Stila In The Light Palette Look 2 - Inspired by Miley Cyrus

 Products in This Post Purchased By Me

Stila In The Light Palette Look 2 

This is look #2 in my Stila In The Light Palette Series. It took me some time to come up with this one, because I waited until I was truly inspired. The inspiration for this look was drawn from the makeup look Miley Cyrus wore in her "We Can't Stop" music video. I just love the bold lip and neutral eyes. While this isn't exactly the same look she wore, it is my version of it and certainly captures the spirit of the look. 

Stila In The Light was my favorite palette of 2012. It continues to be a favorite in 2013 as well, and is easily my most used pre-made palette. If you don't have it, it is certainly worth a look. It has a great mix of shimmery and matte neutral shadows that work for nearly any occasion. 

Here is how I created the look:

To begin, I primed my skin with Hourglass No. 28 Primer Serum. I applied the primer using my new flat foundation brush from IT Cosmetics that I've been testing. Then, using the same brush I applied my foundation; Physicians Formula Youthful Wear. Applying your primer with the same brush you use to  apply your foundation is a makeup artist trick that helps the foundation apply more smoothly and prevents the bristles from absorbing your foundation. 

I also applied my Nuance by Salma Hayek Rose Petal Hydrating Balm to the lips. It's very important to have well moisturized lips when applying a bold red lipstick. Applying it now, gives it time to sink into the lips while you apply the rest of your makeup.

 To make sure my foundation is well blended into the skin, I take a clean buffing brush such as the Sedona Lace Synthetic Angled Flat Top #520, and buff over the edges of the face.

 Next, I concealed any spots that needed it with Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer in Light. I used a thin pointed brush by Eco Tools. One brush I don't spend a lot of money on is small concealer brushes. I find little difference in quality between the various price points for this particular type of brush. 

Now, on to the eyes!  I started, as I always do, with priming the entire eyelid area from lash line to brow. For this look I used Lime Crime's Eyeshadow Helper. This product is waterproof and super long lasting.

If you are not someone who has trouble with eyeshadow creasing, you can skip this step

To create a base, I used a blending brush and applied Stila's Smudge Pot in Kitten allover the lid. I then blended the edges with the same brush.

Next, I topped off Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten with Stila powder eyeshadow in Kitten, applying it with a flat shader brush. This is the first of the shadows we will use from the Stila In The Light palette for this look.

The brush I used is a flat shader brush from the Royal & Langnickel Silk Pro Green Line

Next, using the other side of the same brush, I highlighted the area just under my brow using a matte cream colored eyeshadow from the palette called Bare. This is one of my favorite under brow highlight shades. 

To define my crease, I chose Sandstone, a matte brown shade, and applied it with a duo fiber crease brush from Enkore Makeup. When you apply this shadow to the crease, be sure to keep your eyes open, and sweep the color into the natural socket of the eye.

To make sure we don't have too harsh of an edge take a clean blending brush  and buff over where your crease color and highlight color meet. I used my favorite blending brush, Bdellium Tools 776.

 

Continue adding more Sandstone with the crease brush, and blending out with the clean blending brush until you reach the desired intensity. It's important to build the color up gradually so that it looks even, and this will make sure the shadows last all day. 

The next color in the palette I used was Ebony. This is a basic matte black. Using an angled brush, apply the color close to the upper lash line as you would eyeliner. Again, don't close your eye when you do this step. Simply look down into a mirror.

To further define the lash line, and help your lashes appear longer. Tightline with your favorite black waterproof eyeliner. I used one from Too Faced here.

Continue with the waterproof black pencil along your lower waterline. Use a cotton swab with a little eye makeup remover on it to clean up any smudges.

Follow with some under eye concealer, and powder the center of the face, and any areas where you applied concealer to help it set. 

I decided to add some of the Kitten powder eyeshadow from the palette along the lower lash line as well. I applied it with a Sedona Lace Pencil Brush from their 12 pc synthetic brush set. This is one of my favorite pencil brushes because it allows you to get very close to the lash line.

To finish off the eyes, curl your lashes, and apply your favorite mascara.  Initially I was going to apply falsies, but then decided against it. However, if you'd like you can add lashes at this point.

I always comb through my lashes with a clean lash comb or spoolie. Next, apply a matte peach blush such as The Balm Frat Boy with an angled blush brush. For contour, I used a matte bronzer from IT Cosmetics, applied with my new Sedona Lace Synthetic Tapered Angle Brush #910

 Miley clearly had a health dose of highlighter in the video. I used a powder highlighter, applying it to the high points of the face using a Real Techniques brush. To smooth away any harsh lines, I took a clean finishing brush and just buffed over any lines where the contour, blush and highlighter met.

The most important step in a completed makeup look is brows. A lot of people are afraid of adding brow powder, but it is such a crucial step in makeup. I used my favorite Kelley Quan Wave Brush to apply Nuance By Salma Hayek Brow Powder, following the natural shape of my brows.

To finish the whole look, we had to go for the red lip! First, wipe off the lip balm you applied earlier, so that the lipstick doesn't slide off or shear out.  I have been just loving these new Color Statement Lipsticks from Milani. They are affordable, and come in a wonderful selection of colors. The finish is creamy and pigmented. The shade I used here is called Best Red.

