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

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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.

Spotlight: Arbonne Lipstick and Eye Shadow

Products Sent For Consideration

Arbonne Lipstick & Eye Shadows

Last month, I reviewed some products sent to me by Arbonne. I shared with you my review of an eye shadow, their foundations, bronzer and blush.  The company was kind enough to send four more shadows my way as well as a couple of lipsticks for review.  I am always interested in testing out vegan lipsticks, as I think good quality vegan lipsticks can be somewhat difficult to find. 

Over the past week or so, I've tested these products individually and together to see how they performed. I am happy to say that I've found the quality of products from this brand to be very consistent.

Here is a look at the products I tested: 

Eye Shadow:  Eye shadow is one of my favorite makeup products. There are so many colors and textures to choose from, making it one of the most fun mediums to express my creativity with.  Arbonne eye shadow is a mineral-infused eye shadow, that is both blendable and long wearing. It contains beneficial ingredients such as cucumber extract, vitamins A, C and E.  Like all Arbonne products, these shadows are completely vegan (contain no animal derived ingredients), gluten free, paraben free and cruelty-free (not tested on animals).  If I could only use one word to describe these eye shadows, it would be smooth. The formula has a silky texture that glides nicely on the eye lid, leaving behind a very smooth appearance. I was able to test both matte and shimmer formulas from the brand. Arbonne eye shadow is currently available in 20 different shades.  I didn't find any chalkiness among the matte shades, and all of the colors I tested translated to the lid in true to pan color.  I tested one shimmer shade, which I found to be very different than shimmery shades from other brands. The shimmer is quite subtle, not the heavy glitter bombs often seen on the market. I really like this, especially when doing makeup on more mature clients.  Rather than being a heavy metallic, the shimmer shadow I tested simply reflected light when applied to then lid, creating a beautiful glistening appearance sans fallout. The four colors I tried are: Vanilla (matte cream), Java (warm brown), Petal (baby pink) and Indigo (prune shimmer shade).

Each shadow is housed in a metallic gunmetal-like compact with a clear see-through window on the lid. The name of the shadow is clearly labeled on the bottom of the compact.

 Above: Indigo (shimmer)

 Above: Java (matte)

Above: Petal (matte)

Above: Vanilla (matte)

Vanilla is a matte cream shade similar to MAC Brule. I love it as a highlight shade on my skin tone.  I also used it as matte cheekbone highlight, making it a multipurpose product for me.

Petal is a light baby pink that has a very nice brightening effect on the eye. I love this as an allover lid color, and also took it into the inner corner of my eye around the tear duct. 

Indigo is going to be an awesome shade for fall. Prune eyeshadow is the "it" color for fall, and although named Indigo, it is a dusty purple with light shimmer particles in it. My favorite way to wear this is solo applied with a fluffy brush as a wash of color. 

Java is a great basic to have. It's a reddened brown that works great as an eye contour shade.  I also like it worn very close to the lash line as liner, applied with an angled brush or pencil brush. 

 Swatches from left to right: Vanilla, Petal, Indigo, Java

Here is a look at how I wore the shadows: 

 Above: Petal on the lid, Java in the crease and on the lower lash line

 Above, Look 2: Petal on the lid, Indigo in outer corner and in crease, Java close to the lash line, Vanilla as a highlight under the brow bone

 In my last Arbonne post, I got questions about ingredients. In looking at the package, all of the shadows appear to have similar ingredients.

Eye Shadow Ingredients (as printed on then package): Barium Sulfate, Lauroyl Lysine, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Zinc Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Boron Nitrate, Dimethicone, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Flower Extract, Marrublum Vulgare Extract, Buddleja Davidii Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Hexapeptide-10, Ribose, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol.  May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Chromium Oxide Greens, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Manganese Violet, Ultramarines

Lipstick: I am very impressed with the formula of these lipsticks!  The two I tested are creamy, smooth and true to tube in terms of color pigmentation. This is a great lipstick formula period, not just great for a vegan lipstick. The packaging is a slim rectangular tube with angled bullet.  The formula itself has a satin finish and medium to full coverage. Shimmer shades are also available from the brand, but I have not tried those. I find the formula to be very long lasting without feeling dry on the lips. I did not experience any feathering or bleeding. I wore these solo (no lip liner or primer) and also tried mixing the two shades together.  These lipsticks also contain hydrating ingredients like aloe, wild mango butter and pomegranate extract. 

 Above swatches: Coral Reef (left), Shell (right)

Coral Reef is the perfect summer shade. Most coral lipsticks lean pink or orange. This one definitely leans a bit more on the pink side which I find makes it much more wearable for most. I really love this color. I think it can really help enhance a summer (self) tan. This shade is universally flattering, and will flatter nearly all skin tones. 

Shell is a light nude beige.  I love this as a mixing color.  I often mix lipsticks to create my own custom shades.  A color like this is ideal to lighten other shades.  On it's own it can create a nude lip for a monotone runway inspired makeup look. This shade cancels out any red tones in the lip, making it a great alternative to concealer if you want to really nude out the lip before applying another color. 

