Holiday Makeup Look

Happy Holidays!  This week is Thanksgiving in the United States, and pretty much the second Thanksgiving ends, Christmas music begins playing on the radio. If you are like most busy Americans I know, you'll likely be attending at least one holiday party this year.  One of the things I love most about the holidays is holiday makeup. This is the time of year, where you can be a little extra festive, put on an extra swipe of blush, take that shimmery eyeshadow out from it's hiding place, and of course rock a red lip. 

Below are details on how to create a fun, festive makeup look appropriate for just about any holiday party. Like all of my posts, all of the products used in this look are cruelty-free, meaning I only use brands that do not test on animals.

Here's how to get the look:

Products Used

• Urban Decay Guardian Angel Spray Moisturizer
• Nuance Anti-Aging Super Eye Treatment
• Hourglass Mineral Veil
• Urban Decay Primer Potion Eye Primer
• Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 2.0
• Christopher Drummond Duo Phase Concealer in Fair
• Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
• Stila Mesmer-Eyes Set: Eyeshadows in Karat and Bronze
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes in Dollface & Adventurous
• Elf Complexion Perfection
• Too Faced Brow Envy Brunette Brow Powder
• Nuance Mascara in Black
• Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Zero
• Stila Smudge Stick in Lionfish 
• Urbanbrow Brow Gel
• Stila Allover Shimmer in Kitten
• Urban Decay Sin Cream Highlight
• OCC NSFW Lip Tar
• Stila Passionate Lip Liner 
• Urban Decay Dew Me Setting Spray

The key to rocking a red lip, is to make sure your skin looks fresh and dewy. To begin, I prepped the skin with a spray moisturizer, and applied eye cream, giving everything a few minutes to set before starting my makeup application. I started with the eyes, so that I could easily clean up any fallout without ruining my foundation. To start, I prepped the eyes with Urban Decay Primer Potion eye primer.

Here are some products that help with a flawless face:

 For the eye look, I began with an eyeshadow duo from Stila called Mesmer-Eyes Set, which contains eyeshadow in the colors Karat and Bronze.  I swept Karat (a light shimmery gold color) from lash line to brow, paying extra attention to highlighting the brow bone and inner corner of the eye.

 I then swept the Bronze shadow over my lid, blending it up into the crease using a fluffy eyeshadow brush.

I used a pencil brush to take some of the Bronze shadow along the outer corner of the lower lash line and smudged it all across the lower lashes.  I lined my upper lash line with Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in the color Zero (black).  I lined the lower lash line with Stila Smudge Stick in the color Lionfish (a bronze eyeliner). I applied 2 coats of Nuance mascara in Black to top lashes only.

Once the eyes were done, I cleaned up any fallout with my Hourglass Mineral Veil face primer, and primed the rest of my face. When you attend a holiday party, it's likely that someone will be taking pictures. Keeping your skin dewy, but not shiny will prevent any embarrassing photos of you from surfacing on your friend's Facebook page. The primer helps keep your foundation on, but it also helps control shine where you don't want it. Highlighter can be placed strategically in the areas where you do want a little gleam.  Next, I applied my foundation with a pointed foundation brush.  Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation photographs beautifully, and has a demi-matte finish, so that your skin doesn't look flat or overly shiny.

I then applied a cream highlighter from Urban Decay in the color Sin (champagne) to the high points of my face, paying special attention to the tops of my cheekbones. I applied the product using a flat foundation brush.

I also filled in brows using a Brunette brow powder from the Too Faced Brow Envy kit. I used a very small angled brush from Bdellium Tools Green Bambu line so that I could get the most natural looking hair like strokes before blending with a spoolie.

I set my makeup with E.L.F. Complexion Perfection powder.  To make sure the makeup doesn't look too washed out against the flash of a camera, I applied a generous helping of Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer, and layered Tarte's Amazonian Clay blushes in Adventurous and Dollface along my cheekbones. For added highlight, I applied Stila's Allover Shimmer Powder in Kitten using a fan brush for a light application. To complete the look, I lined lips with Stila's lip liner in the color Passionate (red), and applied just a bead of OCC's lip tar in the color NSFW to the lips using the included lip brush. If desired, you can top the lip tar with just a touch of lip balm or gloss for added shine. To set the makeup, I sprayed Urban Decay Dew Me Setting Spray over my face.

