Makeup Monday: Brown Eyed Girl

Today's look: deep brown eyes with a graded wash and a smudged plum lip. I had major bedhead, so I ran with it and just teased and frizzed my hair. I didn't go out like this; don't worry:)

Want to know what I used and how I created this look? Continue reading after the jump!



1) MAC Bare Study paint pot, 2) MAC Fix+, 3) MAC Coco pigment, 4) MAC Mulch eyeshadow, 5) MAC Vanilla pigment, 6) MAC Dipdown fluidline, 7) Prescriptives dark brown mascara

The first two brushes are for blending: I used the one on the left for blending the darker colors and the second one for blending the vanilla pigment (to avoid a muddied highlight). The next brush is perfect for the crease and just above. The last brush was used for the lid and lower lashline. 

Eyes: 
Step one: Using your finger or a brush, apply a base all over your lid, blending up to your brow bone. I used MAC Bare Study paint pot (product 1). 
Step two: Spritz your eyeshadow brush (like the last brush in the second picture) with Fix+ (product 2) or water (spray, don't soak). Dip the brush into a shimmery taupe pigment such as MAC Coco (product 3) and use the back of your hand to make sure it's blended onto your brush. Wetting the brush will keep the pigment from going all over your face (since it's loose) and intensify the color.
Step three: Apply the dampened pigment all over your lid.
Step four: Using a dry brush (I used the brush second from the right), pick up a bit of the shimmery taupe (product 2) and tap off the excess. Apply this into your crease and just above. This will soften the edges of your first application, but still blend those edges up and out, using small circular motions (with a fluffy brush).
Step five: Using the same brush you already spritzed, apply dark brown eyeshadow (product 4) to the lower half of your top eyelid, concentrating the darkest color toward your lash line. Blend into the taupe with a fluffy brush (first brush pictured).
Step six: Using a clean fluffy brush, apply a shimmery light neutral (product 5) to your brown bone and near the tear duct. Blend.
Step seven: Line your upper and lower lashline, as well as your waterline, with dark brown liner (I used product 6 with a bent liner brush).
Step eight: go over your lower lashline with a dark brown eyeshadow and blend (product 4) 
Step nine: Apply dark brown mascara (product 7)


MAC Porcelain Pink skinfinish (cheeks) and Clinique A Different Grape Lipstick.

Cheeks and lips:
Apply light pink blush to the apples of your cheeks. Smudge a plum lipstick on your lips (use your fingers!)

The end result should be a dark brown eye that gradually gets lighter toward the brow and an imperfect plum lip. Any questions? Please feel free to ask!


Love love,
Keiko Lynn

Makeup Monday: Cheap Thrills and Quick Changes

(Revlon lipsticks - all purchased at CVS)


When it comes to drugstore brands, I'm a bit of a Revlon fan girl. I'm particularly fond of their lipsticks, which come in a bajillion (give or take a few) shades and finishes. I'm a lipstick girl for more than one reason, but mostly, I love that it can change your look in just one step! Since becoming a CVS Beauty Board member, I've probably been spending a little too much time in their makeup aisle. I only recommend products I actually use and stand by, so naturally I have to try everything out. I've found a slew of new favorites (and a couple of misses, which I promptly returned) in the Revlon lipstick section alone, which I have showcased in the pictures above.

Isn't it crazy how just one swipe of lipstick can completely change your look? I'm wearing the same face and eye makeup in each (though the lighting is different in a few). What's your favorite lipstick of the moment?

Makeup Monday: Do Bad Things

True Blood is over for the season (booooo!), so I decided to pay tribute by doing my own vampy look, partially inspired by Pam, but also by the ubiquitous promotional image. I love a good statement lip, but sometimes I like to break the rules and pair it with dark eyes. On a side note, are my lashes growing yet? I've been using NeuLash for a few weeks now, but I can't tell if it's working or if I'm just making myself believe it is. That whole placebo thing gets me every time. /tangent

For the photo above, I used MAC Pro Longwear in Alta Moda, with a coat of the Mirror Gloss (it's sparkly and comes with the pro longwear). For the video, I switched it up and used a lipstick. Everything I used is mentioned in this horribly awkward video, so please check it out! Proceed with caution...I'm not meant for video!



