Monday, June 28, 2010

How To: Basic Black Smokey Eye

For the longest time, i struggle to do the smokey eyes. I don't know exactly why, perhaps because black is a very intimidating shade and i find it rather difficult to work with sometimes. Since my eye lids are rather small when my eyes are open, i always found it awkward and hard to do the smokey eyes. Often times, i looked more punched out, so i often stayed away from doing the black smokey eyes.

But practice makes perfection! Today, i want to do a basic tutorial, for how i try to do the basic black smokey eyes. Everything i use in this tutorial are basic necessities, and i think any makeup collector would have something similar. The purpose of this is to allow everyone a chance to replicate this tutorial if they chose to do so. You really don't need anything fancy!

This tutorial is best suitable for people

- with small eyelids
- clubbing or any fancy evening events


This is the finish look:



For this tutorial , this is everything that i used:

4 brushes - left to right
1. small shader brush ( u can use any larger shader brush, i just use this because the palette is small and i need a small brush)
2. crease blending brush
3. angled brow brush (perferrably it to be stiff & thick)
4. large blending brush ( to blend the harsh edges)



i used the shimmery pearl eyeshadow in the stick (above ^) & the champagne colour in this palette(below) on top of it as well as the black eyeshadow in this palette


okay, so let's get started

This is my naked eye, with some minor makeup residue remaining


Step 1


:Apply eye liner

Profile i use the pencil eyeliner and lined my eyes. For this part, you don't have to make it perfect. I also like to wing my liner at this point as well. I find that by doing this it helps me to create the perfect "smokey" eye shape later when i start blending in the crease. So i just take my pencil and line the end of my eye to the end of my eyebrows. This is the angle i want to "wing" my liner. Often times, when i don't do this, my eyes look droopy, because i tend to draw my liner too far out.







Step 2


:Wing your Liner

Profile I use liquid eyeliner to wing my liner, because it's quick(no need to sharpen pencil) precise & no need to tug on the eyes! Using the LIQUID eyeliner, i start right at the outer corner of the eye, and flick directly up in the angle that I've already determined earlier. You should have something like this.














Now you may have noticed a sharp and awkward bent in your eyeliner. So you just want to smooth it out, but filling in the corner. & you should get something like this. Optional : After you've done all that, just go over your entire eye again with the eyeliner & your eye should look something like this.

Profile Profile
















Step 3


:Finding your Crease

ProfileProfile
















First, to make it easier you want to raise your eyebrow as high as you can, then using the Angled Eyebrow Brush you will need to sort of poke it into the hallow areas above my eyes. (raising the eyebrows make the crease more visible) This is where your crease is. You just want to use that brush and sort of poke it around your eye so you get an idea of where your crease is. Once you've done that, pick up some black eyeshadow and lightly trace (by stroking) your crease using the same "poking method". I would say this is the hardest part. In the pictures, i exaggerated the poking to make my point. You don't want to poke it hard.

Step 4


:Trace your Crease
Profile Trace your liner to approximately the middle of your eye. Do not connect the end of the line to your eyeliner. The eyeliner that we have previous drawn in, guides how far i should trace/draw my crease. It should look something like this.















ProfileProfile


















Now, using the same angled brush you want to stroke the eyeshadow slightly above your eyeliner and line it to the "crease line" that you have just drawn. You should have something like this in the end.


ProfileProfile

















Now, you just want to hold the brush vertically and brush towards the right. This just blends out the black, and soften the "V" shape & it should look like this.


Step 5


: Blend out the Eyeshadow

ProfileProfile

Using the crease blending brush now, you want to brush the black eyeshadow towards the inner corner of the eye & just slightly blend out the eyeshadow so the edges aren't so harsh. Smooth anything that you think is necessary. Do this in windshield swiping motion

Profile This is how it may look in the end















Step 6


: Applying White Shadow

Profile Now that you have everything basically "traced" out for you, you can easily apply the white eyeshadow. i apply it to the lid, and then the inner corner, and lower lash line. I used a shimmery pearl eyeshadow in a stick form with the champagne eyeshadow(from the palette) on top. You can use any colour. Shimmery eyeshadows compliment matte black eyeshadow very well. It gives you this extra "pop".