Here is the completed look:

 Wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

1 Brand Look : Tarte Cosmetics

If you are anything like me, you probably tend to gravitate toward a few specific makeup brands that you like. I've tried a ton of different brands over the years, and there are a handful that are tried and true for me.  One of these brands is Tarte Cosmetics. They have a great variety of products to chose from.  All of their products are cruelty-free and they have a large vegan selection as well. Their products are high quality and have only gotten better over time. In my opinion their Amazonian Clay Blush is the best blush on the market.  I thought it would be fun to create a look using only products from Tarte Cosmetics so you can see how the different products from the brand come together to create a full look.  This is a daytime look, but you can certainly use these products and intensify or build it up for night time. To see some of my favorites from the line, take a look at my September post where I did a spotlight segment on the brand:  http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2012/09/spotlight-tarte-cosmetics.html 

Here is a listing of products I used to create this look: 

• Lifted Natural Eye Primer 
• Femme Naturale Refillable Natural Eye Palette 
• NeutralEYES Natural Eye Palette 
• ModernEYES Waterproof Creaseless Shadow/Liner Duo in Plumberry/Plum Brown  
• EmphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener
• Clean Slate Flawless 12-hr Brightening Primer 
• Maracuja Miracle Foundation in Fair
• Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum
• Maracuja Creaseless Concealer
• Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder in Bronze
• Achiote Blush & Maracuja Divine Lip Gloss (set)
• LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint in Moody 
• LipSurgence Lip Shine in Smitten 
• Lash Primer
• Gifted Mascara 
• Lights, Camera, Lashes!

 The focus of this look is a wearable daytime cat-eye.  One of the most important parts of creating the cat-eye look is choosing an eyeliner that is creamy to ensure a smooth line. I recommend you keep cotton swabs and eye makeup remover on hand, so that you can easily correct any mistakes.  We will do the eyes first here, so that it's easier to clean up without ruining our foundation. 

How To Create A Cat-Eye:

1. Apply eye primer to eye lid from lash line up to just under your brow. Take a bit of the primer along the lower lash line as well.  You want primer anywhere that the liner will be so that your look will last all day.  Smooth out with your finger or a flat synthetic brush. 
2. Apply a shimmery ivory shade from the  Femme Naturale Refillable Natural Eye Palette (first shade upper left hand corner) to eyelid.
3. Apply Matte Bone from the NeutralEYES Natural Eye Palette using a flat eyeshadow brush from lash line up to your brow. 
4. Apply Matte Taupe from the NeutralEYES Natural Eye Palette to crease with a fluffy brush, and blend out any harsh edges with a clean blending brush.
5. Take the eyeliner side of the ModernEYES Waterproof Creaseless Shadow/Liner Duo in Plumberry/Plum Brown  and draw a line along the lower lash line, starting about 1/3 of the way in.  Follow the natural shape of your eye, to extend the line up slightly just to the top corner of the eyelid.
6. Taking that same eyeliner, draw about 1/3 of the way in along your upper lash line, following the natural shape of your lid.  Connect the top & bottom line, and fill in any bare spots.  
7. Use a pencil brush to blend and correct the line so it doesn't look too harsh for day time. 
8. Use a pointed cotton swab dipped in eye makeup remover to make any necessary corrections.

                                   

If desired, use the Plum Brown liner to tightline and apply some EmphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener to your waterline. To really make your liner last all day, you can mix some Matte Brown and Matte Plum from the NeutralEYES Natural Eye Palette and trace over the liner you drew using a fine liner or angled brush if desired. Now that you've created the perfect cat eye, we can move on to the rest of the face.  I like to take a bit of eye or face primer on a sponge and clean up under the eye before moving on.  Next, I primed the entire face using a flat paddle foundation brush and Tarte's Clean Slate Flawless 12-hr Brightening Primer.  Using the same brush, I applied the Maracuja Miracle Foundation in Fair to my face, starting at the center of my face and working my way out.  Next, using the same brush, I applied Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Illuminating Serum to the high points of my face, including the tops of my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose and my cupid's bow. 

This is one of my favorite highlighters because it's not at all glittery. It just imparts a natural looking dewy glow, perfect for daytime.  It's important to really blend out the edges of your highlighter with the foundation brush, so that it becomes part of your skin.  Highlighter should not be obvious, and should only be something you see when your face catches the light, making your skin look healthy and dewy, not like you put on a ton of makeup.  I get asked a lot of questions about how I keep my skin looking so flawless.  While I'd like to say that it's due to an uberhealthy lifestyle, the reality is that I'm just very good at concealing and highlighting, so it looks like I have perfect skin. With the right products, and a little bit of practice and technique, you too can make all of your friends jealous with perfect dewy glowing skin!

