the perfect punch of colour for RHW without being too deep and overwhelming.  She looks stunning and regal in this photo!

I love having a makeup inspiration, especially when the person you choose as your makeup muse is consistent with their look - it helps you to determine and work on a look that you know is timeless and will never fail you.  Rosie Huntington Whiteley always looks elegant, sensual, natural and pretty - she has that fresh, rustic, timeless look that I look - a mix of warm-neutral shades with subtle enhancments to her eyes, lips and cheeks!  The perfect feminine look!!!