Vampy Lipstick, Day to Night

I can't get enough of deep red and berry lipsticks this Autumn, and it is definitely the perfect season for it. Though I am not too shy to rock a vampy shade during the day, even I have to admit that it can sometimes be a bit overpowering. Taking a vampy lipstick from day to night is easy, and makes me feel like I am doubling my makeup collection by creating different looks with just one product.

You can do this with most any red, dark wine, plum, or berry lipstick of your choice. Here, I am using MAC Musky Amethyst (Semi-Precious collection), but I also love to do this with Revlon Black Cherry. 

Day

A dark, vampy shade can easily be transformed into a subtle, sheer lip stain. I do this by first coating my lips with a light layer of moisturizing lip balm and then dabbing on a bit of the lipstick on my pout straight from the tube. Using my finger, I blend out the lipstick and pat on more color until I achieve the shade I am looking for. Although I paired this with very natural makeup below, you could certainly go darker on the eyes since the lips are not overwhelming.

 

 Night

MAC Musky Amethyst  looks completely different when applied opaquely. For this vampy night look, I applied the lipstick with a lip brush to achieve the greatest precision. I have only seen a few people who can actually pull of a dark eye and a statement at the same time, so I played it safe by allowing to focus to be on my lips and paired it with natural, slightly defined eye.

What are your favorite vampy shades this Fall?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in MAC , Tutorial

Falling Leaves Tutorial

 Here in the Midwest, Autumn is finally starting to settle in. My partner and I adore this season, and we have relished in watching the leaves change colors and fall to the ground. The color palette of fiery reds, burnt oranges, crisp yellows, complex greens, and deep browns that we find outside our windows is perfect to pull into our makeup routines. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to recreate this eye look inspired by the falling leaves of Autumn. 

1) Apply primer and a base to your lids to ensure your shadows pop and last all day. I used UDPP and NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk.

2) Apply a yellow based gold shadow to the inner third of your lids and inner corners of your eye.I used UD's Half Baked from the Naked Palette.

3) Apply a burnt orange shade to the middle section of your lid, leaving the outer third free of shadow. I used Stila's eyeshadow in Ray. Using the side of your brush, gently blend the line where the gold and orange meet.

4) Apply a red shadow to the last outer third of your lid. I used UD's Gash. Using the edge of your brush,blend the line between the red and orange shadows. If you do not have a red shadow, a copper or deep brown would also look lovely!

5) With a clean fluffy blending brush, blend the hard line on the top of your lid. Be careful not the muddle the gradient of shades on your lids.

6) Using an angled eyeliner brush, apply a dark green shadow to your lower lash line. I used a gorgeous shimmery dark green from the Wet n Wild Comfort Zone palette (top pan in photo).

7) Blend a reddish brown shade into your crease. I used a really complex reddish-brown/green duochrome shade from the Wet n Wild Comfort Zone palette (bottom pan in the picture). This is a really unique shade- if you don't have anything like it, a deep brown or even the dark green we applied to our lower lash lines would work fine as well. If need be, touch up your lid with the gold, orange, and red shadows if you feel you have blended out some of the pigmentation.

8) Apply a brown eyeliner to your upper and lower lash line and tight line. I used UD's 24/7 Glide-On Pencil in Whiskey.

9) Curl those lashes and apply your favorite mascara. I used the e.l.f. essentials eyelash curler and Loreal Voluminous Millions of Lashes mascara.

10) Finish the look with a natural blush and a glossy nude lip. I opted for NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic and Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Soft Nude lined with NYX lip liner in Ever and topped with Buxom Big & Healthy Lipgloss in Sandy.

 Happy Autumn!

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Fierce Femme Face of the Day , Tutorial

How to Depot NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

 I know I am not alone when I say that I adore NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils. There is a lot to love, too: they are inexpensive, high quality, and come in a wide variety of colors. My favorite is Milk, a creamy white- it is absolute must-have in my makeup routine. They make superb bases that make shadows more vibrant and long lasting. Although they are only a couple of bucks a pop, I hated the idea of sharpening Milk and wasting product. Besides, I don't even have a sharpener large enough for it! So when I finally wore the tip down to the base and found myself digging product out of the pencil, I knew it was time to figure out how to depot (or rather, 'depencil') it. Here is how I transferred my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil into a small jar container!

