Tutorial: Subtle Grey and Red Look with Purple Liner

I was talking to some of my friends in one of my reddit groups recently and they mentioned that they would like to see more tutorials. So I’m planning on doing tutorials for my favorite looks from my reviews. No time like the present to start, so I picked my favorite look from my Brilliant Deductions review to get started!

Make Up:

• Grey Eyeshadow (Aromaleigh Frailty of Genius)
• Burgundy Eyeshadow (Aromaleigh Damaged & Delusional)
• Dark Plum Eyeshadow (Aromaleigh Glittering Career)
• Foiling Medium (Darling Girl Superstar Serum)
• Eyeshadow Primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion)
• Mascara (Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara)
• Rosy Blush (Baroque Mucha Ado About Nothing)
• Burgundy Lipstick (Tilt/Shift Gravity)
• Foundation/Concealer/Powder or whatever your usual face routine is (MAC Face and Body in N1, Benefit Boi-ing in 1, Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light)

Brushes and Tools:

• Eyeshadow shading brush (Sigma E55)
• Fluffy angled eyeshadow brush (Sigma E70)
• Fluffy blending brush (Sigma E40)
• Eyeliner brush (mini Sigma E05)
• 1 or 2 Blush brushes (Nars travel blush brush, Eco Tools blush brush)
• Lip brush (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics)
• Whatever you usually use to apply your foundation, concealer and powder (Real Techniques Buffing Brush, Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush, MAC 159)
• A flat non-porous mixing surface (a piece of mirror)
• An eyelash curler if you use one (NYC eyelash curler)

For this look you’ll need a grey eyeshadow, a burgundy or dark red eyeshadow and a dark plum eyeshadow. I used Aromaleigh shadows for this, but you could definitely substitute, you just want them to be similarly warm or cool toned (so if you use a cool-toned grey, it would probably work best to use a cool red and purple to go with it). If you have Shiro’s Scarlet Witch COTM, I think it would be perfect for this look. I used Darling Girl’s Superstar Serum as a foiling medium to turn the purple eyeshadow into liner, but you could use contact lens solution, eye drops or just plain water if you don’t have something similar. You could even use purple pencil liner instead of making your own, if you have it! For the lip color, anything dark red should work. I think Kae Q’s Mulberry would be a great alternative. And choose a blush that works for your skintone. Blush is just a minor player in this look, so it shouldn’t be too noticeable.

I started with clean, moisturized skin. I put a tiny dot of eyeshadow primer on my finger and smoothed it over my eyelid, and repeated on the other side.

Next I patted my grey eyeshadow all over my mobile lid with a basic shading brush. It doesn’t matter if the top edge is messy, because we’ll blend that away later, but do try to get an even coat of color on the lid.

I picked up a tiny bit of red eyeshadow with a fluffy angled brush. To make sure I didn’t pick up too much I just touched my brush lightly to the powder that was stuck on the sides of my sample bag, avoiding the pile of shadow at the bottom entirely. I used a very light tapping motion to place the red shadow in the outer portion of my crease. I also angled my brush to connect the line of red with my outer corner.

Time to blend! I used my clean fluffy blending brush to make little circles at the outer corner of my eye without picking up my brush. Then I used my brush to diffuse the top edge of the shadow with a windshield wiper motion. I blended until the red was pretty subtle.

Next I mixed together my purple shadow with Superstar Serum to make liner. I tapped out a little bit of shadow onto a flat piece of mirror and dotted one drop of serum next to it. Then I dipped my liner brush into the serum and used it to push the eyeshadow together into a paste. I added a little bit more shadow to get the consistency you see in the last picture.

Next I applied the mixture as liner. I did my upper lashline first, and then used what was left on the brush to get a lighter line under my lower lashes. I curled my lashes and applied mascara to both my upper and lower lashes.

Now it’s time to do whatever your usual base makeup routine is. You can see my foundation routine here, if you’re interested. If the red eyeshadow is too far down at the outer corner of your eye, you can either remove it or cover it up with a pat of concealer like I did.

If you’re using loose blush in a sample bag, you can tap it out on to the clean side of your mirror or mixing surface. I’m pretty light so I only need the tiniest bit of blush.

Oftentimes when I’m using indie blush I wind up applying a little bit more than I need. When I do this I take a clean blush brush and use it to blend out the blush using a circular motion to make the color less intense. The difference is subtle on camera, but in person I can see it.

Last comes lipstick. Since I’m using a sample I need a lip brush to apply it. When I use a lip brush I outline my lips first, then put a little bit more lipstick on my brush to fill in the middle.

So that’s my look! I think it’s simple and I love how the grey balanced out the red and makes it more toned down and wearable. Combined with the the lip color, this look makes me feel really classy.

