Playful Eyeliners!!!!

A fun and young look that's super trendy is the single line of coloured eyeliner on your eyes paired with a black or brown mascara.  It's a great look for teens and girls in their early 20s for everyday wear.  For those of us who are a little older, we can pull this look off too but stick with more conservative colours like deep purple and blue.  This is a great way to give your eyes a little pop of colour when you have no time to fuss with eyeshadow. 

I used a deep purple/plum pencil eyeliner from MAC.  This is the most flattering colour for any age and any skin tone. 

I used a blue pencil liner from Makeup Forever's Aqua Eyes line.  Blue is a great, eye catching colour.  It can be a little daring depending on the shade of blue you pick but it will brighten up your eyes for sure.  For girls who generally do wear blue eyeshadow, this is a great substitute for those mornings you just couldn't get out of bed early enough to do the whole works. 

I used Illamasqua medium pencil in Torment.  Yes, this pinkish red is a little unconventional but I just wanted to show how you youngsters out there can play around with the range of colours available. Try out some, pink, green, gold, silver orange etc.  It's fun and easy and while you are in your teens and early 20s, you may as well take advantage of the fact that you can get away with this type of playfulness.


So where can you find a fantastic range of coloured eyeliners?

Illamasqua has amazing colour pencils in all shades and sizes for use on your eyes, face, lips and body.   They have a smooth texture that glides on your skin beautifully.

MAC fluidliner is another great option.  I have one in Blacktrack but it comes in a wide range of colours.  Use an angled brush to apply it.  It will give you the best control!!

Makeup Forever has a range of super waterproof pencil eyeliners that come in a range of fun colours.  The Aqua Eyes pencil liner in blue is one of my beach vacation must-haves.

Natural False Lashes!

False eyelashes have been a huge trend for many years.  Before moving to the UK, I thought it was probably just really big in Asia due to the fact that most of us have very short and scanty eyelashes.  After coming to the UK, I've realized it's incredibly popular here too.  Adding falsies to complete your overall look is great but some lashes are just a little OTT for everyday wear.  Stick to natural looking eyelashes that add volume rather than thick, long, glamour lashes.

Here's a look at some ways to emphasize your peepers!!!

Corner Lashes:

A great way to make your lashes appear longer but natural is to use eyelashes only on the outer corners of your eyes.  You can either buy the ones that come in individual bunches or cut the ends off any pair you already have at home

Cris-Cross Lashes:

I find this to be the most natural look of all when it comes to full length lashes.  This type of falsies add a lot of fullness and natural length without being over the top.  These are great for a big night out as well.  If you want to create even more natural fullness, just double up on the lashes.

What You Should Avoid for the Day:

Lashes with thick hairs clumped together can look extremely unnatural, like the ones I wore for New Year's Eve!!   They are fun for events and fancy dress parties but not for the day.  Thick, fluttery half lashes should be avoided too if you want a natural look.  It's really easy to tell what will be over the top!  If they look really thick or really long, they won't look natural!!

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Belladonna Review!!!

When I finally arrived in London and had access to Illamasqua, which was recommended to me by a friend, I started to review a number of their products.  Having read amazing things about their Intense Lipgloss, I quickly put it down as one of my 2012 makeup wish list items. 

I went in before Christmas and tried on Belladonna.  I was rather surprised at the intensity of the colour as I had never ever seen a lipgloss quite so rich before.  The photos that appear with the product online don't really do justice to how vibrant the colour really is.  I had assumed intense referred to the glossiness and staying power of the product.  However, the colour looks just as opaque as lipstick but as glossy as a MAC lipglass. 

I chose Belladonna because it is a beautiful deep raspberry colour.  It's so different from what I own and it's a great alternative to a red lipstick paired with nude eyes.  Even though it is quite bright and appears to be more suitable for night time, I wore it to work with neutral eyes and I'm so in love with the lipgloss and the look.  The staying power is INCREDIBLY AMAZING!!!!!   It is much better than MAC lipglass.  It lasts longer and isn't sticky!!  After a little snack, a few glasses of water and an entire afternoon at work, there was still colour and gloss on my lips. 