Love love,
Keiko Lynn

Makeup Monday: Recreate the Runway (Rachel Roy/Bobbi Brown)

I'm a fan of monochromatic makeup, so I was really excited to recreate Bobbi Brown's understated version of the trend. Rosy colors are very feminine and wearable for daytime, but the metallic finish of [what I consider to be] the hero product of this look (Rose Gold shadow) make it extra special.

I made a stop at Sephora to pick up some of the products I needed for this look, not realizing that much of the makeup used backstage at Rachel Roy will not be released until their Spring '12 collection. I had to do a little bit of guess work; I used some products I already had and found a comparable product substitute for cheeks and lips. The crease color I used brought out the peachier undertones - something a little more neutral would let the rosiness shine through a little better. Ah well, I will try again when the collection comes out!

For step by step instructions and the makeup I used, continue reading after the jump.




Makeup used:Eyes:
UD Primer Potion
Bobbi Brown Rose Gold Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow (lid and lower lash line)
UD Baked shadow (crease - in place of Copper Long-Wear Cream Shadow, which will be released for Spring '12)
brown liner (upper waterline - optional)
mascara

cheeks and lips: Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Truffle (in place of Uber Beige, which will be released Spring '12)










Done!
 p.s. If you recreate this (or an other) look, please share it with me on my twitter or facebook.

Makeup Monday: My Makeup Bag Essentials

Since I regularly started carrying a few smaller bags, I have also streamlined my makeup bag. I gravitate toward larger handbags that could easily double as luggage, and test their max capacity. I carry everything in my bag: a large camera, change of shoes, overstuffed wallet, small children. My makeup bag is/was no different. I used to carry half of my train case with me! The great thing about downsizing from time to time is that it keeps me disciplined. I only carry the essentials - and that's more than enough. What are my essentials? Here's what made my cut:

(mouse over to see product details and where to buy)

Whether I'm starting from scratch or touching up throughout a long day, I always have what I need on hand. If I am wearing a specific look, I'll add a couple of products to the bag just for touch ups. In order to avoid bulk, the trick is to employ multi-purpose products. My brow kit comes with a tinted wax, shadow (which can double as eyeliner), mini tweezers and two mini brushes - all in one handy kit. My favorite lip product is meant to double as a cheek color, which can be applied with just your fingertips (no brush necessary). Mascara and a concealer/highlighter duo wake up tired eyes, while the concealer end also hides blemishes. Primer and skinfinish powder even out skintone and keep the shine to a minimum; blotting papers soak up excess oil throughout the day. As for Burt's Bees, I'm just addicted to it.
What's in your makeup bag?

Love Love,
Keiko Lynn

p.s. My makeup bag and cute little birdy mirror are both from Grr Feisty:)

Makeup Monday: Smokeout

Urban Decay recently sent me their new Book of Shadows (IV), so I obviously had to play around with it. If you follow me on twitter, you might remember me tweeting a preview pic of the pretty butterfly packaging. Now, I want you to keep in mind two important things about me: I judge books by their cover and I'm a sucker for gimmicks. Read on.

Many of the colors in this palette are more subdued, though Urban Decay is well known for their vibrant colors. They're still really pigmented, though, and if you (like me) do not own the Naked Palette (you should - and so should I), this is a nice change from the usual brights. Pair this with the 15th anniversary palette that I used here and here and you're pretty much covered on all fronts. I'd say this is especially ideal for beginners because it has five tutorials, sixteen eyeshadows that aren't intimidating, primer potion, mascara and liquid liner.