I then concealed, under my eyes and any blemishes or redness including around the nose and mouth.  With the Maracuja Creaseless Concealer a little goes a long way. I applied a tiny bit to the back of my hand, then dipped in a soft dome shaped brush to apply under my eyes.

To set my makeup, I used the Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder in Bronze.  Normally I use this as a bronzer, but for this look, I used it lightly all over the face to achieve a uniform glow, taking it down the neck as well. To make sure I got a light application, I used a finishing brush, rather than a bronzer brush.  I used the same brush to apply Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Achiote to the apples of the cheeks.

For lips, I layered three lip products to create a three dimensional look to the lips.  I started with LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint in Moody. I think this is the perfect fall lip shade.  If desired, you can just wear this one shade and you'll be good to go. However, I applied a tiny bit of LipSurgence Lip Shine in Smitten to just the center of my bottom lip and blended out with my finger.  For added shine, I applied some Maracuja Divine Lip Gloss in Achiote with a lip brush to the center of the lips.

 I then filled in my brows using the Matte Brown shade from the NeutralEYES Natural Eye Palette.  If you like matte eyeshadow, this is a great palette to have as only 2 shades are shimmer in the whole palette. My brush of choice for this brow look is the Kelley Quan Wave Brush, which gives brows a very natural look. If you are interested in purchasing the brush, you can visit Kelley's website at: http://kelleyquan.com/tag/wave-angle-brush/

Finally, I applied Tarte's Lash Primer, followed by 1 coat of Lights, Camera, Lashes! and 1 coat of Gifted Mascara on top lashes only.  Below is the completed look. I hope you enjoyed this post. If you would like to see more 1 brand tutorials, leave a comment below, or tweet me @MakeupMatters1. 

 I hope you are having a great weekend! Please don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a post!

Halloween - Vampire Look

 Happy Halloween!  Halloween is a favorite holiday for many makeup artists.  It's a time where we can let our creative juices flow and create fun looks that we normally don't get the chance to do.  Sometimes, our Halloween plans are last minute invites and we find ourselves scrambling to throw together a costume. I've created an easy look for you, using products I already had around the makeup studio. The only thing I purchased for this look was a set of fangs from a local costume shop. I hope you find this look as fun and easy to create as I did. All of the makeup products used in this look are cruelty-free (not tested on animals).

If you are interested in creating this Vampire look, here is how I did it:

To begin, I applied a spray moisturizer by Urban Decay, and my eye cream from 100% Pure cosmetics as usual.  To make sure my skin looked smooth, I then applied a face primer by Hourglass (pictured below) using a synthetic foundation brush.

I then applied a foundation in a shade lighter than I normally wear to give my skin a paler more dead-like look.  The one I used is Urban Decay Naked Skin in shade 1.0 (vegan).  I applied it using a foundation brush.  If you don't own a lighter foundation, you can lighten your normal shade with a bit of sunscreen or moisturizer. I skipped concealer, because Vampires are dead, and probably have dark circles.

 To prep the lids for color, I smoothed on my favorite eye primer, Glamour Doll Eyes Control Freak (vegan), using a concealer brush.  I applied it from lash line to brow, and took a tiny bit underneath the eye as well.

As a base for my powder shadow, I applied Urban Decay 24/7 liner in the color Zero (black) all over my lid, then blended it out with a stiff dome shaped brush. These dry and set quickly, so it's important to blend as you go. Do one eye first, then move on to the next.  I put extra liner along the top and bottom lash lines as well as tightlined and put some along my waterline (the inner rim of the eye).

Next, I packed on Urban Decay Matte Eyeshadow in the color Perversion (vintage shade - black) using a patting motion with my flat shadow brush.  Some other good cruelty-free choices are Urban Decay Blackout or Sugarpill Cosmetics in Bulletproof. You can use any black shadow you have as long as it's matte (no shimmer or shine).

Using the same flat shadow brush, I used the edge of the brush to sweep some black shadow along the lower lash line over the pencil we added earlier.

Next, I took a red eyeshadow from the Sugarpill Burning Heart palette (Love +) and swept it into the crease, and on the inner corner of the eye underneath using a fluffy brush.

I applied Urban Decay Vanilla eyeshadow to the brow bone (just beneath my eyebrow), and on the inner corner of my eye. You can use any shimmery white eyeshadow you happen to have. I defined my brows using Nuance by Salma Hayek brow pencil in Medium Blonde.

To keep the face pale and dead looking, I skipped blush and bronzer. Instead, I took just a tiny bit of the red eyeshadow (Love + by Sugarpill), and swept it along my cheekbones using a Bdellium Tools Green Bambu fan brush.

