Monday, Martha and Makeup

While I generally don't love being at work (I so envy those of you who absolutely love your jobs), Monday are by far the worst - dragging your tired, weary body out of bed when all it wants is to pretend it's still Sunday and hide under the covers. But I've decided to try to take it all in stride this week, as things really are looking pretty good - at least on the ABS front. Last week I got a lovely e-mail from the PR people over at Lancome letting me know that I'd been mentioned on the Lancome Blog - how cool is that?! That pretty much made my day.

As for today, I'm trying to brighten my mood by looking at Martha the Tangerine - named for Martha Stewart, the doyenne of all things domestic. I got bored sitting at my desk, and before you know it, Martha was born =P. Isn't procrastination great?


And now for the makeup bit. I've settled into a bit of a makeup rut that I'm in the process of trying to shake off, but here's the somewhat blah look I've been sporting for the past two weeks. Nothing spectacular but understated enough for work and simple enough that the clients don't do a double-take. Details after the jump!






How To:

• Apply a sheer coat of Shiseido's Hydro-Powder Eyeshadow in Violet Visions ($25) using your fingers for a light base shade.
  
• Top with Jill Stuart Jelly Eye Color in Moon Shadow ($24) to add some shimmer and depth.
• Line your waterline with Chanel Waterproof Liner in Vert Bronze ($26.50) - this is one of the first posts I ever made.
• Curl your lashes (I use my Shu Uemura eyelash curler) and top the whole look off with plenty of Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara ($11.70).
• On my lips I used Chanel Glossimer in Courtisane, released as part of the Fall 2009 Venice Collection. It's such a gorgeous, shimmery punch of pink and pretty universally flattering.
  

I'm hoping your weekend was more exciting than mine. I spent most of Sunday playing around with makeup, rereading Breaking Dawn and finishing the Percy Jackson series. What have you been up to these past few days?

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Quick Colour Wave EOTD

Don't mind the foundation on my contacts - just one of the perils of airbrushing your foundation.

Many of you had asked for a FOTD using the products I recently hauled from MAC (see complete haul HERE) and while I'm not entirely happy with this one, I figured it was worth posting just so that you can get a decent idea of what the shades look like on.


You can see Crest the Wave on the inner corners of my eyes, and Colour Matter along my lower lash line. I won't go into my whole usual spiel of what I used to create this look as I think it's kind of ugly =X. This may be TMI, but it's a certain time of the month for me, so maybe I'm just feeling horribly moody and pessimistic though.
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Peacock Feather EOTD Using MAC Graphic Garden Palette

The Step by Step Breakdown (for more details on the palette itself click HERE):

• Apply an eyeshadow base (I used a Motives by Loren Ridinger cream eyeshadow here) all over you lid to help the colors adhere and to prevent creasing.
• Use a small, dense brush (like MAC's 239 Eye Shader) to pick up some Wild Wisteria and apply it over your base on the inner half of your eyes, extending up towards the crease.
  
• Use a finner-tipped brush (like MAC's 219 Pencil Brush) to apply Botanical Blue on the outer half of your eyelid up towards the crease, extending the color to make a sideways V shape on both eyes.
• Use a medium-sized brush (like MAC's 213 Fluff Brush) to pick up a good amount of Linear Lilac and pat it onto the center of your eyelid, concentrating on the area below the crease.
• Now blend away along the contours of your crease using a blending brush like MAC's 217. I like to go in one direction, from the inner corners outwards.
  

• Line your underyes with Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Electric, and then use Zero right along the waterline for a little more depth.
  

This look is waaaaaaaay brighter than anything I'd normally go for, and I think I caused my mother some serious mental trauma when she saw me walking out of the house wearing eyeshadow this vibrant, but I personally loved it and thought it was a ton of fun once I got over feeling a little self-conscious. What do you think?
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Some Purple Fun to Lift Me Out of the Doldrums

I know this isn't the most work-appropriate EOTD I've done, but I've been feeling really blah these past few days. You know how it is - it's a certain time of the month, people are being extra aggravating, nothing seems to be going right. I figured some semi-bright (this is the brightest look I figured I could get away with) eye makeup would perk me up and I think it's already starting to work!