Belladonna is a little bit more of a statement lippy for sure but the Intense Lipgloss line comes in a variety of bright and bold colours that can be surprisingly natural (http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/catalogue/category/lips/products/intense-lipgloss/28/).  My next purchase will be the Intense Lipgloss in Move.  It's a very natural colour that would be great for everyday use.  It is described as deep purple online, but didn't appear as purple on my lips as on the Illamasqua website.  

I am so impressed with this lipgloss and think that it's worth the £13.  Throw away all your other lipglosses ladies!!!  This is the only one you'll ever need!!! 

For those of you living in countries where Illamasqua is not available, check their website for international delivery options.

Friday Alter Ego: Leopard Eye Makeup

I finally managed to find some time to come up with an alter ego look for this week.  This is really easy to do.

Eyeshadow:
Apply a brown eyeshadow all over your eyelids and a coral coloured eyeshadow on your corners and the hollow part of your eyes just under the brow bone.  Use a gold eyeshadow on your brow bone.

Leopard print:
Draw large and small circles all over your eyelids using a black eyeliner.  It's really easy because the circles obviously don't have to be perfect.  Apply brown eyeshadow to the inside of each circle.

Eyeliner:
When drawing your eyeliner, extend beyond the natural outline of your eyes on both corners and bring it up a little on the outer corners.  Make a a sharp point on the inner corners too.  This will create a cat like effect on your eyes.

Eyelashes and eyebrows:
Define your eyebrows with a very dark pencil and put on some dramatic false eyelashes to complete the look!!!

This is a really easy and it looks impressive so try it out for your next fancy dress or Halloween party.

What I used:
K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyeliner in black
Ros n Roy eyeshadow in a brown shade
MAC Peachtwist blush (on my eys because I don't have an orange toned eyeshadow)
L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Goldmine
Diorshow eyeliner in black
Illamasqua false eyelashes (not sure which number)

My 2012 Makeup Wish List!!!

In 2011 I tried out several new makeup products.  My Benefit Cosmetics Watt's Up highlighter and K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting Eyeliner became my all time favourites.  This year, I have my eye on several products that I've heard great reviews about as well as some products that I've wanted for a while but never got around to getting.  Here is my 2012 wish list!!! 

1) Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter lipsticks
(http://www.revlon.com/Revlon-Home/Products/Lips/Lipcolor/Revlon-ColorBurst-Lip-Butter.aspx)

This product has been around for a little while internationally but has not come to the UK.  Bloggers have been raving about this product and I heard it should be here by March 2012.  It's said to be an amazing lipstick that moisturizes and gives lips a beautiful, dewy colour!! 

2) MAC 182 Buffer Brush
(http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=mac+182+buffer+brush+reviews&hl=en&prmd=imvns&resnum=4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&biw=1366&bih=649&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=7388240362358743526&sa=X&ei=a_UBT_SqI4mphAe389GqAQ&ved=0CFYQ8wIwAA)

This type of brush is also called a Kabuki brush.  It's usually used to blend powder products such as loose mineral powder foundation.  However, Kim Kardashian's makeup artist uses it to apply her cream blush and foundation and it works beautifully, giving her that gorgeous, natural looking glow she has.  I've been using a cheap Kabuki brush and it's time for an upgrade. 

3) Inglot Eyeshadow Palette
(http://www.inglotcosmetics.com/eye.shadow/products/146/165)

This is a Scandinavian makeup company that was never available in any of the countries I've lived in previously.  However, they are available in Europe, Asia and North America and have been a cult favourite for quite some time.  They are said to have professional quality, long-lasting eyeshadow.  What makes them unique is their "Freedom System".  You can create your own palettes and it's cheaper than just buying individual colours separately. 


4) MAC Lipstick in Red, Russian Red or Chilli (http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/168/310/Lips/Lipstick/Lipstick/index.tmpl)

Every girl should have a classic red lipstick.  It suits every skin tone and on days where you want a glamorous and polished look but don't have too much time, a red lipstick is the perfect solution.  Paired with simple eye makeup, it will dress you up with minimal effort.

5) Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Belladonna (http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/catalogue/category/lips/products/intense-lipgloss/28/)

This colour is a little brighter than what I normally use but it's gorgeous.  It is said to last for hours, even after eating and drinking.  Best of all, it's not sticky!!

6) L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow
(http://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/cosmetics/eyes/color-infallible.aspx)

This is another product I have heard great reviews about.  It's an extremely affordable eyeshadow with a range of intense colours that are said to last all day long. 

 And that's my wish list for 2012!!! 

I'm sure this list will get bigger as I start to read about and discover future makeup launches but these are just some of the products I've been reading about and can't wait to try!!!  Products that are raved about by bloggers all over the world usually end up being as amazing as they sound.  I would recommend you try any of these too and let me know what you think about them if you get to them before I do!!! 

Illamasqua Liquid Metal Product Review!

Before Christmas, I purchased some products from an amazing UK cosmetics company called Illamasqua.  For those of you unfamiliar with them, they have amazing quality makeup, similar to MAC.  However, their brand image is a little more whimsical and artsy, preferring the dramatic and theatrical, as well as incredibly creative runway looks. 

The products I bought were 6 out 7 colours of liquid metal eyeshadow.

http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/catalogue/category/eyes/products/liquid-meta/38/

This was the product I used for my Venetian mask look.  As you have seen, the colour is very metallic and shiny.  The texture is not as creamy as I thought it would be for a cream eyeshadow but rather slick and oily.  What I love about it is that the colour builds beautifully when applied using a dabbing motion. It can be subtle or intense.

However, I used it on Christmas day with my MAC Prep and Prime as my eyeshadow base, the darker silver as my all over base colour and the gold on the corners of my eyes.  It was an extremely natural look with a pretty metallic sheen but it did not stay put for even an hour...even with a primer.

I also tried to use a natural powder eyeshadow first and applied the liquid metal over it.  The product held on a bit better but not as well as powder eyeshadow alone does.

I later used a powder eyeshadow all over my eyelids and the liquid metal over it, but only on the outer corners of my eyes and a little above the creases of my eyelids.  I feel like this is the best combination.  The liquid metal held on as it did not get pushed around when I blinked, and I loved the pretty metallic sheen it gave my eyes.

In my opinion, unless you are older and have dryer skin around your eyes, powder eyeshadow is really the way to go.  Cream shadows look great for theatrical looks, but they are not very practical for everyday use unless you are using just a little bit of it combined with a powder eyeshadow. 

Inspired by Venice and Illamasqua!!!!

Mysterious like a phantom in the darkest night, hidden by a flawless exterior, revealing only the exquisite beauty of a Venetian mask!

This is my Alter Ego.  Inspired by Illamasqua.

What I used:

A range of Illamasqua Liquid Metal colours.  For more information on the products go to:
www.illamasqua.com

Eyeshadow Palettes and Which Colours to Use!!!

I've spent this week talking about and showing you the different eyeshadow colours you can combine.  The simplest and most brainless way to go about choosing eyeshadow colours is to go with a palette. Usually, palettes come in 4 colours.  You'll have a darker colour, a medium colour and maybe 2 lighter colours.  This is because they are giving you an option for the evening (usually darker and more intense) and an option for the day (usually lighter and more natural).

Have a look at the palette below from Illamasqua.

www.illamasqua.com

Just choose any three shades you want, remembering to always use the darker colour on the outer corners of your eyes, the medium colour as the all over base and the lightest colour on the inner corners of your eyes and on your brow bone.  These colours match and have been put together for your convenience.  Use a combination of any 3 in the palette.  You can't go wrong!!

Now take a look at the palette below from Ros n' Roy.

Ros n' Roy is available at Bugis Junction in Singapore

It looks intimidating, but if you look carefully, the matching colours have been organized in each column in pairs with the the lightest (highlighter) colours on the far right column.  Pick a combination of any 2 using the dark, medium and light technique, pair it up with a highlighter and there is no way you can go wrong. 

Important tip:  When in doubt, white and cream coloured highlighters go with any colour combination.

Palettes are out there for consumers like you.  So take advantage of them.