The palette comes with a QR coded tutorial card, mini speaker and a setup for your phone (so you can watch your tutorials and do your makeup at the same time). I've read a few comments and reviews from people who thought this packaging was gimmicky. Well, maybe - but gimmicks are the besssssst. You're talking to a girl who lives for infomercials and is occasionally known to purchase weird things like Bumpits and Shake Weights in the middle of the night. Plus, I actually think this is quite handy. I had no issues scanning the QR codes and the tutorials were clear and helpful. I even decided to forgo my usual step by step tutorial and follow theirs. I chose the Smokeout tutorial, because much like my gimmicks, I'm also a sucker for a smokey eye. Watch the Urban Decay tutorial here to see how I got this look. Note: I didn't use their gloss - I patted on a teeny bit of Bobbi Brown's lipstick in Rose and then a little Burt's Bees. More photos after the jump!

Makeup Monday: Purple Gaze

This is a look best suited for night time, but if you ask Kimberly, any of your local drag queens, or me, you can totally wear this in the daytime. Eff your day/night rules! (This is as rebellious as I get.) The trick is - you guessed it! - blending your shadows, both inward and outward. At night, you might be able to get away with poorly applied shadow, because you're probably in dim light. Daylight is not forgiving. Diffuse those harsh lines, or you'll look like a mess. Think of it as art. Blend, mix, layer, shade.To see the products and instructions, keep reading!

EDIT: I added an image link to a full size photo of the makeup look - after the jump:

Products used:
1) MAC Bare Study paint pot
2) Make-up Designory Opal Sky eye shadow (c/o MUD)
3) MAC Parfait Amour eyeshadow
4) MAC Freshwater eyeshadow
5) MAC Jeweltone
6) MAC Pink Pearl pigment
7) Make-up Designory smoked sapphire eyeshadow (c/o MUD)
8) MAC blacktrack fluidline
9) MAC Bunny Pink Lipstick (borrowed from Kim)

Brushes (from top to bottom): MAC 239SE (regular shadow brush), ELF defining eye brush (great for crease), Sonia Kashuk fluffy blending brush, Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush

Step one: Apply MAC Bare Study (product #1) all over lids and up to your brows. Just use your fingers - it's much easier to apply this way. You want this to cover everywhere your eyeshadow will be, so this is a great time to lay out the shape of how you want your eyeshadow.
Step two: Using the fluffy blending brush, apply a shimmery white (product #2 - this one has an opal sheen) to your inner and middle lid, and inner tear duct.
Step three: Using the regular shadow brush, apply a medium purple (product #3) to the crease and just above,  and to the outer lid  - blend up and out
Step four: Layer a shimmery fuschia over the purple (product #6) and blend the two together. MAC Pink Pearl pigment is similar to their eyeshadow, stars n rockets. It's a fuschia/purple shimmery color - one of my all time favorites!
Step five: Pack (not swipe) a dark purple eyeshadow (product #5) into the outer crease only, using ELF defining brush
Step six: Pack a dark navy eyeshadow (product #7) into your outer V (the outer lid and very outer lid, which makes a horizontal V). Blend the last two darker shadows like crazy - I prefer to use the defining brush to blend the darker colors first, then go back over it with a little more of the lighter shades (on the outside) with the fluffy brush. This will help to blend it a little more. You want this to look soft, since the colors are severe.
Step seven: Line your top and lower lashes, as well as your waterline, with your eyeliner of choice (I used fluidline (product #8 - with bent eyeliner brush).
Step eight: Layer a bright blue eyeshadow (product #4) over your lower lashline. Reapply liner to your waterline if necessary.
Final step: Mascara! I missed this step. I totally forgot to put mascara on.

I paired this look with Kim's Bunny Pink MAC lipstick, but you can use whatever shade you prefer. On the cheeks, I applied MAC Petticoat Mineralize Skinfinish, but any pink blush will do!



EDIT: Click the image to see a very large version...I figured this would make it easier to see the detail.


