FOTD: Blue Eyes and Lips Dare

 This Saturday over on /r/indiemakeupandmore it was round two of Indie Truth or Dare. /u/_HappyG_ dared me to do blue eyes and lips, so I did! It turned out to be trickier than I expected, because as it turns out almost none of my blue shadows are lip safe (and my Kae Q Indigo is still in the mail). The only two I had, Shiro’s Rebellion and Hello Waffle’s IMAM, were both dark metallic navy, so that’s what I had to do. I also used Shiro’s Glowstick of Destiny, which is a light blue with a gold duochrome overlay, which I love but don’t use very often. Blue. Lots of blue. Eyes:

• Shiro Glowstick of Destiny
• Shiro Rebellion
• Darling Girl Superstar Serum
• Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Tarte Adored

Lips:

• Shiro Rebellion
• Hello Waffle IMAM
• Lush Honey Trap

So for this I actually started with the lips, since I wasn’t sure how they were going to turn out. I started with a layer of waxy lip balm and then patted IMAM, a lip safe navy, over the top with a concealer brush. No matter how much I applied, it just wasn’t getting opaque enough, so I switched to Rebellion, another lip safe navy. I used the same brush to apply Rebellion, which was much more opaque. I evened it out with my finger and tidied up the edges (which were crazy messy) with q-tips and makeup remover. Then I did my eyes. I primed my lids and applied Pixie Epoxy with my pinkie. After it had set, I patted Glowstick of Destiny, a light blue with a gold duochrome, over the top. I mixed Rebellion with Superstar Serum and applied it as liner with a small wing. I applied some to my lower lashes for balance. I curled my lashes and did my face make up. I used a sparkly pink blush to keep myself from looking too dead. To be honest, I didn’t love this look. I had fun trying it, but the navy was just too dark on my lips and didn’t read as very blue. I also forgot just how much of the gold duochrome from Glowstick of Destiny shows through liners mixed with Superstar Serum. I think if the navy had showed up more on my eyes, it might have seemed more balanced. I had fun anyways! And it’s totally in keeping with the spirit of a dare to try something I wouldn’t have otherwise!

FOTD: Easter Pastel Halo Eye

 Happy Easter! I decided to do a springy pastel look to celebrate. (Easter’s not my favorite holiday, it’s not spring here and my husband and I failed to plan ahead enough to buy groceries for our usual Easter dinner, so this is pretty much the only bone I’m throwing to Easter this year.) I did a pastel pink and green version of my newfound halo eye technique. It turned out much more subtle than I expected, but it’s pretty and fitting for the holiday.

Pardon the weird pinkness of my skin. I just got back from a week on the beach, where I got a bit too much sun. Worth it, though!

Eyes:

• Hello Waffle Debussy
• Shiro Wildflowers
• Hello Waffle Golden Stairs
• Shiro Cake
• NYX Milk
• Kat Von D Tattoo Liner
• Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Benefit Posietint

Lips:

• Tarte Pink Peony

I started by covering my mobile lids with NYX Milk pencil and blending it in with my finger so there weren’t any harsh edges. Then I patted Cake!, a sparkly white, into the inner and outer corners. It wasn’t very noticeable, so I patted Wildflowers, a light pink, over the top. I placed Debussy, a light green, into the hole in the middle of each lid. Then I picked up some Golden Stairs, a light peachy gold, with a blending brush and used it to blend out the transition between the pink and the green. I also used Golden Stairs to blend out the crease. I used some more Cake above the gold, up to my eyebrow. I lined my eyes with black liquid liner with a little flick and applied mascara. I did my face like usual, with a bit of extra foundation on my nose in an attempt to minimize my sunburn. I used a pink cheek stain, which I blended in with my finger, and a soft pink lipstick.

Do you ever do holiday-themed make up? How do you celebrate Easter? In my family growing up we always went bowling and ate Indian food to go with our Easter baskets and egg hunt. It’s one of our weirder traditions, but I loved it.

 

FOTD: I Call It Mr. Pointy and Mockingjay Challenge

My next look from the IMAM sample challenge is pretty cool because it combines two different shadows named after two things I love, Buffy and the Hunger Games. /u/gossipbomb suggested I use Shiro’s Mockingjay and Notoriously Morbid’s I Call It Mr. Pointy together, “because girl power!” So I did. Plus, gold a red go great together, so it was super easy to do! Kind of a bronzey burgundy version of my Gryffindor look.

I really like it! Although it’s rainy season now and the sun doesn’t like me anymore, so for the next couple months my pictures are gonna be a little dark and grey.