For the lips, I used a mix of Urban Decay Gash (deep red/burgundy) lipstick, OCC Lip Tar in Tarred (black) and Burt's Bees Cherry Lip Shimmer (bright cherry red), applied with a lip brush.

I then applied Urban Decay Eyelash Primer Potion to make my lashes super long, followed by 3 coats of Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara. You can use any black volumizing mascara you love.

I added individual fangs to my canine teeth, and the vampire look is complete. Wear all black, and you are good to go!  

Here is the final look:

I hope you enjoyed this super easy and quick Halloween tutorial. 

I hope you all have a very safe and happy Halloween!

Ecco Bella Review

I've been using Ecco Bella (which means Behold Beautiful) FlowerColor mascara in Brown for a while now. However, recently, I've had the opportunity to test a couple of other products from the line. I've created two different makeup looks using these products, and swatched them for you as well.  This organic, cruelty-free brand has a full line of cosmetics and natural skincare available for purchase on their website.


The two products I've been testing are Ecco Bella's Shimmer Dust in Moon (Neutral) and FlowerColor Eyeshadow in the color Khaki (Warm).

Both come packaged in these adorable little boxes reminiscent of a matchbox. Inside, you'll find the product along with a sponge tip applicator. 

I found both items to be true to color, pigmented and blend easily. The Khaki colored eyeshadow is a great color for fall. I especially like the way it looks on those with warmer skin tones.  The Shimmer Dust is very versatile because it can be worn, over blush and eyeshadow, or as a highlight under the brow bone, down the nose, above the cupids bow, or on the inner corners of the eyes.

Below, I've swatched both products for you. I just touched my finger to the product, and look at how pigmented these are!

 Pictured: 

FlowerColor Shimmer Dust in Moon
FlowerColor Eyeshadow in Khaki 


The FlowerColor Eyeshadow in Khaki lasted me all day. I always layer my eyeshadow over a primer, but I didn't notice any creasing or fading after hours of wear.  This eyeshadow is both vegan and gluten free. 

The FlowerColor Shimmer Dust in Moon reminds me of Nars Albatross.  It's a white highlighter with the finest gold shimmer, making it appear champagne on the skin.  I really loved the natural finish this product gave me. The shimmer is so fine that it simply illuminates the areas where applied without looking too glittery.  This product can be used on the eyes or the face, and like the eyeshadow, it is also vegan and gluten free.  

Here is a look at how I used the products together:

Look 1:

For the above look, I used the Khaki eyeshadow on my lid as well as under the lower lash line. I pulled the color up at the corner to give a winged out effect.  I applied the Shimmer Dust under my brow bone, inner corners of my eyes, down my nose, to the cheek bones & cupid's bow.  I topped the look off with some eyeliner, lipstick and gloss. 

Here is a second look I created using these products (below).  For this look, I also used the Ecco Bella Mascara in Brown.

Look 2:

 For the second look, I wanted to go a bit more dramatic.

 I also wanted to demonstrate how you could use these 2 products with other items you probably already have at home.  For this look, I applied the Khaki eyeshadow to the lid, this time over a white eye primer.  I also took the color under the lash line as in the previous look. However, in this look, I did not wing out the eyeshadow, I kept it to the lid only.  I then added a little bit of a basic matte dark brown & black eyeshadow to the outer corner of the eye and blended it into the crease.  I took the Ecco Bella Shimmer Dust, and this time, I applied it over the Khaki eyeshadow. This lightened the center of the lid, creating a slight shimmer when my lids catch the light.  I again used the Shimmer Dust as an under brow highlight, on the inner corner of my eyes, down my nose, and over my blush. I skipped eyeliner this time, and just followed with 3 coats of my Ecco Bella Mascara in Brown after curling my lashes.  

Here is a closer look at the Ecco Bella FlowerColor Mascara in Brown (below).  This mascara is also vegan, and a great choice for blondes like myself who have such a hard time finding a good quality brown mascara.  

One of the most exciting features about this mascara is that it comes with a built in mirror!  I personally have never had this mascara smudge on me, and it lasts all day.  However, the good news is that unlike some waterproof formulas that are impossible to get off, this one easily wipes clean at the end of the day when you are ready to take it off. 

One of the things that originally attracted me to this brand is the fact that it was started in protest of animal testing.  It is important to support brands with a cruelty free stance.  If you are interested in other products Ecco Bella has to offer I suggest you chat with one of their informed beauty consultants (it's free):

http://www.eccobella.com/schedule-beauty-consultation 

I had a phone consultation and was really impressed with how helpful the representative was in answer all of my questions, and suggesting products appropriate for my coloring.  