I’d love to hear how it works for you if you try it out. I like the idea of continuing to do tutorials for my favorite looks from my reviews, so keep an eye out for more in the future. If there’s a look I’ve done on the blog before that you’d like to see a tutorial for, you can request one in the comments too!

Tutorial: Turquoise Shadow with a Cat Eye

Today I’m doing something new, and sharing a tutorial for my favorite look from my Painted Flowers collection review. This look combines white white and turquoise eyeshadows with a cat eye and soft pink cheeks and lips, which are some of my favorite things. In fact, it’s pretty much the same as the first look I posted on this blog. Be forewarned, this post is long and picture heavy. (You can click on the pictures if you want to see them larger.)

 Makeup:

• White Eyeshadow (Hello Waffle Eat Me)
• Aqua Eyeshadow (Hello Waffle Pool of Tears)
• Turquoise Eyeshadow (Hello Waffle Moonlit Grin)
• Eyeshadow Primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion)
• Black Liquid Liner (Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper)
• Mascara (Buxom Lash Mascara)
• Sparkly Pink Blush (Tarte Adored)
• Soft Pink Lipstick (Tarte Pink Peony)
• Foundation, Concealer and Powder or whatever face makeup you usually wear (MAC Face and Body in N1, Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light)

Brushes:

• Basic flat eyeshadow brush (Miscellaneous Eco Tools brush)
• A small, slightly fluffy angled brush (ELF Defining Eye Brush)
• A fluffy blending brush (Sigma E40)
• A blush brush (Travel size Nars blush brush)
• Whatever you usually use to apply your foundation, concealer and powder (Real Techniques Buffing Brush, Sigma E30)
• An eyelash curler, if you use one (NYC eyelash curler)

For this look you’ll need three shadows, one white, one aqua and one turquoise. This time I used Hello Waffle’s Eat Me, Pool of Tears and Moonlit Grin, but I’ve used Shiro’s Cake!, Diamonds! and Steve in the past and they also work. You could even choose non-turquoise shadows and keep the basic placement. You just want to have a white and a lighter and darker color in the same family. (I put the exact products I used in parentheses, but you can use whatever you have on hand that’s similar.)

Start by priming your lids. I put a tiny dot of primer on my finger, dab it onto the center of both eyes and then rub it in with my finger.

Next, use your flat eyeshadow brush to apply your white shadow to the inner half of each lid. With loose shadow it is better to use a tapping or dabbing motion instead of a swiping motion.

Now flip over your brush and use the back side to apply your aqua color to the outer half, fanning it up and out past the crease. You want there to be a tiny bit of overlap between the two colors in the center of your lid.

Blend! Take your fluffy blending brush and blend the aqua in and down towards the white. Then use a windshield wiper motion to blend out the upper edge of the shadow. You want there to be a smooth gradient between the colors and no harsh lines.

Next, put a little of your turquoise shadow on the narrow edge of your angled brush. Apply a thin line of turquoise in a C shape around the outer corner of the aqua eyeshadow. (I always need to raise my eyebrows to get the correct placement.)

Blend some more! Use your fluffy brush to diffuse the harsh turquoise line you just made. Then take whatever shadow is remaining on your angled brush and apply it lightly along your bottom lashes. The color won’t show up very strongly, but there will be a bit more definition, almost like a shadow under your lower lashes.

Now it’s time for eyeliner. I always start by drawing a line as close to my lashes as I can starting at the inner corner, then going back over it along the very base of my lashes to fill in any gaps. Then I pull the edge of my lid taut and draw the lower edge of my wing, starting at the end and connecting it to the line above my lashes. I draw another line above this, starting at the end of the wing and ending where I want the liner to connect to my previous line and fill in the little triangle at the outer corner.

Lashes! Curl them if that’s something you do, and apply mascara. I applied mine to the upper lashes only. Once you’re done with your eyes, clean up any fallout and do your foundation however you usually do. (I do mine like this.)

Now it’s time for blush. I very lightly dab my brush into the pan so I don’t pick up too much. (If I’m using loose brush, I tap a tiny bit out onto a mirror and tap my brush against the mirror to pick it up.) Then I tap the brush above my cheekbones. The two pictures show where I start and stop applying my blush. If I apply it unevenly, I blend it out with a clean blush brush.

Last comes the lipstick. I chose a soft, natural pink so it doesn’t compete with the turquoise. I have no special technique for this, I just swipe it on my lips straight from the bullet. Then you’re done!

I really love this look. Turquoise is one of my favorite colors for spring (and also my favorite color for anything in general), and this is probably my favorite way to wear it. It’s also one of my go-to eyeshadow placements, so you could follow the same steps using any set of coordinating colors. Just replace the white with the lightest, the aqua with the medium shade and the turquoise with the darkest.