Eyes:

• Shiro Mockingjay
• Notoriously Morbid I Call It Mr. Pointy
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Kat Von D Tattoo Liner
• Make Up Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Tarte Exposed

Lips:

• Benefit Rocketpop

I primed my eyes and applied Mockingjay, a bronzey gold, all over my lid flaring it out at the outer corners. I blended out the edges with a clean brush. I put the tiny bit leftover on my brush on my lower lashline as well. Then I applied I Call It Mr. Pointy, a matte burgundy, to the outer corners, over the gold, and blended it inwards along the crease and down towards the lash line. I applied black winged liner and mascara and did my face like usual. I used cinnamon colored blush and lipstick to finish it off.

I really like this. I keep thinking the colors are Buffy and Katniss themed, but I Call It Mr. Pointy is actually a reference to Kendra, the other slayer, and her lucky stake. Nonetheless, it’s fun to use shadows named after kickass heroines. It’s a really autumnal look that I might pull out again when fall gets here!

 

FOTD: Shiro’s Rebellion as Liner and Cream Blush

Once again, I’m publishing things out of order, but this was actually my first time ever using cream blush. I’d gotten a palette of Stila’s Convertible Color cream blushes as a gift with purchase a while back, but I’d never actually tried putting them on my cheeks. So in the interest of not keeping things I don’t use, I decided to try it. And it turns out I really like it, and can definitely see myself using more cream blushes in the future!

Stila says the convertible colors are for both cheeks and lips, but I put this on my lips and it looked terrible (far too strong of a white base), so I removed it and replaced it with a baby pink lipstick.

Eyes:

• Shiro Rebellion
• Darling Girl Superstar Serum
• Buxom Lash Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera

Lips:

• Bare Minerals Speak Your Mind

This look was super simple. I mixed Rebellion, a navy shadow, with Superstar Serum and applied it as winged liner. I applied mascara and did my face make up like usual. Then I lightly dabbed my stippling brush into the pan of cream blush. I tested it on my hand, then lightly dabbed it onto my cheeks. I used my fingers to blend it out. Then I finished with pink lipstick.

I was surprised how easy it was to get a natural look with cream blush! I’m definitely going to play with the other colors in the palette. I think some of the others might look decent on the lips as well.

FOTD: Soft and Pretty Date Night Look

This is the make up I actually wore on Valentine’s Day. It’s soft and pretty and classic. It has the same vibe as my wedding make up, although there are a few differences (no pink eyeshadow and rosier cheeks for my wedding). But still, I love it. I feel so pretty, and it brings back good memories. The perfect Valentine’s combo.

I love black winged liner so much. It’s kinda nice to let it be the centerpiece for once.

Eyes:

• Shiro Doge
• Shiro Wildflowers
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Kat Von D Tattoo Liner
• Benefit They’re Real Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Shiro 1-Up

Lips:

• Shiro It’s Called Love

I primed my eyes and swept Doge, a sparkly sheer champagne, from my lid up to my brow. I added Wildflowers, a sparkly light pink, to the outer corner and added black winged liquid liner. I curled my lashes and applied mascara. I did my face make up as usual, with 1-Up, a pinky-peach blush. I finished with It’s Called Love, a reddish pink tinted balm.

I love this look. I tried taking pictures of it on Valentine’s Day, but I didn’t do my make up until after dark and they just didn’t turn out. I love the pairing of black winged liner with a pink-red lip. It’s still classic, but reddish pink lips instead of bright true red makes it feel more romantic. Plus, if you’re comfortable with winged liner, this look is super quick and easy. Perfect for when you have a date but not a lot of time to get ready. What make up do you wear on dates?

FOTD: Red and Purple Halo Eye

Next week I’m going to be the guest blogger over on Toxid Lotus, where I’ll be posting ideas on how to use red eyeshadow. This is one of the looks that I did, originally intended for that post, but it didn’t quite turn out how I planned and wound up looking too similar to another one I’d already. So it goes here, as a red eyeshadow post preview! I was inspired by Celadon Alley’s totally awesome red and purple halo eye, but it just didn’t come out as red as I wanted, I think because my hooded lids ate all the color.

See! Lots of red on my eyelids! It’s just hiding when my eyes are open.

