Taupe Lipstick - MAC

I love rediscovering a classic lipstick shade. Its like tasting a great wine and knowing that you've experienced this before, but now it just seems better for some reason. That is exactly how I feel about Taupe lipstick by MAC. Its a lipstick I often dismissed before because, lets face it, the name is kinda 'borning' - its not an alluring or sexy name, its 'taupe'! I sometimes wonder why this shade is even called 'taupe'? Its not a blah colour at all, in fact, its one of MAC's most complex and polished shades. Its a sophisticated mix of red and brown, but its fairly neutral - its not overly deep and dramatic, yet its very classic and chic. Its my personal opinion that this lipstick deserves a a chic name. However, the philosophical me also understands that 'taupe' can suggest a kind of 'neutrality', a simplicity, which is the key to a euro-chic look! Regardless of why taupe is 'taupe', its one of my newely re-discovered favourite shades. In this photo I'm wearing it as it is, yet for evening, taupe is beyond 'stunning' with paired with a spicy red liner like brick or auburn (perhaps that will be my next post). In this photo, I decided to stay with the polished up neutral theme - I did a classic natural eye, using Bronze eyeshadow by MAC from lid to crease, Marcelle's 'dark brown liner' smudged with MAC's 'Brun' eyeshadow - black mascara to finish. I applied a mix of refined golden bronzer and coppertone on my cheeks (both my MAC) and applied a swipe of Taupe lipstick! I really love this look for everyday 'polished'! It takes no longer than 5-10 min, and the makeup harmony is perfect! If you've wanted to try taupe, but feel its a borning shade, give it a chance, it may end up being the most 'chic' lipstick in your case!!!

My Most 'Desired' Makeup Look

If there is one makeup look that is symbolically me - its the subtle smokey eye/quasi-natural lipstick look. I don't know if its because of my warm, rich skintone or just preference, but I've never really looked good in a nude lipstick - it just looks chalky and unrealistic, but put me in a soft brownish shade with a hint of red/peach, and its neutral perfection. These days, Touch lipstick is my go-to shade!!! It my neutral 'perfection' shade!!! I decided that I wanted to play up the deep autumn colours and stay true to my smokey/neutral lip style! I decided to create a look that really embraced both elements, starting with my 'basic face'. I usually start with a concealer and tinted moisturizer, but I really wanted to play up the richness of 'deep autumn' by using a bronzer. This would be awesome for many of the warm seasons, but particualarily 'natural' for the deep autumn. I continued with my favourite 'Coppertone' blush by MAC. For the eyes, I decided to try something a bit different. I used a cooler toned base by Sephora that would be in the 'deep category' - its a shadow stick called 'deep taupe' - I applied this to my lid and smudged it with my finger into the crease. I then used MAC shadows in soba and goldmine, mixed the two shades and applied this to the lids only. I lined by eyes with Smolder eyeliner by MAC and used the bronze shade in the Dior 'amber design' palette to smudge into the upper lashline before finishing with black mascaera. I swiped on 'Touch' lipstick to complete the look. I have to admit that so far, this is probably my 'favourite' look - its the ideal combination of my best season and my best style. I'm at the point in my makeup journey where I've come to terms with what I feel is my 'BEST' version of myself and now its just a matter of fitting all the peices together. The puzzle is almost complete and I'm so inspired with the next step in my makeup/style evolution!!!

Deep Autumn Envy

Kristin Kreuk is often the celebrity highlighted as a stunning Deep Autumn - her features are warm, deep, rich, yet leaning slightly neutral into cool. She's most definitely an autumn, but not 100% true warm. I noticed this similarily with myself after comparing multiple true autumn photos to deep autumn photos. I'm 100% certain than I'm an autumn, but I'm not uber-warm. I think that after looking at the deep autumn palette, the words that come to mind are deep, rich, stunning. There is something 'etoxic' about the deep autumn. I wanted to compare a photo of Kristin and myself - not because I think we look alike, but because our features have that similar deep and rich effect! I think I'm 'REALLY' going to enjoy claiming this season as my own - the palette is so rich and elegant and I'm already thinking what colour combinations I can play around with! I've always been envious of Deep Autumn, so claiming it is a pleasure!!! :)