Was this tutorial helpful for you? Would you try this look? I’d love to hear about it if you do!

How I Apply Foundation

Next up in my series of basic things that absolute baffled me when I first started with make up is how to apply foundation. Foundation is pretty much the base for everything, and it can be weirdly intimidating. There’s so much lingo that I came across when reading about it on the internet that I got kinda overwhelmed. Buffing? Stippling? What does it even mean? I guess I’ll just smear it on my face. Anyways, here’s how I do it now that I’ve figured out what works for me.

I use MAC’s Face and Body foundation in N1 as my go-to foundation. It’s super thin, which I like. I don’t have many blemishes, and mostly just wear foundation to even out my skin tone, so I like using something with light coverage. If you have more troublesome skin, you might prefer something heavier. Either way I definitely recommend going to a make up counter or a store like Sephora to get color-matched if you don’t have a foundation that works for you yet. I guessed terribly when just trying to choose a bottle at the drugstore and having someone with experience look at my skin and give me suggestions (and samples to try out before I buy!) made such a difference. I’ll also include the rest of my basic face make up, Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer in 1 and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light. These are the face productions that I use most days. I apply them with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush, a Sigma F30 Large Powder brush and a Sigma F70 Concealer brush (when I use a brush for concealer. A lot of the time I just use my fingers).

First, I start by prepping my skin. For me this just means spritzing it with toner and rubbing in some lotion, but if you have a more involved skin care routine, do it first. Then I squirt about a quarter sized circle of foundation into my palm. If I’m using a thicker foundation with higher coverage, I would use less. I dab the bristles of my brush into the foundation on my palm to lightly cover them. You don’t need to get all the foundation onto the brush at once. I go back and pick up more as I work. Then I very lightly dab the brush all over my face, holding the brush perpendicular to my face. You can see the little dots from the bristles in the close up pictures. This is just to get the foundation spread out evenly-ish, so that I don’t have a ton in one area and nothing somewhere else when I blend.

Now it’s time to blend. Using my brush, which doesn’t have much product left on it, I rub around in circles. I start on my cheeks and circle up and out away from my nose first. Then I work up around my temple, with long strokes to cover the whole area followed by little circles to blend it in. I continue to make small circles across my forehead and down around the other temple. When I get back to the middle of my face, I sweep my brush first up and then down the bridge of my nose. I make some circles around the sides of my nose and then go back and forth up and down the bridge some more. My nose is one of the places where streaks are most prone to showing up, so I spend a lot of time blending here. Then I circle around my chin and mouth, using the same technique I did for my temples and forehead. I bite my lips to the inside of my mouth and go over the edges with the brush. Last, I rub my brush back and forth in semi-circles under my eyes. Most of the time I do my foundation after my eye make up (especially when I’m wearing a lot of eyeshadow), so I have to be careful not to disturb it. After I’ve blended everywhere, I look in the mirror. If there are any streaks (which can happen if I haven’t cleaned my brushes recently), then I just blend them in with my fingers.

Now the foundation is done, but I always have dark circles, so I use concealer to minimize them. I dab my finger very lightly into the pot, because I only need a little bit. I use my finger to smear it beneath my eyes, starting in the middle and sweeping out and down (pretty much following the darkest part of the circles). I use my finger to blend it in. I make sure that I also cover the outer corners of my eyes which tend to be dark as well, and on to the top of my cheeks so there isn’t an abrupt line where the concealer stops. If I have particularly dark circles that day, or if I’m wearing complicated eye make up I don’t want to disturb, then I’ll use a concealer brush. I still apply the concealer with my fingers, I just use the brush to blend it. I use it like a paint brush, stroking down from my lower lashline.

Last, I set everything with powder. I lightly tap my big fluffy powder brush against the powder in the compact. I lightly brush this all over my face. Then pinch the bristles together at the base to make them fan out and brush one side of it against the powder in the compact. I try to pick up any of the dust that has been kicked up. The second time product gets applied more heavily to a smaller part of the brush. I take the fanned out bristles, which I’m still pinching at the base, and pat the powder underneath my eyes where I applied the concealer. I sweep the brush lightly over my face to make sure there’s not extra powder sticking anywhere, and I’m done! I’m ready to apply the rest of my make up.

Here’s the before and after. On the left, I’m wearing no make up at all. In the middle, I have on foundation, concealer and powder, just like I showed you in this tutorial. On the right, I’ve added blush, tinted balm, eyeliner, mascara and neutral eyeshadow for a very simple look.

How do you apply your foundation? What other make up basics would you like to see a tutorial on?