Step 7


: Darken and Perfect the crease

Profile Go back in with the crease blending brush and darken the crease (with many layers of black eyeshadows! LOL) to your desire. All the previous blending has probably washed it away.













Step 8


: Blend out harsh edges

Profile If necessary, just use a big blending brush and brush the edges to smooth out the harsh edges


Just re-apply your eyeliner, (water line) apply false lashes and your done!












FINISH



Profile (without false lashes) False Lashes MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!














With False Lashes:







I hope this helped! I find it sooo much easier using the angled brow brush then using a crease brush only. Its much easier for me. Use any colour your like. Good luck and have fun~


P.S. i'm so surprised how many followers i've gained. I'd like to say Hello to all of you and thanks for following! Don't be shy to leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you guys!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Currently Blush Obsessed

Perhaps it's the weather, but lately, im always reaching for my blushes when i do my makeup. So in this post, i've decided to do a COTD - CHEEK of the Day-LOL(yes i just made that up) with my favourite blushes at the moment. I've posted about them before when i first got them, but i've only swatch it.

first off...

Nars Deep Throat - beautiful baby pink that can never be overdone. This must be the most beautiful pink blush i've ever seen. I love using this when i like to have a settle glow. The finish is sheen, which really gives you the glowly look. It's also very sheer, and needs to be packed on if you want it to pop. I had difficulty photographing this, even after packing it on.





Mac Hipness - i use this when i want my cheeks to be a bit more noticeable. You only need one layer of this. I find that if you pack it on, it looks a little too red. This colour is beautiful. The flash washed it out a bit, but in life it's a bit more reddish



they look basically identical in the photograph, but in reality, Hipness is more reddish/corally/bold, and Deep Throat is a sheer pink. Deep Throat is very natural.

Who else is obsessed with blushes?? Is there one that you absolutely LOVE? I've love to hear any suggestions, because i actually don't have too many blushes

Sunday, June 20, 2010

How To: Achieve Flawless Looking Skin in minutes

Hi all!

For the past few days, i've been thinking of doing this tutorial, but i've never gotten around to doing it, because i don't have the time. Whenever i get around to doing my makeup, it's already late evening, so i don't bother taking pictures because the lighting would just be terrible.

Today, while catching up with all my house chorse and what not, i decided to do this tutorial on how i try to achieve that flawless look. I know it's even more important especially in the summer!

Anywas, this tutorial is best suitable for:

-normal to combination skintype
-those with minor skin problem
-the summer season
-meant to be quick, simple, using minimal amount of products


First off, these are the face products i've used
-Laneige Balancing Emsulsion 2_EX moisuturizer (light lotion texture)
-Elizabeth Arden Intervene SPF15 Foundation in Soft Cameo
-MakeupForever HD Primer
-A double sided foundation/concealer brush i got from Winners
-Tarte Bare Concealer in 04



Step 1

: You want to moisturize (after cleansing). Wait until the skin is completely dry. I suggest using a light lotion or a moisturizer that won't make your skin shine in the summer/hot season.

Step 2

: Mix Foundation + Primer

This is what i often do. You can chose to do it in two different step, but i love combining primer and foundation. It's great if you find your foundation to be a tad heavy/thick/drying, because a primer will thin out the consistency, giving you a more sheer application. Its great if you don't need a lot of coverage & it saves time. I like to mix half the amount of foundation for primer. You can figure out how much primer you'd like to mix in, just remember, the more you add, the more sheer your foundation will turn out.

You can mix it with your foundation brush directly on your hand like such:


Step 3

: Apply the foundation onto your face

in the photo i've already done the step, & forgot to take a picture of it
Profile I like to stroke the foundation in the directions specified on the left (using the bigger brush side) The strokes in pink are the commonly missed areas. It's also areas that are slightly discoloured. If you have dark eye circles, you want to make sure to get into that corner, as that is where shadow is often casted. I like to go lightly around the eye area as well, because my skin is slightly lighter there, and you can sometimes see my vains for some reason. Also the area where i pluck my eyebrows are also much lighter then my face. You just want to even out your skin tone.