Here is the final look!:

 eyes

 Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Best Red

I hope you enjoyed this Miley Cyrus inspired look using Stila's In The Light palette. I'll be thinking up my final look in this series and posting it soon. 

Here is the first look in my Stila In The Light Series

You may also like:

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-top-12-makeup-products-from-2012.html

As always, thanks for reading. Please don't forget to SUBSCRIBE! It helps support the site. 

All products in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Spotlight: Wet n Wild Color Up! Mega Volume Mascaras

Products reviewed in This Post Purchased By Me

Wet n Wild Color Up! Mega Volume Mascara

A few months back, while visiting my local Walgreens I came across a Wet n Wild display. This cruelty-free brand is one of the first makeup brands I ever used. I remember being a young teen and using my allowance money to pick out new lipsticks from the brand.  Here I am, now in my 30s, still reaching for products by Wet n Wild. In my opinion the brand has gotten much better with time.  You can find them listed on PETA's "Companies That Don't Test" list under Markwins Beauty Products.  Known for their Color Icon eyeshadow trios and palettes the brand makes everything from foundation to nail polish. They are one of the most affordable makeup brands on the market and the quality of their products is surprisingly good for the price. When I approached the display at Walgreens I was delighted to see multiple colored mascaras offered by the brand. Colored mascaras are not a new concept, but for under $4 a piece I just had to snag all of the shades. The colors I purchased are: Cashmere Plum, Retro Pink, Olive Green, Indigo Blue and Very Black.

I have not tested the Very Black shade long enough to write a review, so this post will only focus on the colored versions of the product. 

Here are the shades I tested: 

 Indigo Blue

 Indigo Blue: Applied to bare curled lashes

Indigo Blue is my favorite shade of the colors I tested. It is by far the most wearable. Blue mascara helps the white of your eyes appear more white making it a great alternative to black. This is definitely more of a navy blue, similar to other blue mascaras on the market. The formula is on the wet side, which you may or may not like depending on your personal preference. For the price, this is a really great alternative to higher end blue mascaras on the market. 

 Olive Green

 Olive Green: Applied to bare curled lashes

Olive Green is my second favorite of the shades. I found it very pigmented, and was able to get nice true color over my natural lashes. Since it is a darker green, it is still very wearable.  It's not the type of mascara that you can't wear out on a normal day. No one is going to stop and stare at you for having green lashes, yet it does add a nice subtle change. 

Retro Pink

Retro Pink is a light baby pink shade. Since it is lighter than my naturally brown lashes it is difficult to get the color to show up without first applying some sort of a base. You can use a white lash primer (Tarte sells a good one) or apply a thin coat of NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk with a mascara fan brush. The picture above shows Retro Pink applied over a white base as it is the best way to get the true color from the mascara. If your lashes are naturally blonde, the color should show up just fine without a primer or base.

 Coating the lashes with a white base first, helps the pink color show up against dark lashes

Pictured Above: I used the Kelley Quan Mascara Wand (sample)to apply NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk to the lashes before applying Wet n Wild Mascara 

 Cashmere Plum

Cashmere Plum was the least pigmented of the shades I tested. I had a difficult time getting it to show up on my lashes, and needed multiple coats to see the color. The texture also felt slightly different on this shade, almost like it had a whipped feel to it. I wish this shade was a darker eggplant color as I think that would make this color more wearable. 

Final Verdict: For the price, I think these are really fun to use. However, when purchasing you must keep your natural lash color in mind. If your lashes are brown or black, stick with the Indigo Blue or Olive Green. However, if your lashes are blonde, you may be able to get the Cashmere Plum and Retro Pink shades to work for you without a base. As far as the formula goes, I did not experience any flaking or smudging from any of the shades.  The formula is a bit more wet, so be sure to allow for proper drying time.  I didn't notice any super increase in volume as the packaging claims, though all the shades did add some length. Overall, I think for the price these are really fun and I will continue to use the darker shades.  I would love to see the brand come out with a burgundy or eggplant shade for the fall that offers the same pigmentation as the darker shades I tested. 

After I test out the Very Black shade more thoroughly, I will be sure to report back with my thoughts. 

Another product from Wet n Wild that I recently purchased is their Mega Length Waterproof Mascara. I haven't been using it long enough to  write a review, but I did want to share my first impressions of the product. If you have been reading my blog for a while now, then you know I have not been able to find a good drugstore waterproof mascara that is cruelty-free. Mascara is one of the beauty items that I prefer not to spend a lot of money on because it needs to be replaced so frequently.  However, I only use waterproof mascara on my clients, and tend to favor it for myself as well, especially in the summer. Wet n Wild Mega Length has a slim brush head with very short bristles making it easy to get to the root of the lashes. Since the brush head is so thin, it also works well as a bottom lash mascara. I have not yet tested the full extent of its waterproof nature yet, but I will say that the formula definitely added some real length to my lashes.

Wet n Wild Mega Length Waterproof Mascara applied to bare curled lashes

I hope you enjoyed this review of Wet n Wild Color Up! Mega Volume Mascara. Have you tried any of the colors yet? Will you be purchasing?  Please leave a comment below telling me your favorite shade and why. 

Please don't forget to subscribe. It's free and helps support the site.

* The Wet n Wild mascaras reviewed in this post were purchased by me. The Kelley Quan Mascara Wand mentioned was sent as a sample. I do not get paid to write reviews.  All opinions are my own.