NARS Oasis Blush

Oasis Blush by NARS has been a 'Holy-Grail' find for me.  I love everything about this colour and I feel that is possibly the most harmonious shade for my skin tone that I've ever come across!!!  On the NARS website it's described as a 'pink-champagne' colour, which to me is sort of a 'rose-gold' shade!  Its definitely a pretty mauve-taupe-pink shade with a subtle gold shimmer!!!

I love the fact that Oasis harmonizes so well with my skin tone and is neutral enough to compliment almost else that I wear, from my brighter blouses to my most natural-taupe tops.  This is a keeper for sure!!!  For this look, I wanted to keep the lips neutral enough to compliment the blush and then do a more cool-brown subtle smokey eye.  For the lips I applied Rimmel 'Taupe' liner, which is actually an eyeliner, but its soft and light enough to be used as a 'mixer' shade with lipsticks.  I then applied Hourglass 'Fawn' lipstick - a new favourite - I can't wait to create a post about it!  For the eyes, I applied a liner from Sephora called 'Tiramisu' - its a neutral-cool shade, almost a brown-taupe-cocoa shade, but deeper!  I created a thicker line on top and then blended in Revlon 'Cocoa' eyeshadow to create a smokey effect!

I'm finding myself creating a new makeup 'wardrobe', filled with essentials that really compliment my own personalized palette (vs following a seasonal makeup recommendation).  I'm looking forward to sharing some new finds soon :)

Do It Yourself Colour Analysis

For the last little while, I've been focused on creating a very personalized palette that is not related to other forms of colour-analysis.  I still like to research and read about colour analysis, but I find it too restrictive and I'm seeing more and more cases of people crossing over into multiple seasons.  I like David Zyla's approach to colour analysis and finding a very personalized palette based on the colours that already exist within your skin, hair, eyes etc.  Recently, I came across a video (but can't find/remember the link) that showed how you can create a 'do it yourself' colour analysis.  It involves going to the paint store and finding colour chips/testers of a shade that is the 'closest' to your skin tone.  From that 'base' colour, you can then examine how other colours 'fit' or are in harmony with your base shade, as well as examining all the other colours present naturally in your skin, hair eyes etc. I went to the paint section of a local store and tried this experiment.  I went with a friend of mine that is different in skin tone to see how well this 'do it yourself' system would work.  She has a golden skin tone and looks amazing in corals and warm turquoise shades.  We both testing the various colour samples and found our base.  Hers was a golden beige-tan shade and this was mine - Fawn Beige, a taupey-deeper beige shade:

It was so interesting to see the pattern of colours that harmonized with this base shade - they were all colours that 'fit' so well with the natural palette that I've been researching/creating.  All the various shades of dusty-taupe pinks, soft blues, grey and even some warm pinks looked 'fantastic' when you put them side by side with the Fawn Beige and the next deeper colour sample!  My friend on the other hand, got matched up to a more golden colour sample and the orange-coral, warm aqua shades were so harmonious and elegant next to her skin tone base colour sample.  I think that colour analysis is fascinating and I'll always be interested in finding my 'best' colours, because it's an important part of how you present your 'Best' Self.  However, what I don't like about colour analysis is how the palettes can restrict people into only belonging into one particular season/palette.  Furthermore, getting draped and getting your 'colours done' should not cost a ridiculous price when you can 'do it yourself' for free.  It just takes patience, self-study and being honest with yourself about what suits your particular skin tone.  I'm just getting started with my 'do it yourself' colour analysis project.  I'm going to create/put together my own personalized palette - I'm even going to give it an original name :)

Soft, Defined Look

Since exploring with various combinations of taupe eyeshadows/liners, I've found that I've wanted to add a little more definition/depth to the eye makeup look - sometimes layering taupe upon taupe can look 'too natural'.  I had one person who sees me everyday say: "but where's your liner?  I don't see it anymore".  THis got me thinking - how can I maintain my soft eyeshadow look that brings out the grey tones in my eyes, but at the same time add a smokey/defined element.  I know that browns and navy shades are not the way to go for the look I want.  Navy is stunning for a more evening look with a classic red lip (its very Parisienne Chic).  However, for the soft look I'm going for, I decided to play around with a classic black eyeliner look, blending the taupe shades into the black.  WHen I saw the results on my experiment, I was like 'why didn't I try this before?' - check it out:

When I blended a silvery taupe into the black liner and then created another softer layer of black over top of that blend, you get a very soft, yet 'defined' look.  I like how the silvery-taupe layer still allows for the grey of my eyes to take centre stage and the look isn't 'overwhelming'.  I started with using Electra eyeshadow by MAC - a silver shade from lid to crease.  I then applied Smolder by MAC and used the taupe shade from Almay's Blue Eyes Trio to blend into the upper lashline - and then applied Smolder again from the centre of the lid extending out.  Gentle blush by MAC is the perfect pink for this look, its soft, but with the right amount of pink.  I decided to play up on the taupe with my lipstick, so I used Rimmel 'Taupe' liner as a lipliner and applied Faux Lipstick over top.  With the new ash-tones in my hair, this is such a pretty soft yet defined look!!!  :) If you're warmer toned and want to create the same soft yet defined look, try the same type of application, but with dark brown eye-liner smudged with a copper-gold shadow on the upper lash line and a peach toned blush and lipstick - oh la la! 