Note You can always use the Stipping brush (Mac 189) for a flawless application & skip step #5, however i find the stipping brush time consuming to wash all the time, so i don't use it as often. Either way, the application looks great both way. I like to use this brush, because it's fast.







Step 4

Concealing Imperfection

Profile Next, i like to conceal any imperfection that the foundation could not completely cover with the other side of the foundation brush(small brush side). If your foundation gives you the coverage you desire then you can skip this step. For me, i like to conceal my under eye circles, areas where my skin is slightly more red/darker & any blemishes that are still visible

The lines in pink are where i stroke my foundation and the strokes in yellow is the direction i blend in. I like to blend it in a LIGHT stroking motion and then patt it down.

Optional If your concealer is too light or too dark compared to your foundation, you can chose to PAT on a bit more foundation on those areas, to even out your skin tone.








Step 5

Pat the Foundation down

Profile You may already be aware of this, but when you use this foundation brush to blend out the foundation, you may see some stroke lines. However, because i mixed primer with foundation earlier, my coverage is pretty sheer, so i don't see any streaks, but for people who do - What i like to do is using that same foundation brush ( the big side) and just pat it down. However this is my lazy way out. You are more then welcome to use a powder puff or one of these things. I have no clue what they are called.



If you have oily skin, then you can also set the foundation with powder. Personally, i don't like powders as it tends to make my face look cakey and overdone. I like the dewy finish that liquid foundation leaves so i tend to stop at this point.

Finish!

this is a photo after i fill in my brows


Now you can finish off with your regular makeup routine. If you are going to put on eyeshadow, i suggest doing that first, then going through with foundation, because the fallout will just smudge your flawless canvas. However, for the summer, i like to keep it simple.

Here are the makeup products i've used. This is a great everyday look.

Mac 109 brush
Mac Petticoat Mineralize skinfinish
Quo Angled Brush (to smudge out eyeliner)
Maybelline Unstoppable Liner
Gosh Eyeshadow - Love that Beige
Mac Brow Pencil in Taupe
NYX Roundlipstick in Tea Rose


Note Not pictured - Maybelline Define a Lash, & Drugstore eyelash curler




& this is the finish Look





Usually, i use a blush, but i recently purchased the Petticoat Mineralizer, so i used it in this tutorial. It will be repromoted in the next Mac collection - & i really recommend it. Swatches for it will follow another time ;)

Anywas, this is the way i often do my make up, & this is what works for me at the moment. There are tons of ways you can go about doing it, so alternate what works best for your skin. I hope my first tutorial was of some help. If you guys have any advice or suggestions, feel free to leave me a comment, i'd love to hear from ya'll. Take care & thanks for reading

P.S . DO YOU LOVE MAC's MINERALIZE SKIN FINISHES?

xbbkay's Giveaway Countdown pt.4

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED



New items added: NYX Ultra Pearl Pigments & Nail polish



This giveaway includes:

-6 NYX Ultra Pearl Pigments in : Yellow Pearl, Grass Pearl, Very Pink Pearl, True Purple Pearl, Jade Pearl, Orange Zest Pearl
-NYX nail polish
-1 Pure Cosmetics 5 Colours Palette Eyeshadow in True Colours
-1 Pure Cosmetics Blush in Luxury
1 Dior Hydra Action Sample
1 Garnier Skin Naturals Moisturizer Sample
4 My Beauty Diary Sheet Mask in: 1 Cherry Bloosom Mask, 1 Red Wine Mask ,2 Black Pearl Mask
1 Beauty Rush - Appletini Body Double Mist by Victoria Secrets
1 Rose Body Lotion
1 set of Stila Lip Envy: Silk Shimmer Gloss

HOW TO ENTER

i know this is the long and boring part, but please read it.

The rules are simple:
1. Must be a Follower
2. Must be 18+ yrs old or receive consent from your guardian to enter
1. It is open internationally
3. If you win, you must reply to my email notification within 48 hours.

