Makeup Tips/How To

Under-Eye Concealer Brushes: A Few of My Faves

August 16th, 2012 by Karen 45 Comments

under eye concealer brushes 1
Brushes from the left: Laura Mercier Blending Brush, MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush, MAC 217 Blending Brush, Sonia Kashuk Crease brush

I kid you not, I just accidentally swiped a tube of MAC C-Thru Lipglass beneath my right eye because I thought it was my tube of MAC Select Moisturecover concealer, LOL! Yup…total concealer #fail. 🙂

Under-eye concealer has been on my mind, and under my eyes, a little more than usual lately because I haven’t been getting enough sleep (lots of late-night reading), so I’ve been carrying around some of my favorite concealers and concealer brushes wherever I go.

under eye concealer brushes 2
MAC Eyeshadow X 2 in Marche Aux Puces and MAC Fluidline in Dark Diversion on my eyes; MAC Powder Blush in Supercontinental on my cheeks (all are products from the new Styleseeker collection)
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Concealer Question: Do You Use the Same Shade to Cover Dark Circles and Blemishes?

August 14th, 2012 by Karen 29 Comments

concealer makeup tips

I’m all for streamlining my makeup bag and only carrying the products I know I’ll need (although I do like to have options when it comes to things like lipgloss), and I’ll never turn my back on a great multitasking product, like MAC Bare Study Paint Pot, which can work as a base or a standalone shadow, but when it comes to concealers? — I generally like to keep my bag stocked with two different shades, one a few shades lighter than my natural skin tone for concealing dark circles and for brightening my under-eye area, and a second shade that more closely matches my skin tone for covering up blemishes, small scars and discolorations on my face.

A lesson learned the hard way…

Back when I first started wearing concealer, I was all about keeping a streamlined makeup bag, so whenever I left the house, I’d bring just a single light concealer shade, which I used under my eyes, and wherever else I felt I needed to on my face.

Little did I know at the time, but the light shade I was using, which was a little lighter than parts of my cheeks, chin and forehead, was actually drawing more attention to my trouble spots, like a makeup spotlight.

Oh, noes!

A few department store concealers to try

Nowadays, I usually bring 2-3 concealer shades with me (usually two, but sometimes three). For my under-eye area, I’m back to using an old love of mine, MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer ($18).

That area up there under my eyes gets really dry, but Moisturecover couldn’t care less. It handles my dry under-eye area better than anything else. The medium-coverage formula also looks natural and doesn’t settle into my fine lines (yea!). The only downside, and it’s not a deal-breaker for me, is that I do have to reapply it after about eight hours of wear.

concealer makeup tips

Most of the time I wear it in shade NW25, even though I’m color matched to NC42, because I think the peachy tones better counteract the purple tones under my eyes (especially when I’m dog tired, like today).

Ladies and gents with hyperactive sebaceous glands (read: oily skin) might want to try MAC Select Cover-Up ($18), MAC’s version for oily skin, or MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ($18).

Speaking of Pro Longwear Concealer, I think it’s really great for my face in general. Being super concentrated, a little goes a long way, and it’s awfully stubborn, in a good way. In other words, it doesn’t budge. 🙂
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A Fall Trend to Try: Matching Tips and Lips

August 14th, 2012 by Karen 51 Comments

Butter London Toff
Butter London Lippy and Nail Polish in Toff on my lips and nails

Looks like matchy-matchy is in this fall. Quite a few lines have been releasing matching lip and nail products lately, like MAC, Sonia Kashuk and Butter London for fall 2012 (shown below), and can I just say? — I love this trend! 🙂

It reminds me of the sirens of the silver screen — so classic, elegant and pulled together — and with so many colors out there to choose from, it’s one of those rare trends in which everyone can find something to wear.

As some food for thought, here are three combinations featuring Butter London’s new Lippy Butter ($17 each) and 3-Free Lacquer ($14 each) shades, available online now at butterlondon.com.

butter london toff la moss queen vic
From the left: Lacquer and Lippy Butters in Toff, La Moss and Queen Vic

If you prefer more neutral/natural-looking colors, you could try a creamy rose like Toff.

Butter London Toff…I use hands a lot when I talk, so I think it’s kinda cool to have nails that play off the the color on my lips!

But if you want more drama-for-your-mama, then how about something vampy, like dark wine La Moss?

butter london la moss
Butter London Lippy and Nail Polish La Moss
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Easy on the Eyes: A Wearable, Easy Eyeshadow Look With Purple and Brown

August 13th, 2012 by Karen 62 Comments

easy on the eyes purple eye makeup tutorial

As Usher so famously said, “These are my confessions.” 🙂

I have three of them today…

1. I’ve been bopping in my chair all afternoon to this song by Canadian singer, Lights

So catchy!

2. My obsession with Jeremy Renner just reached critical mass…

…and it’s all because of Jeremy Renner’s Arms.

I found out today that his (J-Ren’s) family is from Modesto, which is only about 100 miles East of here.

I’m tempted to drive out there next weekend and walk around downtown yelling, “JER-eh-MEEEEEEEE! I LUUURVE YOU!”

3. I used to be utterly dumbfounded by purple eyeshadow

I just couldn’t figure out what to do with it (this was back when I mostly wore browns and beige), and whenever I tried to wear it, blech! — I looked like the loser in a barroom brawl.

But I’ve never given up on purple, because I like it too much to throw in the towel.

In fact, just this last weekend I gave it another try, setting my sights on something easy and wearable (been burned too many times before), and this is what I came up with…

purple eye makeup tutorial side view

Fun! 🙂 I kinda like the way it turned out.

I’m wearing a brown matte shadow over a shimmery golden beige base with a flash of purple on the lids. I think the thin line of black liner along the upper lash line gives the look some extra depth and makes my lashes look a little thicker, while the shimmer in the inner corners opens up the eyes.

Why purple?

Well, why not? Purple shadows can really do a lot for your eye color. I think they can be super pretty with brown, hazel, green, blue and gray eyes.

I know they can be a little scary, especially if you usually stick to neutral shades, but fear not! This look here is actually pretty wearable. When the eyes are open, you mostly see the brown, but when you blink, there’s a pretty flash of purple.

Could be a good look for a casual (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Friday.

Plus, it’s not that time consuming or difficult. No heavy duty blending, and the whole eye should take between 10-15 minutes.

First things first

Let’s pull together our ingredients for this little recipe (I’ve been watching a lot of cooking shows lately)…

Here I’m using a few different products from Urban Decay, MAC, Bobbi Brown and Dolce & Gabbana, but nothing here is irreplaceable. Please mix and match with any brands you have on hand or swap out colors that you feel better suit you.

purple eye makeup tuturial products
Clockwise from the purple pan on the left: Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Flash, MAC Eyeshadow in Vex, MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study, MAC Eyeshadow in Soft Brown, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencil in Jet, MAC 219 Pencil Brush, MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush, MAC 217 Blending Brush, Dolce & Gabbana Blending Brush, MAC 266 Small Angle Brush

Starting with your shimmery golden beige shadow (or similar shade)…

Sometimes my lids are like a Chevron refinery (read: oily). When they are, I start by priming them. In this look, after priming, push a shimmery golden beige cream shadow like MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study on your lids and into the crease with a finger, and use your fingers to blend out the edges.

purple eye makeup tutorial 1
That’s RGB Nail Polish in Minty on my nails
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Brow Shaping Basics: How to Find Where Your Brows Start and Stop

August 10th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

eyebrow makeup tips 4

It took about two seconds today for my afternoon photo shoot to devolve into this…

eyebrow makeup tips 2

And then this…

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LOL! Yeah (I’ll spare you the other 12).

Despite all appearances, these pics do more than merely document the fact that I’m way too easily amused. They also help us segue into talking about brows. 🙂

BROWS!

They’ve been on my mind more than usual lately… First, because they’re all over the promotional pics for this year’s fall makeup campaigns, and second, because of super-spy/former makeup artist Jeremy Renner.

Yes, the new Jason Bourne (or at least, another member of the Treadstone Project).

“Brows, lashes, lips.” Jeremy advises. “Frame the face.”

Also, my friend Cindy asked me a brow-related question while we prepped homemade pasta last Saturday night.

“Where should my brows start, and where should they stop?”

Great question, Chef Cindy! It’s something I think about every day as I’m filling in my brows.

Finding your brow start point

The easiest trick I know of is to take a makeup brush (or a pen/pencil if you don’t have a brush nearby; just be careful not to poke your eye out!), look directly into a mirror, and hold the brush vertically, straight up and down, and parallel with the length of your nose, resting it in the nook where your nostril begins.

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TGIF and Two Tips to Get a Flawless Foundation Look

August 3rd, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

Where’s Elliott, and can I get some Reese’s Pieces??

Um…I only just realized it, but in that picture up there, don’t I look like I’m trying to phone home with my foundation brush?

E.T. phone home! E.T. phone home! 🙂

All part of the process of getting close to that fetching flawless foundation look I like so much.

Speaking of E.T., poor little guy couldn’t take advantage of one of my favorite foundation tips for even skin tone — running a foundation brush over my ears (because he didn’t have much in the ear department).