EYES:

• I was feeling uninspired this morning so originally planned to just wear my YSL Water Resistant Eyeshadow in Amethyst Grey (for the millionth time - see my review HERE) on its own. Good thing since it makes an amazing base! I used my finger to apply this all over my eyelids.

• I shook some Pure Luxe shadow in Amethyst onto the sample jar lid, swirled my Sephora smudger brush around in it to pick up the color, tapped off the excess and applied it to the inner half of my eye.
• Repeated the process with Pure Luxe shadow in Dusk and applied to the outer half of my eye.
  

Amethyst is in the top row, second from the left. Dusk is the right-most swatch in the top row.

• And then blended away!
  
• I topped the whole look off with two coats of Urban Decay's Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara which I'll hopefully be reviewing for you soon.
  

LIPS:

• For a hassle-free long-lasting look I slicked on some Revlon ColorStay Soft & Smooth Lipcolor in Pink Indulgence.

I've been in a bit of a gray rut lately so it was nice to break away from that and to get some color back into my looks. The YSL Water Resistant Eyeshadow in Amethyst Grey really made an amazing base, and if you own this I highly suggest trying it out as a primer. The smokiness of it really brings out the vibrancy of whatever shadows you layer on top, and I definitely noticed that Pure Luxe Amethyst looked prettier than ever over this.

And for those of you interested in the Revlon lipstick (I'll be reviewing it soon) it's currently available at Walgreens for 40% off, bringing it to $4 and change = dirt cheap! It's a really nice light pink that's super long wearing without being drying for the lips -- I'm really loving it!
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EOTD's Using Stila's Charmed Eye Shadow Palette

Remember that rich, velvety looking Stila Charmed Eye Shadow Palette (see review & swatches HERE) I picked up the other night for only $10? Here are a few EOTD's using it, as promised!

While I knew that it was pigmented, I didn't really quite how pigmented it was until I attempted to use it. These shadows are intense! Up first is the somewhat boring subtle look I did for the office using the pinky bronze shade on the inner third of my eye and the turquoise shade along the outer 2/3. I used a very very light touch and this is what I got:


Of course I felt the need to try something a little more colorful today to take full advantage of both the palette and the fact that I had nothing to do on this dreary, rainy Sunday. I again used the pinky bronze on the inner third of my eye, the turquoise shade on the center third, and then I used my MAC Pink Pearl pigment (swatch HERE) on the outer V for a fun pop of color. Have I mentioned how much I love my Pink Pearl pigment? It's one of those things I dread running out of!



I topped the look off by layering Fresh's Firebird and Supernova mascaras and lining my waterline with Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Zero. I kept the rest of my face simple with some Bobbi Brown Skin foundation topped with my La Mer loose powder in translucent and some shimmery Chapstick.
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Purple Gradation EOTD

It's been the longest time since I've posted an EOTD, and I've really missed doing them! So while this one isn't terribly special or even all that great, I figured I'd post it anyway. Hopefully this will be the start of a slew of fun EOTD's!

I used:

• Pure Luxe loose shadow in Amethyst on the inner half of my eyes (swatch HERE)
  
• Pure Luxe loose shadow in Grape on the outer half of my eyes (swatch HERE)
• I then blended some MAC shadow in Swish (swatch HERE) along the outer 2/3 of my eyes to soften up the purple

It was a nice change of pace to go back to something more colorful~the conservative work looks have been getting a little monotonous. Maybe I'll sneak in a little pink tomorrow!
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Two Very Cursory EOTD's Using My Mixology Eyeshadows

Guess who actually got home at a semi-decent hour yesterday? Me!!! I seriously couldn't believe it myself, but I did take the opportunity to experiment a little with my new Mixology Makeup mineral eyeshadows and threw together these two quick looks before having to run out for dinner.