Love love, Keiko Lynn

Makeup Monday: Here, Kitty Kitty

"Sexy" is a foreign term to me; when someone tells me to be sexy, I just end up in stitches. I'm immature like that. Sex kitten makeup, however - I can do that! Several looks come to mind, but what I demonstrated here is more of a daytime sex kitten look - understated and soft, with pinky nude lips and a classic cat eye.

Makeup Details:
Face: 
concealer
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Porcelain Pink (cheeks)
Eyes:
MAC Embark eyeshadow (brows)
MAC Bare Study Paint Pot (base)
MAC Buff de Buff eyeshadow (crease)
MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
Benefit Badgal Lash
Lips:
Rimmel lipliner in Eastend Snob
MAC Pink Plaid and MAC Hug Me mixed together

For the eyes, I started with a neutral base (MAC Bare Study paint pot) and then put a soft beige-pink (MAC buff de buff) in and above the crease, to give more contour. The crease color for this look can just be a couple shades darker than your natural skin color. Just pack the color in and above your outer crease, and blend with a fluffy brush. This part is all optional - it will look just fine without any shadow at all. But don't skip the primer/base!

The main attraction of this look is the cat eye. You can make this as subtle or dramatic as you want, simply by building upon the line, up and out. I wanted to do a video tutorial of how I do the classic cat eye, but two things happened: 1) I left my fluidline open and it dried out, making the process a little more cumbersome, and 2) I found this great cat eye tutorial on MAC's artists in action series. That's almost exactly what I do and use, except I prefer the Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush, which has a very fine point. Either will do; it's just a matter of preference. I also do the line in shorter strokes, connecting as I go.

For the lips, I mixed two of my favorite lipsticks: MAC Pink Plaid and MAC Hug Me. Pink Plaid was a little too pink and matte; Huge Me a little too glossy and neutral. Together, they create a creamy, pinkish nude. Don't be afraid to mix your colors! I like to take a little of each and mix it on the back of my hand (you can also use a palette), until I find a color I like.

Note: If you have beauty marks, go over them with a wet q-tip or a little makeup remover, to take off the makeup. Let them show through!

Love love,
Keiko Lynn

Makeup Monday: Steely Nuance

Nuance Mineral Cheek Trio, Nuance smokey eyes quad, Nuance lipstick in My Favorite, Nuance Ultra-Defining Mascara, Nuance Lights, Camera, Action Trio

While in San Diego for the CVS Beauty Club luncheon with the rest of the Beauty Board, I had a chance to check out Salma Hayek's new CVS/Pharmacy exclusive line, Nuance. That was a little while back, so you might have already heard about this. Why didn't I break the news earlier? Because I won't ever recommend anything without testing it out on myself, first. I wanted to make sure I actually liked these products before even suggesting you try them out. Now, to be fair, this is a *huge* collection (over 100 products) and I've only tried out a fraction of those - so I can only attest to the quality of what I've sampled.

Here, I created a look with some of my favorites in the collection. I used the directions straight off the box of the Nuance smokey eyes quad and added in a couple of my own steps, because you know I don't wear my eyeshadow without a base underneath. It keeps your eyeshadow in place and makes the colors pop. After hours of wear, I had no creasing. Don't skip this step!

Keep reading after the jump for the step by step tutorial:

That's it - you're done!

A couple of notes about the makeup:
- The lipstick is already semi-sheer, and I blotted it to give just a hint of color. The final product will be more pigmented than what you see on me.
- The mineral cheek trio can be used all together for a pigment color (swirl your brush on the trio for even color) or individually. The darker color is great for contouring. This and the eye shadow quad are the best bang for your buck, in my opinion.

Please take a chance to check out the CVS Beauty Club Beauty Board on Facebook for more tips and product suggestions from Mickey, Nichelle and me. I'll also be hosting a live chat on Thursday, August 25th from 12-1:30 PM.




Full disclosure: I am a paid spokesperson of CVS/pharmacy Beauty Club Beauty Board. My opinions are my own.