  You will need:

 Your NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil

A small, sterilized jar container

Needle nosed pliers

A hair dryer

Step 1: Pop the cap off of the end of the pencil

 The plastic cap should just pop right off the end of the pencil. If not, you could use your pliers to pry it off.

Step 2: Grip the bottom of the pencil with your pliers

 Once the cap is removed, simply grip the side of the pencil by putting one tip of the pliers inside of the pencil and the other on the outside. Hold tightly.

Step 3: Position pencil tip over jar and apply heat with hair dryer

 Position the tip of the pencil over your small jar, and turn your hair dryer on the highest, hottest setting. Direct the hot air at the side of the pencil- by holding the pencil with your pliers you are protecting your hands from the heat. 

Step 4: Keep directing heat at the pencil as the product slowly melts

 It takes about three minutes or so for product to start to melt and slide out of the pencil. As the product liquifies and pours into your jar, take care not to splatter the hot liquid everywhere with your hair dryer. I found it necessary to flip the pencil around and apply heat to the tip that was originally gripped by the pliers to fully depot all of the product. Once all of the product is removed, you will be able to see straight through the empty wooden pencil:

Step 5: Let product cool back into a solid and screw on lid tight

 The liquid depotted eye pencil will return to a creamy solid after a few minutes. I noticed no difference between the product's consistency or performance after melting it and letting it cool.

Ta-da!  

Now you can use your pencil like you were before. You can use your finger or a brush to pick up and blend product.

There we go! No wasted product, no cumbersome pencil to sharpen! Enjoy!

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in NYX , Tutorial

How to Pack Your Makeup Collection for a Big Move

This past week has been a busy one for me. My partner and I moved states, and with it came all of the stress and hassle of moving: renting a U-haul, packing up all of our belongings, dealing with bills and forwarding addresses, saying goodbye to friends, and starting life anew in an unfamiliar place. But amidst all of the details, what was one of my biggest worries? Getting my beloved makeup collection to my new home safely, of course!

We have all have too much money and emotional attachment invested in our makeup collections, no matter how small or large they may be, so just haphazardly throwing our treasures into a box will absolutely not cut it. I am happy to report that all of my goodies made it to my new apartment without a dent, scratch, crack, or crumble! Here are my tips on how to pack up your collection and get it U-haul ready without worrying about items getting broken or misplaced in the process!

Start packing ahead of time

The surest way to lose something or do a poor packing job is starting at the last minute. Pack up your collection a few days before you move. I know it is difficult to pack your goodies away, but starting a few days before you move will enable your to thoughtfully and carefully pack your collection.

Sort out your daily essentials

Before you start packing, pick out what you will need for the next few days until you are able to unpack at your new place. Keep out only your most reached for and versatile products, and try to keep it simple. I kept out my UD Naked palette, some brushes and brush cleaner, my everyday face routine, and pared it down to one bronzer, one blush, one mascara, one eyeliner, one gloss, and 3 lipsticks.This lot lasted me around 5 days.

Select a sturdy container

Pick a box or container that can handle a little rough-handling. A soft cloth duffel bag is not going to offer the protection you need. I opted for a large thick plastic drawer that I taped shut with packing tape, though a cardboard box or hard case suitcase would work fine. I dropped this baby full of my makeup in the driveway while carrying out to the moving truck, and nothing broke- I am so glad I opted for a tough container!

Keep your collection organized

To make unpacking easier, keep your collection as organized as possible. I emptied out all of my makeup drawers before I started packing and made sure everything was organized. Pack like with like to make sure you don't misplace items. 

Avoid newspaper!

You know how when you handle newspaper your fingers are left ink stained? We definitely do not want that to happen to our precious makeup packaging! In this case, small boxes, tissue paper, and bubble wrap are your friends. I found my old Birchboxes to be really handy in keeping my collection organized and protected.

Bubble wrap your most treasured and breakable products

While I didn't wrap up all of my items individually, my most precious, expensive, and fragile products were given first class seats for my move! I bubble wrapped each piece individually before tucking them away into their respective containers.

Put liquid products in plastic bags

Before you pack up liquid products, be sure to store them in a zip-lock bag to protect against leaks. If the liquid product is in a glass container, be sure to wrap it in tissue paper or bubble wrap before your put it in the plastic bag.

Wash and protect brushes

Don't pack away dirty brushes! You will only be unwrapping a chore once you get into your new home. If you don't have a brush roll, you will need another way to protect your brushes. I placed mine in a plastic bag and then tucked them away into a bubble wrap envelope.