Ash Toned Highlights and a NEW Look :)

I had an opportunity to re-invent myself at my stylist's house this past weekend.  We were going over the idea of creating a signature style/look - something that I can keep and build on.  She explained it as building a wardrobe base, but with hair.  Since I'm in my later 30's, I have a lot of natural grey coming in.  We looked at my roots and in the grey tones in my hair in particular and decided that 'ash' tones were the way to go.  My natural grey is almost 'white' vs salt/pepper so going towards the 'cooler' tones was her suggestion.  This gives my 'colour journey' more direction, which is great because now I can really create a base palette using my new hair colour, my natural colour palette and wardrobe base.  It seems lately that the taupes, pinks, greys and navy shades are really working for me!!!  Here is my new hair/makeup 'look':

I started with my basic face essentials - concealer, tinted moisturizer.  I used MAC Gentle blush, the taupe shade from the Almay 'Blue eyes' eyeshadow trio, Annabelle's Taupe liner and smudged NARS Lhasa into the upper lash line.  I then lined my lips with Whirl lipliner and applied Plink Lipstick (both MAC) - I'm 'really' liking this look - I see a lot of colour harmony, which is exactly what a rich/natural look is all about!!! I'm excited to embrace the ash tones and continue to build on my new colour palette :)

Urban Decay Mushroom Eyeliner

I've been mentioning Urban Decay Mushroom eyeliner a lot and it because it's 'Amazing'.  It's the perfect shimmery taupe eyeliner.  However, what I love the most about it, is that its ideal for 'smudging' with other shadows and it goes on creamy, but sets perfectly.  Lately, I've been wearing Mushroom almost every single day.  Today I decided to continue with my silvery-taupe eye-makeup look to bring out the grey tones in my eyes.  I can't even 'begin' to explain how happy I've been since I've made this 'silvery-taupe' colour discovery.  My eyes are loving this :)

I wanted to do a more natural taupe look, so I did a quick swipe of MAC Crystal eyeshadow from the lid into the crease.  I then applied the Mushroom liner by Urban Decay and smudged in NARS Lhasa eyeliner into the upper lash-line.  For blush, I went with NARS Angelika - one of my favourites!  I didn't want to go too 'mauve-pink' with the lipstick, I just wanted a sheer wash of colour, so I swiped on Plink lipstick by MAC!

With the taupes and lighter-cooler pinks, I decided to wear a bolder blue top and a cool aqua toned scarf.  I feel like these shades work in harmony with the whole silver-marine eye-colour effect.  Perhaps, I should call this my 'mermaid' look :) 

MAC Herione Lipliner

One of my style icons is Charlotte Casiraghi - she is truly chic, inspiring and elegant.  I am always amazed at how simple yet classic her makeup looks are.  I recently saw a photo where she was dressed up for the evening in a stunning teal-blue dress with chandelier earrings and a sophisticated soft fuchsia toned lipstick.  I had an event to go to Friday and decided to copy-cat her makeup look.  The event I was going to didn't require chandelier earrings, but I still wanted to channel Charlotte's evening elegance:

I started with a taupe shade on my lid into crease (think it was satin taupe by MAC), the used Blooz liner and smudged the liner with Copperplate shadow by MAC - Gentle mineralize blush by MAC was used on the cheeks.  For that elegant evening lip - I first used MAC's Heroine lip-liner and then softly blended in Faux lipstick.  It was the Heroine liner that added that extra depth and turned this otherwise, subtle smokey look into evening chic :)

Almay Trio For Blues

I've been noticing more and more that although my natural eye colour is more of  cool grey-blue-green hazel, the blue is a key element.  In my natural eye palette, its more of a blue-grey shade.  While shopping at Shopper's Drug Mart, my local drug store, I couldn't help but be drawn to the Almay eyeshadows.  Almay sells eyeshadow shades based on your eye colour - there is one for Blues, Greens, Hazels and Browns.  I couldn't help but be drawn to the shadow palette for blue eyes - a mix of pink, taupe and deep blue-grey - a perfect representation of my natural colour palette :)  I decided to use Sephora's Dark Taupe Shimmer stick as a liner and smudged the dark blue-grey shade from the Almay palette into the liner.  For the blush, I mixed NARS Madly and MAC Gentle mineralize blush.  I also mixed two shades for my lips - MAC Faux and Plink.  This palette is so 'Summer' like - really enjoying having these colours in my personal palette :)