For ONE BASIC Entry :THIS IS an ENTRY TO WIN THE WHOLE ENTIRE GIVEAWAY, NOT JUST THE ITEM REVEALED! SO AS I REVEAL MORE ITEMS, PLEASE DO NOT FILL THIS OUT IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY DONE SO.
1. Leave a comment stating " Please enter me! I wish to be treated like a princess"
2. Leave your email address
3. Answer "What do you enjoy reading about the most on blogs?"

FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES
1. Post a link with the Photo of the giveaway on the sidebar of your blog (+1)
2. Make a Blog POST about this giveaway with Link and Photo (+1)
3. AUTOMATICALLY Eligible, if you have left a comment on my blog before May 20th(+1)

FOR HIGH ACHIEVERS
1. Since i will be revealing a product every few days, you can also mention the new additional items in new blog posts. Effective only if you've already blog about this giveaway once (+2)

so if i end up posting 7 sets of items, and you mention with (Link + Photo) all the 7 sets of items in your new blog post, you can get up to 14 entries. Each posting must be made after each set of item is revealed, and before a new one item is revealed. You can not compile this, or wait until the very end. Please message me if you are unsure :)

For Those Whom have ALREADY ENTERED



- You can blog about the updated set of items (please read For High Achiever Sect. (+2)
- You can add a photo and link to the giveaway on the sidebar if you haven't done so already (+1)
- You are not required to update the photo on your sidebar. You may if you wish

Please use this form as it would make my life a lot easier later :)

-------------Entry FORM------------


" Please enter me! I wish to be treated like a princess!" (yes i did change this)
Email:
What do you enjoy reading about the most on blogs?: (yes, i changed this too)

(+1) Basic Entry
(+1) Lovely Commenter (Comment on my blog post before May20th)
Link: (please link the post that you've commented
(+1) Side Bar Link
Link: (please provide me with a link to your blog)
(+1) Blog Post
Link: (please provide me with a link to your blog)
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Link: (please provide me with a link to your blog)

TOTAL ENTRY: please total your entries


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Note: I will check everything

Winner will be chosen at random

once again, PLEASE ENTER TO THIS POST

Thank you!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, June 18, 2010

Photoshoot Behind the Scenes & Photoshop

Hi all!

A few days ago, i joined my friend in a fun photo shoot. She found a photographer through facebook and was interested in her work so she decided to book an appointment to take a few professional photographs. She called me to ask if i'd like to join her in a few shots, and have a "best friend" kind of photographs. I was excited, but a little nervous, because i never did anything like this before but in the end it was super fun.

She also did our make up, prior to the photoshoot. I've learned quite a few things, such as how flash photography/bright sunlight can really wash out the colour and reveal all your flawness, if you don't pack on the makeup! So i probbaly had like 6 pounds of makeup on me. My eyebrows were drawn in super dark as well. It looked like i had two burnt sauages on my forehead. LOL, but it turned out rather nice in photographs. It took us probably 4 hours to finish makeup and the photo shoot.

This is how my makeup looked that day


The picture looked a bit different from my usuals right? With all the professional photography i've seen, i was inspired to Photoshop once again. I've always loved photoshop and i've done tons of graphics on it for many years, but i've stopped for the longest time. However, i've never done anything like editing photographs professionally. I was so intrigued, i did a little research and tried it for myself. I'm offically a little obsessed with it <3 LOL. So i thought i'd share with you all, what i've learned.

But before i do that, i'd like to show you some unedited photos at the park





& now onto my photoshopping skills...ha ha ha..

prior to this day my bff and i went shopping. I got this dress at Marisa for $20.00 CAD. I thought it's super cute...i almost can't recognize myself in these photos..I guess it's mainly due to my eye makeup


These photos were taken by my bf, while we were walking around the park & photoshopped by yours truly. The actual professional photograhs taken that day, will be posted another time, as were still waiting for the photographer to finish editing it.

In these photos, i mainly played with the colour, lighting and contrast. In all of them, i blur the background to ensure more attention is on the foreground. I've also added the lighting flare to the photographs.

My bf likes to catch me off guard.


& lastly....<3 for my readers


thanks for reading! i'll be sure to share the photos from the photoshoot when i get them! <3 Take care!