I hope you enjoyed this look at Ecco Bella cosmetics. 

Have a great weekend!




*Note: Some of the products featured in this review were sent for consideration by the company. I do not receive compensation for reviews.  My opinions are 100% honest, and I only post reviews in hopes of helping my readers make good purchasing decisions.

E.L.F. Disney Villain Collection! - Tutorial

As some of you may already know, E.L.F. (which stands for eyes, lips, face) has released a collection of palettes in the theme of Disney Villains!  For more information on the palettes, click here: http://www.eyeslipsface.com/collections/sets-and-palettes/sets-and-kits/disney_villainous_villains_makeup_book_limited_edition

The E.L.F. Disney Villain collection includes three palettes: Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmations, Evil Queen from Snow White and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. I picked up the first two at my local Walgreens and so far I am in love. Furthermore, while I have always known that E.L.F. is a cruelty free company, I recently learned that they are also vegan!

Here is a quote taken from their website (http://www.eyeslipsface.com/faqs.asp) in regards to their stance on animal cruelty:

"We do NOT test on animals or endorse such practices. Our products do not contain animal derived ingredients. Beeswax has been replaced by synthetic beeswax and lanolin has been replaced by Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladinpale-2. We currently support HSUS and are partners with PETA in the Caring Consumer Project. Please see our philosophy page for further explanation on our company."

The Cruella palette is called Evil Everyday Eyes and features great neutrals for everyday. I found this palette took me easily from day to night. Each palette contains both a daytime and evening look. The red pencil that comes in the evening look part of this palette is AMAZING! I wore it out and it lasted all day without drying out my lips. It is the most amazing true red, and the lip pencil itself was surprisingly creamy.  

This tutorial will feature the daytime look from The Evil Queen palette called Devious Dramatic Eyes.  Here is a closer look at the inside of the palette which includes a real mirror, instructional booklet, false lashes, lash glue, 8 eyeshadows, an eye primer and two lip/cheek pencils!

The mirror portion on the left, folds back to reveal instructions for a day and nighttime look.  The laminate picture of the queen flips to reveal a picture of her wearing each look, so that you can see the picture along with the instructions. The back of the package lists its contents, as well as the ingredients for each product.

 Note the "no animal testing" logo in the lower left of the packaging above the bar code.

After applying my usual foundation, highlight, and concealer, I began by priming my lids with the included eye primer. I really like this primer, and found that it does make my makeup last all day. If your skin is any darker than me (which is most people), you may want to add a layer of white such as the NYX Jumbo pencil in Milk or another white base to help the colors pop. You can spread out the primer with your fingers, but I chose to use a concealer brush so that I could get a very fine layer.

Next, I applied the first eyeshdadow color in the palette called One Bite just under the brow bone with an E.L.F. brush (brush not included).  This is a very shimmery light gold color. You only need a tiny bit to get the desired look. Don't worry if it appears too shimmery at first, we will blend it out later.

Then, taking a small brush, I highlighted the inner corner of my eyes using the second shade in the palette called Vanity, which is a warm peach shade.

Next, I took the third color from the palette called Narcissist and packed the color onto the lid using a flat shadow brush. This color is a very light lavender.  You may need to pack on quite a bit to get the desired intensity because the color is soft, which is exactly what makes it perfect for daytime.

 Next, I took the last color in the top row, called Potion, and applied it to the outer third of my eyelid and blended it up into the crease. As an optional step, you can bring a little bit under your lower lash line if you desire. I found this color to be quite pigmented, and blend smoothly. This is a shimmery burgundy shade.

Next, take a clean blending brush, and blend all of your colors together. I began at the brow bone, and blended the shade called One Bite down a little bit to take down some of the shimmer. Then I blended started at the outer corner, to make sure the transition appears seamless into my lid shade.

BLEND BLEND BLEND BLEND BLEND BLEND BLEND! 

Remember, this is meant to be a daytime look, so we want to tone down the shimmer and make it look natural. I then groomed my brows and applied 2 coats of my favorite mascara after curling my lashes. 

Next, I took the included lip & cheek color, and drew little dashes on my cheek, then blended out using my finger. 

Start with just a little cheek color at first, then blend out until you get the desired look. Add more as needed.

Finally, with the same mini pencil (included) I lined and filled in my lips.

I then closed my eyes and sprayed my entire face with my Dew Me by Urban Decay which is a moisturizing makeup setting spray. And the look is complete!  What do you think? Do you have any of these E.L.F. Disney Villain palettes? If so I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.

Wishing you all a very villainous beautiful day!