Seal your container up tight

Fill in any extra space in your container with scarves, tissue paper, or bubble wrap to ensure items do not slide around during transport. After everything is well insulated, seal your container up tight with packing tape!

If you have any tips of your own, post them in the comments! 

Have a safe move!

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Tutorial

Faith Inspired Tutorial ft. UD Naked Palette (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Faith, the wayward slayer on the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, often serves as main character Buffy's foil on the show. It should come as no surprise then that her signature look couldn't be more different than Buffy's. While Buffy's makeup (see a tutorial here) is dewy and natural, Faith brings the drama and darkness in a big way. Faith rocks what is largely considered a huge makeup no-no by pairing a smokey, dramatic eye with a bold lip, but she and her seductive and volatile personality absolutely pull it off. If your feel mischievous, dangerous, and sassy, give this look a go.

Eliza Dushku as Faith on BtVS

How to get the look:
1) Prime your face with your favorite face primer. This will ensure that your makeup lasts a full day of slaying, breaking the law, and seducing young men. I used Monistat Chafing Relief Powder-Gel (I know, it sounds crazy- but it works! and its cheap!) with e.l.f.'s Studio Foundation Brush.

2) Apply your foundation, preferably one with a matte finish. Unlike Buffy, who has a lit-from-within glow, there is nothing dewy or shimmery about Faith. I used Revlon ColorStay in Medium Beige, and applied it with a Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Flat Top Miltipurpose brush.

3) Faith's criminal record may be blemished, but her skin is not! Conceal your dark circles, redness, and blemishes. I used Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer with a Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge.

4) Set your makeup and eliminate shininess with a pressed powder. I used Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Press Powder in Buff with a Sonia Kashuk Powder Brush.

5) Faith is not overly bronzed, but she does have slightly chiseled cheeks. Apply bronzer to the hollow of the cheeks to contour. I used the bronzer in the Sephora Sculpting Disk with the e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush.

6) Not one for a girly pink cheek, opt for a more neutral blush for Faith's look. Tate Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Exposed is perfect for this. I applied it with the e.l.f. Studio Blush Brush.

7) Faith is unruly, but we don't want your brows to be. Comb, fill in, and set your brows. I used e.l.f.'s essentials Brow Comb & Brush, Maybelline Define-a-Brow Pencil in Light Blonde, and CoverGirl Professional Natural Lash Mascara.

8) Prime your eyelids. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion.

9) Apply a bit of dark base to your lids- this will give our eyeshadow a sticky base and also contribute to our smokey eye. I patted a bit of NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean to my lids with my finger.

10) Apply a matte light brown all over the lid and slightly above the crease. Over the dark base, we already have a slightly smokey eye. I applied Naked from the Urban Decay Naked Palette with the e.l.f. Eyeshadow "C" Brush.

11) Faith's concentrates dark shadow close to the upper lash line without smoking out the crease too much. Apply a black or dark charcoal shadow, like Creep from UDNP, with a small brush to the upper lash line and to the outer v.

12) Blend out Creep in the outer v (don't touch the lash line!) with a crease brush loaded with Buck, a medium matte brown shadow. Blend and define the crease all the way into the inner corner, taking care not to darken the whole lid.

13) Highlight the brownbone with a matte creme shadow, and blend out any hard lines above the crease. I used one from the Physicains Formula Canyon Classic quad with an e.l.f. essentials Blending Eye Brush.

14) Apply black liner close to the upper lashline, all the way to the inner corner. Also line the outer third of your lower lash line. I used Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Zero.

15) Smudge out and set the liner on the lower lash line only. I applied Creep first with a small pencil brush, smoking out the liner to the inner corner. Using the same brush, I applied Gunmetal, a shimmery steel shadow to the lower lash line. Then using a small blending brush, I blended out the lower lash line to eliminate all harsh lines.

 16) Curl your lashes (I used the e.l.f. essentials lash curler) and apply mascara to the upper and lower lashes (I used Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black).

17) Lastly, apply a dark red lipstick. Steer clear of true red, pin-up girl shades, and opt for a deeper, vampy shade. This is e.l.f. Mineral Lipstick in Cheerful Cherry.

Now your'e five by five.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Naked Palette , Power Femmes , Tutorial , Urban Decay