Ringing in the New Year With Warm Browns and a Splash of Blue on the Waterline

First, hello and welcome to 2020, my friend! ? Hope you’re having a happy new year so far!

Second, I know there must be a scientifically explainable reason why warm orange browns look sooooo good with blues (is it because orange and blue are on opposite sides of the color wheel?), and my left brain knows this, yet when I see the two colors happening on my face, my right brain steps in and is like, GIRL, YES. My heart begins to flutter, and I get that tingly crazy makeup lady feeling in my toes! It’s one of those electric color combinations I love to wear.

I wore the combo yesterday to work at the bakery, where, speaking of color, I made the most beautiful blush pink buttercream frosting. Check it…

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Made the most beautiful blush-colored buttercream frosting at the bakery today! I would love this as an opaque pastel nail polish. ?? ? Also, watching the frosting get fluffier is the most satisfying thing.?

A post shared by Karen | Makeup and Beauty Blog (@karenmbb) on Dec 30, 2019 at 9:19pm PST

I KNOW. I’m going to shop my nail polish stash for a similar opaque pale pink today.

But first, back to the warm browns and blue…

I knocked this out in about 10 minutes yesterday because, basically, it’s just a neutral look with a slice of color on the lower waterline.

If you’re wearing something like this and going about your business, most people won’t be able to tell that you’re wearing blue liner, but ya know, if I were to run into you at TJ’s and we’re chatting about the Mini Brie Bites, if you’ve got blue liner on like this, then I’m gonna be like, “BABES, whatcha got there? Tell me about this business on your waterline.”

This blue, by the way, is one of my MAC favorites. It’s called Take the Plunge, and it’s one of the Technakohls (which I love for the waterline because they don’t move), but (SAD PANDA) I just looked on the MAC website, and it appears to be missing in action. So, if you can’t find it, try something like Urban Decay Mainline, or really any of the dark blue/teal 24/7 Glide-Ons. Basically, if it’s a dark blue/teal, you’re good!

If you struggle to get bright colors to look bold on your waterline, you’re not alone. It’s common for blues like this to look muddy, especially if you wear liner on your upper lash line or upper waterline, because they can get mixed in with the blue and tone it down.

So here’s whatcha do…

1. Start by lining your upper waterline and lash line first. Here I’m wearing a dark brown called MAC Broque, which is also from the Technakohl liner family. Wait a minute or two (during which time you can work on other parts of your makeup), reapply another layer to seal the liner in, and then wait again for it to dry.
2. Next, clean up any liner that may have transferred to your lower lash line and waterline, and you want to do a good job with that so your blue won’t mix into it.
3. Now, completely remove any moisture from your waterline using a clean Q-tip or a cotton pad, and this is crucial! You want to remove as much moisture as possible from your lower waterline before applying your first layer of blue because it will help your liner stick better.
4. Line your lower waterline with your blue liner, let it dry, and then repeat until you reach your ideal blue intensity.

Now, that blue liner can look a little harsh sometimes if you wear it alone, so I like to blend it with a little of my crease color along the lower lash line to soften things out!

Key products worn in this look

EYES: Wander Beauty Wandress Off Duty Palette (Starfish on brow bone and inner corner, Shoreline on lids), MAC Texture (crease and lower lash line), MAC Broque liner (upper lash line and waterline), MAC Take the Plunge liner (lower waterline), Chanel Dimensions de Chanel liner

CHEEKS: Urban Decay Stay Naked Threesome in Naked

LIPS: MAC Subculture liner with a little touch of MAC Patent Paint Lip Lacquer in Magic Mirror

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen