MAKEUP YOUR EYE COLOUR.

I've been promising you guys for a while, a post to show you what the best eye makeup colours are for the major eye colours.

All of these pictures are my eyes, which are naturally green (and untouched in the purple makeup pic), but for the purposes of the makeup looks, I've retouched the eye colour in the gold/blue eyes and green/brown eyes pictures.

For blue eyes, gold or bronze colours are best. You always want to look opposite on the colour wheel for the colours that will compliment your eye colour.

 For brown eyes, your best bet is green shades.

Depending on whether you have a warmer shade or a cooler shade of brown, you can push it into teal shades, or more yellowish shades.

Brown can also work well with golden tones, also depending on the individual tone of your eye colour.


Last of all, green eyes. For me, this is something I've had the opportunity to experiment with a lot, because my eyes are naturally green, with grey and blue tint, depending on my mood or what makeup I wear.

 I find that the best colours to make my eyes really pop are purple tones, or a classic black smoky eye, which would work with any eye colour.

I hope this post has been helpful for you guys. If you have questions, pop me a comment down below and I'll try to answer it for you.

MAKEUP: AN ACT OF BETRAYAL...?

Here's a little post, just to show the dramatic effect that makeup -can- have on a face. I'm often complimented on my lovely eyes, but it's almost always when I've dressed them up with a bit of colour and pop.

So, here you can see the difference between my eyes au naturale, and with makeup, lots of eyeliner and mascara, and a very fine pair of false lashes.

I've also defined my brows in the makeup shots, which does a lot for framing the eyes and completing the look.

I'm able to mask the large scar I have on the outer corner of one eye with makeup, cover up any imperfections, lengthen my lashes and define the inner rims of my eyes to make them look slightly smaller, yet wider-set (by using a very light colour in the inner corner.

The brow bone is highlighted in white, giving extra dimension to the area, and the crease of the eyelid is darkened to create artificial depth.

This post was inspired by an article I read, which claimed that makeup was deceitful, an act of betrayal.

What do you think?

MAKEUP SKILLZ: EYESHADOW BLENDING AND CONTOURING

I get asked all the time what my best tips for creating a great eyeshadow look are, and without a doubt, no matter what kind of look you're trying to create, blending and contouring the eye are your best tools. They take some practice to get right, but once you've worked it out, your eyeshadow looks will look more professional, and less like a 10 year old did your makeup (much like mine used to!).

First, let's talk about blending. The trick to blending properly is having the correct tool for the job. I use Real Techniques eye brushes. The shader brush is perfect for applying the colour, then their deluxe crease brush is perfect for all those blending jobs. I got mine at Walmart and they are really, really affordable.

You should start with a crease-free eyeshadow primer, like Urban Decay Primer Potion, or even a gorgeous cream eyeshadow like Maybelline Colour Tattoo. Just make sure whatever you use isn't going to crease up under your shadow. Primer will give you a smooth canvas, and will also provide a base for the colour to stick to.

Using a flat shader brush, be sure to pat the colour onto the lid, instead of sweeping it across the eyelid, to get the best colour payoff from your eyeshadow. We'll go into what kinds of colours to use where in the contouring section later.
The most important thing I can tell you about blending is to ALWAYS USE A CLEAN BRUSH TO BLEND WITH. I like to keep a makeup wipe on my counter top to clean my blending brush with as I go.
Blend in small, circular motions, taking care to work on top of your shadow, and not into it. Don't press down hard, as the eye area is very delicate, and also the crease/blending brush is designed for just the tips of the fibres to be used to gently blend the eyeshadow together.The finished look should be seamless, with no harsh lines of colour anywhere. The more you blend, the smoother the look, and depending how you want your makeup to end up looking will dictate how much time you need to spend on blending it out. You can always go back in with more colour to even out your look as you blend.

Eye contouring is a really great way to create gorgeous eyeshadow looks that really pop, and the basic eye contour has become a staple of makeup culture today.
We start with the lightest colour we're going to use, highlighting under the brow bone, to give depth to the eyes, and into the inner corner, to make the eyes look slightly larger and set wider apart (if you have large, wide-set eyes, this step will be one you'll like to skip). Next, the main colour you would like to feature in the look goes in  the middle of the eyelid. You can see a really great example of this in the purple look here. I also like to use this colour, or a slightly lighter tone, up into and above the crease, blending it into the brow highlight as a "transition" colour.

Last of all, for a simple look with eye contouring, use the darkest colour you're going to use, forming a triangular shape into the outer corner of the eye, and sweeping it up and into the crease, once again to add depth to the eyes and make them pop a little more.

Once you're done with the upper lid, depending on your look, you can also use an eyeliner brush (I prefer to use an angled push liner brush for more precise placement) to place some of your eyeshadow colour along the lower lashline. This is particularly nice if you're going for a nice smoked-out look.

Apply eyeliner and mascara as you wish, and your eyeshadow look is done!

A couple more tips now, to deal with fallout (powder falling from the brush as you use it, onto your cheeks).
If you're using really powdery shadows that do fallout a lot, start with your eye makeup, then do a cleanup with makeup wipes and apply the rest of your face. This isn't hard to do, and once you've tried it a couple of times, you'll find it easy.

Alternately, if we're just dealing with a tiny bit of fallout, use a large, soft brush to gently brush the powder away, being careful not to streak it all over your face. If you do happen to make a mess of it, you can always use makeup remover wipes to clean up and simply reapply makeup over the area.

Practice, practice, practice! It's only makeup! It washes off. If you mess it up you can try again. That's one of my best things about makeup, and why I love it so much. You can do anything you want to do, create anything you want to create, and at the end of the day, the canvas is clean to start again!

Mini Chi Chi haul and makeup look

Today I went to Gloss to "try out" my visa load and go travel card for when I go to Texas, and I had no idea what I was going to buy.....until I saw the big sign that said "50% OFF SELECTED CHI CHI PRODUCTS!!!!"

It was decided at that point that I would like to spend a little bit of money and pick up a few chi chi products. I have a couple of things from the brand, but haven't really tried out much of their stuff. Now I have a gorgeous green eyeliner in "Glamazon", a to-die-for pink matte creme lipstick in "Flirt", a shimmery awesome metallic eyeshadow crayon in "Barbarella", and my favourite item, an absolutely gorgeous eyeshadow quad in "Paparazzi Princess".

With the exception of the green eyeliner, I later decided that they would make a really gorgeous, understated makeup look, which I have created here for you. If you guys want to see a tutorial of this look, please let me know, and I'll make a video either while I'm away, or when I get back.

Let's have a closer look at the products I used in the makeup look:


Metallic eyeshadow crayon in "Barbarella".

This is a fantastic product either for an eyeshadow base, to highlight the inner corner, or even blended out as an under-brow highlight. It has a beautiful gold sheen, but isn't overpowering. It's an awesome team player for any makeup look.



Viva la Diva matte lipstick in "flirt"

This lipstick is my ideal. It's the perfect shade of pink, its creme finish is so comfortable and luxurious-feeling on the lips, and it has a matte finish to die for. I can really see this becoming my go-to lip product once Liptember is over. I loveloveLOVE the packaging. It's really beautifully designed, and the lipstick closes really solidly, the lid clicking into place and reassuring you that you won't find your awesome lippie smeared all over the inside of your handbag.

 Last of all, my very favourite of the haul, my new eyeshadow quad in "Paparazzi Princess". The colours are stunning, a perfectly put-together quad for me. I love the gold and pink shades, and they really suit my skintone. There's enough highlight and shadow here to create a really multi-dimensional look, but it's still simple enough for daytime wear. This is a really great all-purpose palette, and I see myself using it for daytime looks, night time looks, and special date makeup.

My look was completed using my normal foundation products and eyeliners/mascaras, but I did use the light pink eyeshadow from this quad as a blush and the lightest colour as a highlight. I think it really lends itself to the multi-purpose very well.

I'm definitely a new chi chi (prounced "she-she", with a french accent) devotee, and I even changed my Sephora budget for when I'm in the states to accommodate more chi chi purchases when I return. I have my eye on their mosaic blushes and their gorgeous foundations, which come in a really awesome range of shades.

Check them out at Myer, Target and Gloss!

REVIEW: Love Alpha mascara and eyeliner.

Recently, I was recommended a mascara by one of my lovely readers (Thank you, Alice!), and just had to try it out! When I was shopping for the mascara, I also picked up their gel eyeliner at the same time, and I tried them both out, with amazing results!

One eye done, one eye natural.

Love Alpha fibre coat mascara is a two-part system, with a transplanting gel (which is black, and could be used alone), and natural fibres, which brush on over the top and stick to the gel.
The one thing I will say about the fibres, is that you should definitely apply another coat of mascara or transplanting gel over the top to seal the fibres, as they can cause quite a messy fallout if you leave them unsealed.

The thick eyeliner is awesome, it's a gel, which is very creamy and goes on like a dream. It even comes with its own fold away brush.

For a more in depth review, watch the video below. Don't forget to rate and subscribe for more beauty secrets!

Review: Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara

It's rare that I get really excited about a mascara, because I've tried so many of them, and they basically all do the same (ish) thing.

When I discovered this new one from Rimmel London, it was on sale and came with a free waterproof eyeliner, and I'm not going to lie, that was the large part of the appeal for me.

But then I did some research, and I tried it out, and oh boy, this is really a great product to get excited about!

Not only does it have the latest trend of fibres in the formula to lengthen and thicken lashes, it also helps you grow your own natural lashes with a growth formula built into it!

In just over a week of casual use (3 or 4 wears), I have noticed a difference in the look of my natural lashes when I have no product on them, and when I am wearing it, it's a fantastic lifting, separating, lengthening and volumising mascara. I love it!

I got this on sale at Chemist Warehouse for about 8 bucks (with a free eyeliner), but you can find this little beauty at Priceline, Kmart, Target, Big W, Coles supermarkets & selected pharmacies nationally.
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Trend Alert: Pastel/Coloured smokey eye makeup.

I've been waiting for this trend to emerge since the smokey eye became really popular again, and it hasn't disappointed me.

Lately in the media, I'm seeing a whole heap of different coloured smokey eyes, and it seems to be pastel-colour bases that are making a really big statement.

The big secret when it comes to eye makeup, and the smokey eye in particular is proper blending. You need to make sure you always have a clean brush handy, preferably of the "fluffy" variety. (If you don't know what a fluffy blending brush looks like, refer below)

For this look, I used a sillver base from my Chanel palette, then a variety of different pastel blue and teal colours from my 120 pro palette, and last of all, "Rockstar" by Urban Decay (smoked palette) in my outer corner and crease to smoke it all out and deepen the look.

I used my Essence blue eyeliner on the bottom lid, and my Australis curve ink liner on my upper lid, then topped it all off with lashings of MAC Plushlash mascara.

What do you think of this new trend? Do you want to see me do a different colour (pink, or purple, perhaps)? Would you wear this look? Do you want to see a tutorial for this look?

MAC 224 blending brush

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Makeup look: ChiChi real minerals loose pigment quad

When I was in Target last week, i managed to pick up a ChiChi real minerals eyeshadow quad in these amazing greens, and I thought I would share the look with you guys.

Green is one of my favourite colours to use on my eyes, and I really love the depth that can be achieved by building and layering a look to suit a certain event or season. Green reminds me of springtime, so for the aussies among us who are heading into autumn and winter, it can be a bit of a pick-me-up, with the grey skies outside.

Below, I've swatched the colours on my arm. I basically just swatched them with my finger, onto my bare arm with no eyeshadow base underneath.
Using a base like Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Urban Decay Primer Potion will intensify the colours, prevent creasing and make them wear longer and stronger.

There are two colours that are more sheer, and two more vibrant ones with a better colour payoff. I used the lightest colour as a highlight up under the brow bone, then the second sheer colour all over the lid. I was going for a slightly more subtle look than you -could- go for with these colours, so i then just swept the darker green into the outer corner and up across the crease for a little added depth.

I used a green eyeliner crayon from essence along my top and bottom lashlines, and finished it all off with a good coat of MAC Plushlash.

I really love the colours in this quad, and I can definitely see using them often. The only drawback with these pigments is the packaging, which is quite messy and awkward to use. It means that you waste product every time you use it, and I don't like to waste things.

I'm thinking of maybe modifying the existing packaging, or perhaps I'll depot into more user-friendly containers so that I can use them without the mess and waste.

The texture of the mineral powders is lovely, and they build really nicely. I can't wait to try out some more looks with these shadows!


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Makeup look: A splash of colour for Autumn or Spring!

Today I decided to do a bit of a crazy addition to my usual nude-toned eye makeup.

In my March LHI box, I received 2 green skin crayons, and I have been hanging to do something with the bright lime one in particular.

I achieved this pop of colour by just simply lining my lower waterline and lashline with the bright green pencil, which goes on really creamy and lovely.

For my everyday nude look, I use my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, first using "Foxy" all over the lid, right up to the brow, then "Tease" in the middle of the eyelid and up over the crease as a transition colour. Blend in well with the highlight.

Next, I use "Verve" in my inner third, blending it back into the "tease" colour.

Last of all, "Busted" goes in the outer third and along the crease, then I blend everything together nicely.

Using Australis Curve Ink liquid eyeliner, I create a slight winged look, and top it all off with MAC Plush Lash mascara.

You can add a splash of any colour you like to make this a more seasonal or fancy themed makeup look.



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Katy Perry Peacock inspired eye makeup.

You guys know I've been working out a lot lately, and I've just figured out my technology enough to run my tracker app and my music on the phone at the same time! So I love nothing better than to pop in my headphones and pound the pavement to a selection of songs with a tempo >120bpm.

One such song (with a very cheeky, naughty lyrical line) is Katy Perry's "Peacock", and it's been in high rotation on my playlist because I particularly enjoy it.

How better to express my appreciation for Katy's hit song than to pay tribute to it with a makeup look?






 I started with Urban Decay Primer Potion in Greed, and a chunky eyeshadow crayon in a pearly pink colour and covered my lid entirely, leaving it a little thicker up under the brow for a highlight.

Then I went in with an emerald green with sparkles to the middle third of the lid, pushing the colour up and across above the brow bone to the outer corner of my eye.



My inner corner is a matte mint green colour, which I used in the inner corner, just under the eye in the inner third, and blended out between the highlight under my brow and the emerald green.

Last of all, a lovely sapphire blue colour swept across the outer V into the lid, up from the lashline to create a feathery look.

I used teal and blue pencil liners on my waterline, and black liquid liner (my trusty Australis curve ink liner) on the lid.

Last of all, a generous helping of mascara and Ibiza lashes from Hedkandi by Eylure, and I was all done!

What do you think? What events do you have coming up where this might be a good look?


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Review; Lancome Hypnose Star mascara

In the February Lust Have It box, I received a cute little sample of Lancome Hypnose Star mascara.I am quite the mascara connoisseur, so I was excited to try out a high end product like this and see if it lived up to the hype.

It totally does. In a few different ways!

First of all, it's a glossy, blacker-than-black colour. Just one coat of this makes my lashes pop and my eyes are defined absolutely.


Then there's the added benefit of not needing to tightline. I hate tightlining! It's uncomfortable, awkward, and risky, and the effect is not worth the hassle, to be honest. However, if you can get the same effect with no extra effort, it does make enough of a difference to bother with it.

The shape of the brush is what lets you get right in under the lashes to the upper waterline, and it coats the skin there right on the lashline as you pull the mascara through your lashes.

It lengthens and separates the lashes beautifully, and if you want a bit of extra volume like i do, you can always use a lash primer or fibre coat first, then apply this over the top. In my pictures, I've used a maybelline XXL pro lash primer (from the 2 step mascara that I usually use), then just one coat of the Lancome product over the top.

Now, in terms of where to get it and how much "high end" costs, it varies unbelievably between Australia and the USA. Here in Australia, you need to get it from the Lancome counter at Myer store, and it's going to set you back $52.

If you're in the USA, you're lucky, because at Sephora, you can pick this baby up for $28! I'm going to make do with my sample for the next few months and pick up a couple of full sized ones when I go to Texas in August.

Definitely a product to try out if you have the urge to splurge on a nice product. If you can find a sample somewhere, even better! I don't like to spend huge dollars on mascara, because technically we're supposed to ditch them every 3 months. It makes me wish that they came in smaller and more affordable product sizes. the sample that I got in my LHI box is just about a perfect 3 month supply for me, wearing makeup 4-5 times per week.

Check it out, though, it's a fantastic product!

BARGAINS! Another awesome DCC haul!

And it's all eyeshadow this time!

There have been some really great deals lately from Dollar Cosmetics club, and I've been particularly interested in picking up some great quality eyeshadows in particular, for very little cost.

For those of you who haven't read my other posts about Dollar Cosmetic Club and Cosmetic Corner, they are basically a very cheap way to purchase quality cosmetics. Sometimes, they are really high end brands for as little as $1.

 Take for example, this Lancome eyeshadow quad.

This is a very high end brand, in good, relevant colours, for the very affordable price of $1! I got two of these, and gave one to my mother, who was very grateful, and including the $5 shipping charge, they set me back a whopping $7. Total. Exactly the same deal was had on the L'Oreal Project Runway quads pictured above. Those ones I received in two different colours, which is always a good thing, but not always a guaranteed thing. You don't get to choose your colours, but I've never had a product from DCC that I couldn't use, or that I thought was really awful.

Last of all, there's my bargain buy from their other company, Cosmetic Corner. They have a store online where you can buy what you want from several high end and pharmacy brands at really affordable prices (like my Elizabeth Arden Eyeshadow quad, for example). I picked up these two MAC eyeshadows for about half the usual cost in store, and I chose my colours from what they had in stock. I plan to do a makeup look based around these colours next week, so stay tuned for that one.

They also have some really super cheap makeup packs on offer at Cosmetic Corner. Well worth a look.

Check them out:

www.dollarcosmeticclub.com.au

and

www.cosmeticcorner.com.au

An innovative approach to liquid liner from Australis!

Written with the Curve Ink Eyeliner.

Are you a beauty noob, too scared to attempt liquid liner? Are you a beauty professional, looking for an easier way to apply liquid liner, with a smooth and precise application method? Are you anywhere on the spectrum in between?

THIS PRODUCT IS FOR YOU.

This very recently released, awesome new, innovative product is Australis' brand new Curve Ink Eyeliner. And it's truly amazing.

You guys know I'm usually quite upbeat about products that I review, but I have never gone completely ga-ga over a product like this before.

I'm a regular liquid liner user, and I always get the feathery line where it gets stuck on my lashes or goes slightly off course. When I tried this one out, all I got was a line that went and stayed exactly where I put it.

Here's how it works:

The ergonomic design of the liner means that it fits perfectly into your "drawing" grip. This makes it instantly easier to control. It does require a little brain re-training if you're used to using a brush, but instantly it was easier to use.

The only thing I haven't shown here is the felt-tip that it has. It's a longer-style felt tip, with a perfect precision application every single time.

It's quick drying, smudge proof, long lasting and waterproof, yet removes very easily with makeup wipes. It's suitable for left or right hand application, is paraben free, and formaldehyde free.

Australis are 100% aussie, all of their products are under $20, and they don't test on animals! This liner in particular is $14.95. An absolute steal, for the amazing product that you get.

As far as I know, it's only available in black.

Here are the results that I achieved, my very first time using it.

It's so precise!

Right now when you shop online at www.australiscosmetics.com.au you get free shipping on orders over $50, AND a free mint condition lip gloss, valued at $8.95 with every online order (as at february, 2013. If you're reading this after February 2013, things may have changed on their site).

You can also find this little gem at Priceline (online only) at www.priceline.com.au

Product available week commencing 18 February, 2013

Here's a superquick tutorial I filmed for you guys:

Full Disclosure; the awesome people at Australis sent me this product for my consideration and review. They provided the product free of charge. My opinions, of course, as always, are completely my own.
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