Look #1 Purple Smoke: I'd been wanting to test out the purples, and of course Turbulence, and this was the result. Please excuse the messiness, I threw this together in all of thirty seconds.

I applied Rock Show with a damp brush to the inner third of my eyelid, Pirate to the center using the same brush, and then Turbulence on my outer V. I also applied Turbulence along my lower lash line as a liner, and was so pleased by how pigmented it was. The look definitely needs some refining but I did like where it was headed.


Look #2 Sand Dunes: This looks didn't photograph too well, but I thought it was really pretty in person and it was actually what I ended up wearing out (partially due to lack of time). I'm wearing Dune all over my eyelid (applied with a damp brush), and just the tiniest speck of Soot on the outer half of my eye for some contrast. Love Dune! It's got this golden beigey neutral thing going on that really works for me.

If you haven't seen them already, don't forget to check out my Mixology Makeup eyeshadow swatches HERE!

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The Body Shop Roseflower Eyes in Shade 02 Mint Green Review & Swatches Plus Quick EOTD

The Body Shop Roseflower Eyes in Shade 02 Mint Green (now $9 from $14)

Another great item from The Body Shop's Moroccan Rose/Roseflower spring release, this shadow really took me by surprise. I was expecting this to be on the frosty/super sheer side, but it's actually quite pigmented, not frosty in the least, and quite beautiful for the spring.

I'm a huge sucker for "treatment" makeup, meaning makeup that also doubles as treatment for your skin, so the fact that The Body Shop's spring shadows contain marula nut oil and shea butter for moisturization and hydration means that I like them all that much more.

Close Up of Mint Green~see the pretty shimmer?

The Rosefloewr Eyes shadow in Mint Green has an embossed pink rose design that makes for an interesting combination little addition to your green should swipe your brush across the two shades together, and also works quite beautifully on its own. This is actually my first (I think--don't hold me to this though!) mint green shadow and I actually loved the way it looked on!

On the downside, the shadow tended to be a bit crumbly in the pan which can make for some messiness and more importantly, can be rather annoying. Also, if you're a fan of shimmer and glitter, contrary to its appearance in the pan, this is a rather matte shadow.

Swatch of 02 Mint Green

I threw together a very basic FOTD using Mint Green--I applied it all over my eyelid (no base or anything for once), then very lightly shaded my outer V with my Radiant Graphite mineral shadow (also from The Body Shop), and that was pretty much it! I added some liner later on, which is why the top photo has liner and the bottom photo doesn't.

All in all though I really do like this product. I never ever go without some kind of base on my eyes because my oily eyelids melt away any and all traces of eye makeup within an hour or two, but I was in a rush this day so applied Mint Green without anything underneath and check out the pigmentation! Plus it lasted amazingly well--I was seriously impressed!
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Stila The Precious Pearl Eye Shadow Palette Review & Swatches Plus 2 EOTD's

Stila The Precious Pearl Palette ($40)

What it is: Stila's The Precious Pearl Palette features six new silky smooth eyeshadow shades that are infused with genuine crushed pearl. A natural wonder, pearl minimizes the appearance of fine lines and leaves skin with a youthful, radiant glow. It also contains minerals and proteins which nourish the skin leaving it smooth and soft. These six must-have eyeshadow shades, that can be worn alone or together, create an endless number of brilliant looks. They are tucked inside a vintage-inspired compact with real mother-of-pearl detail.

The Packaging: In a word, stunning! It's also luxurious, chic, rather petite, and all in all just oh so unique and precious. Stila's Precious Pearl Palette is easily one of the most beautiful compacts that I own.

Click to Enlarge
Shades:
White Gold (soft creamy white with gold shimmer). Soft Pink (light pink with pink and white shimmer), Mid-tone Pink (neutral warm pink with pink shimmer), Deep Blue (dark blackish navy with blue shimmer), Green (intense mermaid green with blue and green shimmer), Gold (deep gold with yellow and gold shimmer)

The Shadows: Stila's pearl-infused shadows are silky smooth, highly pigmented, and blend like a dream thanks to their rich, dense, almost creamy consistency. I loved playing with the tester at Sephora because the shadows just felt so beautifully decadent on my fingertips.