Eyes:

• Shiro Unforgettable
• Shiro Heart Attack
• Shiro Shinigami
• Shiro Cake!
• Stila Wind (from the In the Know palette)
• Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
• Darling Girl Superstar Serum
• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Kat Von D Tattoo liner
• Benefit They’re Real mascara
• Maybelline Great Lash

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Natural Beauty

Lips:

• Shiro Who Swallowed a Star
• Shiro A Girl and A Cat

For this look, I primed my eyes, then applied Unforgettable, a sparkly red, to the middle half of my lid, extending it just past the iris. I added a line of Heart Attack, a magenta-red, on either side of the center dot and traced it carefully in the crease above as well. Then I used a pencil brush to place Shinigami, a darker purple, in the inner and outer corners. I blended all three together, so there were no harsh transitions. Then I carefully added a dot of pixie epoxy to the center of each lid and patted more Unforgettable on top to bring out the sparkles. I mixed some Heart Attack with superstar serum and used it to line my lower waterline. I lined my upper lashes with black liquid liner and applied mascara to both sets of lashes. I applied a little bit of Cake!, a shimmery white with just a hint of red tones, to the inner corner and inner part of the lower lashline. I used a matte peach eyeshadow to highlight below the browbone and to blend out the edges of the darker colors. There was a lot of fallout, so I cleaned it up before I did the rest of my face make up. I used a red blush and applied Who Swallowed a Star, a bright pink-toned red tinted balm, over the top of A Girl and A Cat, a deep purple tinted balm.

I like the way this turned out, it just wasn’t what I thought it would look like. But I’m loving all the red shadow looks I’ve been doing, and I’m super excited for next week’s guest post. A week from today!

FOTD: Red and Black Queen of Hearts Smoky Eye, from Crimson and Clovher’s tutorial

My lovely new internet friend Crimson and Clovher posted posted this Queen of Hearts-inspired tutorial last week, which I knew I had to try. Because a) I love Alice in Wonderland, b) red eyeshadow is my new favorite thing and c) it looked totally badass on her. So I did! And while I think it looks more extreme on me than on her (thanks, super-pale skin), and I skipped the heart shaped lips (since I wasn’t actually going to a costume party), I really like how it turned out. It was easy to follow along with her instructions and it was fun using some new techniques for a change! I love the red! I loved it so much I put it on my lips too. Like many of my more extreme looks, glasses tone it down. Obviously I had to wear my red pair.  Eyes:

• Notoriously Morbid Bloody Awful Poet
• Hello Waffle Vivaldi
• Shiro Unforgettable
• Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
• Lorac Behind the Scenes primer
• Kat von D Tattoo Liner
• Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Perversion
• Benefit They’re Real mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Natural Beauty

Lips:

• Hello Waffle Vivaldi
• Shiro Unforgettable
• Neutrogena lip balm

Obviously, the full instructions for this are laid out in the tutorial, but I did make a few slight changes. I started by priming my lids and covering them with Bloody Awful Poet, a matte black eyeshadow, drawing a cat-eye shape at the corners. I cleaned up the edges using q-tips and face lotion. Then I patted Pixie Epoxy onto the inner 2/3 or so with my pinky and waited for it to set. I applied Vivaldi, a sparkly red, over the top. Then I blended the edges into the black. However, over the black Vivaldi was taking on some burgundy/purplish tones, and I wanted true red, so I patted Unforgettable, a warm-toned sparkly red, over the inner half of the eye or so and blended it into the already-blended other red. At this point I had totally screwed up the edges of the cat eye, so I retraced them with black and tidied them up with q-tips again. I lined my upper lids with black liquid liner, following the lower edge of my eyeshadow out at the corners, and I lined my lower waterline with black pencil eyeliner. I curled my lashes and applied lots of mascara, because I don’t own false lashes. Then I wiped tons of fallout off of my face. If you do this look, definitely do your eyes before your face. I did my face make up, with extra powder to set, and applied red blush very lightly, because one can never have too much red. I tried my red lipsticks, but they didn’t match the red of my eyes, and then I realized both red shadows were lip safe! So I used a lip brush to apply them to my lips with some clear balm. (Note: Neutrogena’s balm is terrible for this. Usually I use Lush’s Honey Trap for sticking powders to my lips and it works so much better. You want something thick and a little waxy otherwise it will slide all over your face. Which this did pretty much as soon as I finished with the pictures. I wound up taking it off and putting Shiro’s With Eyes Unclouded on.)

All in all, I was really glad how well Crimson and Clovher’s tutorial worked for me! I’d never really tried following a step by step tutorial before, but I loved this look and was so glad she wrote up her instructions! Although, between the lips and the eyes I think I used at least a dozen q-tips. Oh well, I think it was worth it. :)

Do you guys ever follow your internet friends’ tutorials? Any advice on wearing eyeshadow on your lips and getting it to stay?

FOTD: Hufflepuff Yellow and Black

And now for Hufflepuff. The “we don’t really know what defines you, so no metallics for you” house. This youtube video pretty much sums it up. And also is hilarious. Anyways, basic black and yellow for the Hufflepuffs. Nice and simple.

I really like the way the yellow brings out the blue of my eyes. Plus it makes me feel super cheery and smiley (although that might also have been caused by thinking “I can’t digest lactose. I’m a Hufflepuff!” Seriously, go watch the video).