How I Save Broken Lip Balms

This is pretty much the simplest tutorial ever, but it’s useful. Sometimes lip products break. Last month, I twisted a lip balm up too far and couldn’t get it to twist back down. But it was still perfectly good lip balm and I wanted to use it. So I melted it into a little pot and was able to save it!

You will need the broken lip product, a metal spoon, a candle and matches or a lighter and a clean container to put the lip balm into. If you wanted to color it, you would also need a toothpick and a lip safe eye shadow or blush.

First, place the broken lip balm on the spoon. Light the candle and hold the spoon over it until the product is entirely melted. Then pour it into the clean container. If you’re like me and manage to get charred black bits from the back of the spoon into the container as well, you can fish them out with a q-tip or toothpick. (If you want to color your lip balm, you can do that too! Choose a lip-safe loose eyeshadow or blush and mix it into the melted lip balm with a toothpick. Use more shadow if you want stronger pigmentation and less if you want a sheer tint.) Let it cool. Once it’s set you can apply it with a lip brush or your finger. Ta da! Still usable.

How I Wash My Brushes

This post will show you how I wash my make up brushes. It’s the first in a “how I do it” series focused on the basics, designed primarily for beginners. When I was just starting out, brushes were one of the things that most intimidated me. I didn’t know which ones I needed, I didn’t know what to look for when buying them and I didn’t know how to properly take care of them. Now that I’ve developed a good set of brushes, my make up applies so much better!

I use two products from Sephora for washing my brushes. The first is their natural citrus brush cleaner, which is a spray made by the brand Parian Spirit. It has a strong citrus smell and can leave bristles just a tiny bit greasy, but it gets the pigment out and dries super fast. I only use it for occasional spot cleaning. The second product is Sephora’s solid brush cleaner, which is a bar of soap with a little silicone scrubby pad. I used it for deep cleaning and it does a great job. My white brushes stay white, even when I use them with dark eyeshadows. This has a nice light vanilla-y smell that I really love, too. My brushes smell sooo good after I use it. Honestly, I like this so much that I actually stick to a once a week brush washing schedule, just because I enjoy using it and like the way my brushes smell afterwards. Before, when I was using dish soap and olive oil to wash my brushes, I didn’t enjoy the process and would always delay washing my brushes as long as I conceivable could.

I spot clean my brushes when I want to reuse a brush in the middle of the week. Honestly, this isn’t something I do very often. Most of the time I just rub my brush against a piece of tissue until no more color rubs off. However, sometimes I want to use a brush that’s full of bright or dark pigment, and that means spot cleaning. To spot clean, I spray 1 or 2 little squirts of the cleaner directly into the bristles of the dirty brush. Then I hold it upside down between my palms and rub it back and forth, like I’m trying to start a fire with a twig. I rub the bristles onto a piece of tissue until no more color comes out. Then I let it dry for a few minutes before using it.

When I deep clean my brushes, I do it in this order, starting with my eyeshadow brushes, then my blush and powder brushes, with my concealer and foundation brushes last. On the very rare occasion I attempt to use a lip brush, it goes at the end. I work my way from powder to cream products, starting with the ones that were used for the lightest colors and ending with the darkest.

I try to deep clean my brushes every week or week and a half at most. I like the process now that I’ve switched to a solid cleanser, so that doesn’t feel too burdensome to me. It only takes me about 15 minutes to wash about two dozen brushes. But if I go much longer than a week in between washes, then my foundation brush gets gross and starts leaving streaks on my face instead of blending nicely.

I deep clean my brushes using a slightly different method than the one suggested in the instructions. First, I get the bristles wet by holding the brush at a downward pointing angle under running water. It’s important to keep it pointed down so that water doesn’t get inside the ferrule (the metal part that connects the bristles and the handle). If water gets inside the ferrule, the glue that holds the brush together can deteriorate and the bristles can fall out. Then I rub the damp brush on the dry bar of soap. If it’s a big brush I make sure to rub it back and forth until there’s enough soap worked in. Then comes the fun part! I rub the bristles around in little circles on the pink silicone pad, which causes the soap to foam up. I keep rubbing it back and forth and in circles until the foam doesn’t have any more pigment coming out into it. Then I rinse the brush, keeping the bristles pointed down. I pinch the bristles to make sure all the soap is out. Sometimes I’ll brush the brush against the back of my hand to make sure it’s all rinsed. Then I gently squeeze any excess water out, shaping the bristles into the position I want them to dry in and lay them down on a towel to dry overnight. I also rinse off the pad and leave the container the soap comes in open overnight, so the bar has a chance to dry off too.

Ta da! Nice clean brushes. Seeing them laid out all nice and pretty and clean makes me happy.