 Above: Coral Reef

 Above: Coral Reef and Shell mixed together to create a lighter shade

 Above: Ombre Lip, Coral Reef with Shell just applied to the center of the lips

 Above: Ombre Lip, Coral Reef with Shell just applied to the center of the lips

 Above: Shell

Above: Coral Reef (without flash) 

Lipstick Ingredients: Rinicus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyethlene, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Oleyl |Alcohol, Pentaerythirtyl Tetraisostearate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Polybutene, Cera Microcristallina/Microcrystalline Wax/Cire Microcristalline, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides, Cera Camauba/Copernica Cerifera (canauba) wax/Cire de Camauba, Candelilla Cera/Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax/Cire de Candelilla, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Buddleja Davidii Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Extract,Alaria Esculenta Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Ethyl Linoleate, Lecithin, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Betaine, Lauryl PCA, C12-16 Alcohols, Palmitic Acid, Glycerin, May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Red 33 Lake, Red 28 Lake, Red 22 Lake, Red 7 Lake, Red 6, Iron Oxides, Blue 1 Lake 

I hope you enjoyed this look at Arbonne eye shadows and lipsticks.  For more information, or to purchase any of the products here, you can visit arbonne.com 

If you enjoyed this post, please don't forget to subscribe. It's free and helps support the site. 

Related Posts: 

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/06/spotlight-arbonne.html

*This post contains products sent for consideration. This in no way alters my review. I do not get paid to write reviews.  I do not get any payments or commission if you purchase any of these products. All opinions are my own.  Any links are for the benefit of the reader.

 

Spotlight: Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes - Face Brushes

Products in This Post Purchased By Me

Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes-Face Brushes

Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes are vegan pro-quality brushes that embody luxury with a conscience.  I love brushes. I mean really really really love brushes, bordering on obsession. I've had many conversations with people about brushes, and am often asked if I've tried Hakuhodo.  For many, Hakuhodo is "the" luxury makeup brush to have. However, their brushes are made of animal hair. Although I love makeup brushes more than any normal person should, my love for animals is much greater. There are many companies that also claim to make animal hair brushes without harming the animals. I'm not calling anyone a liar. The truth is that I don't know for sure how the animal hair is obtained for any animal hair brush. I'm not there on the farm, to see what happens to these animals. I do know for sure that some companies, many companies, obtain the hair for their makeup brushes via the fur industry.  Since I am not a detective, I just can't in good conscience purchase an animal hair brush without knowing for sure where the brush comes from. This is simply my personal preference.  However, nothing is going to stop me from buying the most luxurious brush I can find sans cruelty.  I often refer to Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes as the vegan version of Hakuhodo brushes. I actually got to feel some Hakuhodo brushes that were on display at IMATS this year, and in my opinion the Kelley Quan brushes are much softer and silkier.  The reason that I compare Kelley Quan's brushes to Hakuhodo is that they are hand shaped, never cut, something very hard to find in a synthetic brush. The brushes themselves are a work of art, beautifully crafted.  I love looking at them almost as much as I love using them. 

The newest additions to my Kelley Quan brush collection are the #5 Synthetic Black Mink-Medium and #22 Synthetic Blue Squirrel Tapered-Large. I've had these for nearly a month now, so I've had a decent amount of time to test them in a variety of ways.  These are both face brushes, and the first face brushes I've tried from this collection. 

#5 Synthetic Black Mink-Medium ($38.50):  The bristles on this brush are designed to mimic the look and feel of real mink minus the cruelty. The bristles are super silky, and soft which is why I love it for professional use. When applying my own makeup, I sometimes just grab for the nearest clean brush, but when applying makeup to others, I want it to be a pampering experience for the client.  For this reason, I only use my softest brushes when applying makeup to others. This brush is ideal for applying powder highlight to the top of the cheekbones, or setting powder under the eyes. It's a medium size, which I personally prefer when working with setting powders. A brush of this size and shape allow for more precise placement. I really love using this brush with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. 

 Vegan Beauty Brush #5

Pictured Above: The bristles are ultra silky and smooth

 Vegan Beauty Brush #22 Synthetic Blue Squirrel Tapered-Large ($65): This is a very large brush, and I have found it to be extremely useful. I consider this to be my finishing brush. It is not a traditional shaped powder brush. Brush #22 has a full, fluffy head, with bristles that taper to an angled shape. This brush is ideal for use with powder products. I will often use it to dust on finishing powder, or dust off excess if applying it with a puff.  I also like this to blend out any harsh edges from blush, contour or bronzer. The fluffiness of the bristles also allow for a nice light application of product, so it does work well with highlighting powders as well. This is one of the higher end brushes in my collection in terms of price point, but I feel the cost is well worth it for the quality. A makeup brush of this caliber will last you for years. In hind site, I wish I just bought The Complete Beauty Brush Collection.  However, if you still want to enjoy the luxury of Kelley Quan at a fraction of the price, she does offer the Vegan Beauty Brush Travel Set for only $85. 

 Like all Kelley Quan Brushes, the bristles are extremely silky

 Each brush comes numbered on one side and embossed with the Kelley Quan logo on the other

I hope you enjoyed this look at my Kelley Quan vegan face brushes. All brushes from this brand are hand crafted in the U.S.A. These brushes are hypoallergenic and easy to clean. Most synthetic brushes on the market today are made with only one type of synthetic hair. Realizing this, Kelley Quan created brushes that actually mimic real animal hair by combining a premium blend of different types of synthetic bristles. This adds texture to the brush allowing for a flawless makeup application every time.  

To learn more about Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes, check out my Synthetic Brush Guide, or visit the brand's website at: http://kelleyquan.com/

Please don't forget to SUBSCRIBE! It's free, and helps support the site.

Related Posts:

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/05/spotlight-kelley-quan-vegan-beauty.html

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/04/spotlight-kelley-quan-mascara-wand.html

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-top-5-makeup-brushes-collab.html

*The brushes reviewed in this post were purchased by me. I do not get paid to write reviews.  All opinions are my own. i do not get any commissions or payment if you purchase these brushes. Any prices or links in this post are for the reader's convenience only.