Eyes:

• Darling Girl Dandelion
• Shiro Cornucopia
• Notoriously Morbid Bloody Awful Poet
• Kat von D Tattoo liner
• Lorac Behind the Scenes primer
• Maybelline Great Lash

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• MAC Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer
• Shiro1-Up blush

Lips:

• Shiro It’s Called Love

I started by priming my eyes and patting Dandelion, a bright yellow, all over my lid. Next I took Cornucopia, a goldenrod yellow, and applied it to the outer part of my crease using an angled brush. To keep it Hufflepuff, try to use something that’s not too metallic/gold. You want to read yellow. Then I drew a winged line on my upper lashes. I used a liner brush to apply Bloody Awful Poet, a matte black to my lower lashline. Then I added mascara, but it didn’t look finished, so I used my angled brush to apply some Cornucopia underneath the wing and the outer corner of the lower lashline. I did my face make up as usual, with peachy pink blush and corally pink tinted balm.

I liked this more than I thought I would. The yellow is bright and cheery and looks great with blue eyes, and I always love a clean winged liner. The simplicity seems very Hufflepuff-appropriate. I really liked the way Bloody Awful Poet worked on the lower lashline. I might have to start using shadow instead of liner on my lower lashes more often.

FOTD: Slytherin Silver and Green

Look number three in my Harry Potter House series: Slytherin. Also, my first attempt at a cut crease. I think it turned out pretty decent. I’m totally not a Slytherin, but I think this look gets the vibe right.

Dark witchy lips.

Eyes:

• Hello Waffle Envy
• Shiro Huntress
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Cuff
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Mars
• Kat von D Tattoo Liner
• Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy
• Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
• Benefit They’re Real Mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in 1
• MAC Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Adored

Lips:

• Shiro A Girl and A Cat tinted balm

First I primed my eyes, then I traced a line along my crease with a green metallic liner. I blended the liner into my crease with a brush. Then I used my pinky to dab Pixie Epoxy below the liner and let it set for a second. I patted Huntress, a silver, over the Pixie Epoxy. Then I used a pencil brush to apply Envy, a dark green, along the liner, flaring it up at the outer corners. I also applied some along the lower lashes. Then I lined my upper lashes with black liquid liner and finished with a strong wing. I applied some along the outer half of my lower lashes as well, connecting at the corners. I then lined my lower waterline with silver eyeliner, going around my inner corner to the very inner part of my upper lashline. I lined below my bottom lashes with the green eyeliner and blended it in with a brush. I curled my lashes and applied mascara. Then I applied foundation and concealer. I applied a pink blush with silver shimmer, and then put my setting powder all over the top of everything. I finished with A Girl and A Cat, a dark purple tinted balm.

This feels witchy and slightly goth but flamboyant at the same time, which seems appropriate for Slytherin. It makes me want to experiment with cut creases, because I’m not sure I did it right, but I like how it looks anyways. Tomorrow, last but not least (ok let’s be honest, they’re kind of the least…) Hufflepuff!

FOTD: Shiro Silver and Navy Winged Liner

I included this look in my Tributes Collection post yesterday, but I love it so much, it gets its own too! Seriously, I’ve worn this look several times now and I love love love it. It’s pretty and fancy but not too much for an average day. It’s pretty much perfect. Plus, it’s a basic enough 2 color look that it could work with almost any combo of coordinating light and dark colors. I really like using the darker color both in the crease and as liner. To me it feels very put-together.To top it off, it photographs really well too. Next time I have a wintery party to go to, this is probably what I’ll do.

Eyes:

• Shiro Huntress
• Shiro Rebellion
• Darling Girl Superstar Serum
• Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
• Benefit They’re Real mascara

Face:

• MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 1
• Benefit Boi-ing concealer in 01
• MAC Skinfinish Natural in Light
• Shiro 1-Up Blush

Lips:

• Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Naked

I started by putting primer all over the lid, then patted Huntress, a light silver, on top, concentrating it on the inner part of the eyelid. Then I used a fluffy, tapered brush to work Rebellion, a navy, into the crease, concentrating on the outer corner. I pulled this down to the outer corner of my eye, making sure not to get it too dark. Then I mixed Superstar Serum and Rebellion to make a paste and used a pointed brush to apply the mixture as winged liner. I curled my lashes and put on mascara. My face products were the same as usual, except for a double dose of concealer under the eyes (I did not sleep well at all the night before). I applied Shiro’s 1-Up, a peachy blush, making sure to keep it high on the tops of my cheekbones and finished with a pale pink lipstick.

As I said, I love this look. It’s very wintery and beautiful. If I ever need to go to an elegant wintertime ball, I’m set.

Also, I joined Bloglovin, so you can follow me there if you want.