It can really help if, say, your ears are a little sunburned or tan, like if you’ve been wearing your hair up and exposing your ears. Dusting them with a small amount of foundation can even things out a little more (just remember to remove your makeup from your ears at the end of the day).
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A Foundation Makeup Tutorial With NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer and Hourglass Oxygen Foundation Powder

August 2nd, 2012 by Karen 55 Comments

how to apply foundation tutorial 0

Sir, Mr. Tabs? I think I have an answer for the riddle you gave me.

“Meow?”

Yes, well, it’s obvious, really. I mean, not at first, but I’ve given it some thought, and well…What do good houses and faces have in common?

“Mrrrow?”

It’s foundation, sir. Houses and faces should start with a good foundation.

“Meow! Meow!”

Thank you, sir. It was a good riddle. You’re a very clever cat.

Yup, today we’re talking faces! — namely face makeup, like the combination I’ve been lovely lately, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer and Hourglass Oxygen Foundation Powder.

Together, they deliver medium-to-full coverage in a lightweight blend that looks like real skin, and so far, knock on wood, it hasn’t given me breakouts.

In this tutorial, I’ll describe how I apply ’em for pictures, and/or whenever I have a good chunk of time to get ready.

Just a quick reminder, though — this is just one of many ways to apply foundation, and that includes techniques and brushes. As always, it’s all about what works for you. 🙂

Before we get started, let’s gather the products we’ll need…

how to apply foundation tutorial products
From the left: Hourglass Oxyen Foundation Powder in No. 4, Tarte Foundation Brush, Hourglass No. 2 Foundation/Blush Brush, Laura Mercier Finishing Brush, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz and Cuba

how to apply foundation tutorial swatches
Swatches from the left: NARS St. Moritz, NARS Cuba and Hourglass Oxygen Foundation Powder No. 4

And because there’s nothing else you really can do but smile when posting bare-faced pictures of yourself on the Internet…

how to apply foundation tutorial 0a

Yep, that’s me without makeup. 🙂 Not a drop!

As you can see, I have a few dark spots around my chin and mouth left over from a gnarly breakout last spring and some darkening beneath my eyes… Hopefully, after we’re done here, most of it will be covered.
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Easy on the Eyes: Flaunt Your Inner Feline With This Soft and Simple Cat Eye

July 31st, 2012 by Karen 42 Comments

cat eye makeup tutorial 1

Even if you feel like your previous attempts at eye makeup left you looking like a horror movie zombie clown (been there, done that!), trust me, babe, you can do today’s easy cat eye makeup look.

Because it relies on forgiving neutrals, as opposed to saturated brights, and doesn’t require extensive blending or complex brushwork, it’s a great confidence builder. Perfect for when you want a quick, elegant eye look easy to dress up or down.

Before we get started, let’s go over the products we’ll use…

cat eye makeup tutorial 2
From the left: MAC 217 Blending Brush, MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush, MAC 266 Small Angle Brush, Dior 3-Couleurs Glow Palette in 651 Nude Glow

Like last time, these are only suggestions, so feel free to substitute any similar colors you already have. As you browse through your collection, look for 1) a neutral (beige, brown, peach, taupe, gray, etc.) powder eyeshadow, ideally one within a few shades of your natural skin tone; 2) a complementing glittery shadow; and 3) a black, brown or gray shadow for the cat eye itself.

(Note: For this cat eye look, I find that soft powder shadows are easier to work with than eyeliners. The shadows don’t look as intense as liners, and you don’t have to worry as much about buffing out the edges.)

I’ll be using the new Dior 3-Couleurs Glow Palette in 651 Nude Glow because it has a good selection of shades for this particular look, but you could also use shadows like NARS Cyprus, MAC Soba, MAC Patina, or MAC Arena as your main neutral; NARS Night Star for your shimmer/glitter shadow and something like MAC Carbon for your darker shadow shade.

Okay, here we go! Let’s get started. 🙂

First — and this is really only the first step if you have oily eyelids — starting with a primer can really help extend the wear time of your shadows. If it’s not a problem for you, you can skip ahead.

Now, using a flat eye shader brush like the MAC 239, pat your main neutral shadow, which for me is the darker golden brown shimmery shade in the upper left of the Dior palette, on your lids starting at the lash line and slowly working up into the crease.

cat eye makeup tutorial 3

Try to concentrate more of the color near the lash line than the crease, as this creates the gradient/transition effect, and also gives the eye more depth, and the overall look more polish.

While you’re still holding the same brush, take the leftover product, and run it along your lower lash line.

cat eye makeup tutorial 4

Then, grab a domed blending brush like the MAC 217, and gently buff the edges, further diffusing the color, by running the brush along your brow bone…

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