Balancing Deep Makeup Shades

I'm finding that now that I'm revisiting Deep Autumn, I'm going back to some of my absolute favourite lipsticks - particularily the rich, warm reds. Recently I've been playing around with the deep orange-brown/red shades. I have to say that right now one all my all time favourite combination is Mahogany lipliner with So Chaud listick by MAC. This morning I was playing around with a warm look, but trying to balance the eyes with something a bit more neutral. I ended up applying coquette shadow by MAC, lining my eyes with MAC's liner 'Raven' and then smuding that liner with a cooler brown dior shadow (if I had to compare it with a MAC colour, it would be very similar to 'concrete'). I think that finding balance between cool/warm is key, especially if you fit somethere in the neutral category. I tend to have 'cooler' eyes, so I find that the deep blues, black and aubergine shades suit by eyes, but I can have fun going 'warmer' on my skin with bronzer, blush (such as coppertone) and then going with a 'va-va-voom' lip shade like a true red or orange-red! Right now some of my all time favourite products are: MAC Ruby Woo lipstick MAC SO Chaud Lipstick YSL #10 eyeshadow quad Marcelle Dark Brown eyeliner MAC Smolder eyeliner MAC Mahogany Lipliner MAC Coppertone BLush NARS Mambo eyeliner and last but not least DIOR amber design eyeshadow palette!!!

Style Looks - Casual

I recently read in a style book that there are essential 4 different types of looks: casual, polished day, evening glam and cocktail elegant. I've decided that I want to create a look for each style type. Today I'm starting with a basic casual look. The makeup I'm wearing here are colours I keep coming back to and it literally takes me less than 10 minutes to put this looks together - its great for a casual weekend look, going for lunch, shopping with friends etc.

I started this look with my basic face of concealer, tinted moisturizer, bronzer, then added Coppertone blush by MAC, a classic eye of soba shadow, Marcelle dark brown eyeliner smudged with espresso by MAC and black mascara. To finish off, a swipe of Mocha lipstick and Voila!!! I love the classic casual look, because you can really make it your own depending on your personal style - romantic, city chic, dramatic, natural, creative, classic etc - the possbilities are endless!!! For someone a casual look can be lipgloss and mascara, for someone else, its a red lip stain and bronzer - the key is to personalize the look for you!!!

Smolder Eyeliner MAC

I have a fascination with eyeliners for two reasons - 1) They define the eye like no other makeup tool and 2) They can be smudged and literally transformed in another colour or effect simply by mixing in an eyeshadow colour. The more I've been reading about eyeliner shades (in particular in reference to the various seasonal types), the more I'm learning about how smudging in your favourite eyeshadow colour into your liner can literally change your 'makeup' life!!! For the dark/deep autumn, like myself, sometimes you get bored with the basic dark brown/black liner, so I've been mixing in various warm grey shadows and golden olive shades to smudge into my black liner and I'm in love with the effect - Since Smolder by MAC is one of my favourites, I decided to play around with the olive tones in the Yves Saint Laurent eyeshadow quad #10 - for this look I used the medium golden olive shade - I played up the new red/copper tones in my hair by using Coppertone blush my MAC and went with my new absolutely most favourite neurtral lip = Touch by MAC! Playing around with shadows and liner is such an amazing way of figuring out if a shade really works or if you're in the right season - you'll soon be able to pick up on when your eye pops and when it seems dull! My next experiment will be to try a bronze/gold with smolder and a red lip :)

Redhead and HAPPY!!!

Now I've rediscovered my longing to re-birth this blog - I've decided that its time for a transformation as well. Interestingly enough, my hair stylist intuitively felt that as well. I went yesterday for my regular trim/colour refresh, when she looked at me and said - you look 'blah', lets go RED! My heart actually skipped a beat and I realized, yeppers - this is it! This is the beginning of a new chapter that I'm meant to write. Part of it has to do with discovering the Deep Autumn palette once again, but I think its more than that - I think there is a deeper transformation taking place. Lately I've shifted - let go of some relationships that were'nt authentic and embracing new frienships that are! And although I feel a little 'misplaced', I also feel like I'm walking along the RIGHT PATH.

I've recently watched Elizabeth Gilbert on Oprah's Super Soul SUnday and the greatest message I got was to guestion - am I living my true path? Have I embraced my own Hero's journey??? I don't have the answer yet, because I'm still asking myself the questions!!! WHat I do know is that I've missed blogging, I've missed 'colour', painting, doing makeup, helping others feel awesome about themselves. I also feel awesome about 'myself' for the first time, in a new confident way, like wherever my journey is taking me, its all GOOD!! Its kind of like a new celebration of self and my new 'redhead' persona, fits this Perfectly:

FOr this Deep Autumn look - I used Dior's eyeshadow palette in Amber Design, MAC smolder eyeliner smudged with a bronze-brown shadow from the Dior palette. I used Gingerly blush my MAC, as well as Brick Lipliner and Touch Lipstick, also by MAC. I love these shades and I love embracing my new red-toned hair. I may not have reached my life-destination, but I'm HAPPY with where I am, and that's pretty awesome!!!