So you'd think this would be a rave review, no? Well it is to some extent but I do have a few reservations about this palette.


For one thing, while there isn't much fallout from these shadows thanks to their silky/creamy nature, the little fallout that I do experience irritates my eyes just the tiniest bit--perhaps it's the crushed pearl? I've read about a few others having the same issue so I know it's not just my imagination! In addition, while this palette seems to look gorgeous on just about everybody to tests it out, on me I feel as though the colors tend to look a little muddy. I so want to love this though because there are so many aspects of it that I'm crazy about.

Here are two simple looks I created using my Precious Pearl Palette:

What are you thoughts on this one?

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Awake Reflectance Eye Stardom Palette in E-2 Glowing Gold Review, Swatches, and FOTD

Taryn's lovely package of Japanese goodness contained this beautiful Awake Reflectance Eye Stardom Palette in E-2 Glowing Gold, and since I've been using it non-stop since receiving it, I figured it was time I reviewed it for you!


Taryn and I had been discussing this palette at some point--she told me she thought I'd look good in these shades, and of course being the stubborn mule that I am I was skeptical! Jen looking good in anything other than pinks and purples? Say it ain't so! But of course Taryn, with her Yoda-like makeup wisdom, new best!


While this isn't necessarily the palette that I reach for when I'm going for a bright, night-out-on-the-town type look, it is the first palette I grab when I'm in need of a professional, work-appropriate but not too boring look. All of the shades pair together beautifully to create a subtle, understated eye that's polished and subtle, yet has enough pop to be noticed.

Swatches Under Different Lighting
L to R: Shimmering white, light taupey gold, coppery gold, brown with tons of gold flecks

Each of the shadows is beautifully pigmented and wonderfully shimmery without being gritty or too glittery. Check out the simple (and very understated) eye I created using the palette below!

I just had to add in closing that I absolutely love the little eyeshadow brushes that Japanese palettes often come with. They're so much better than the rubbish that high-end cosmetics companies such as Chanel and Guerlain include in their palettes, and are actually useful--what a concept!
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FOTDS: Combat the Cold With a Little Smoke

I've been feeling as though I'm in a bit of a makeup rut lately. I'm just not feeling the crazy bright colors that I used to, and I find myself reaching for my MAC Smoke & Diamonds and NARS Night Clubbing waaay more often than I should be. I'm thinking the cold weather may have something to do with it-it's hard to feel bright and colorful when the weather is so cold and icy!

Here are two smoky eyes that I did recently:


Smoky Eye #1 was created by applying MAC Smoke & Diamonds as a base, then by smudging NARS Night Clubbing (very appropriate since this was a clubbing look) from the lower lashline upwards towards my crease. I topped it all off with YSL liquid liner, and a combo of KissMe Heroine Make Volume & Curl (to give my lashes that long-lasting lift and curl I was going for) and Max Factor Volume Couture (for a little more length and lots of volume).


As for Smoky Eye #2, well to be honest I have no idea what I was wearing in terms of eyeshadow that day. That's what I get for not writing it down and just assuming that I'd remember! I do know that I was wearing my new Kanebo tubing mascara (the one I featured in Best of 2008 post) on my lashes though.


And finally, I discovered a lipstick combination that creates almost the perfect shade of pink for me! The MAC lipstick in Lightly Ripe that I purchased from Cult of Cherry has just been sitting around in my lipstick drawer since then, virtually untouched, because I just haven't been loving the shade-there's nothing particularly wrong with it but it's just a little boring. So I decided to try layering it with YSL's Rouge Volupte in #8 Fetish Pink which is just a tad bright for my taste, and ended up with instant pink goodness!

It works out really well since I use the YSL as a base, which provides a sinfully delicious creamy consistency while the MAC on top helps to set everything and to keep it all in place.
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