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Showing posts with label tutorials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tutorials. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

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!










Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Makeup Monday: Steely Nuance


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.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Makeup Monday: Simply Irresistible







The combination of statement eyes and lips always makes me think of Robert Palmer's video vixens, even though they usually went the smokey eye/red lip route and had super sweet dance moves/guitar skills. I decided to do a second look with Urban Decay's 15th anniversary eyeshadow collection and since my last look featured its neutral shades, why not go for bigger and bolder color? I paired it with an equally bold lip color - Estée Lauder's new Fuchsia Velvet lipstick - because Robert Palmer's girls would've liked it that way. I wouldn't want to let those sexy ladies down.

For what I used and step by step instructions, continue reading after the jump!











(I only used the colors with the red checks on them)
Eyes:
Smashbox Brow Tech to go (brows)
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay's 15th anniversary eyeshadow collection
- Junkshow on lids, Vanilla for highlight, Omen in crease and Blackout in outer v (c/o Urban Decay)
Milani Metallic eye pencil
Urban Decay Lush Lash Mascara (c/o Urban Decay)

Face:
Smashbox Photo Finish
MUFE HD Foundation in 110
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
MAC Semi Precious Pearl Mineralize Skinfinish (cheeks)
 
Lips:
Estée Lauder Fuchsia Velvet










The lipstick is totally up to you. Normally, I would do a more subdued lip color but since I wasn't actually going anywhere, I went with the bright color (more fun for pictures). My suggestion is a pinky nude, but just have fun with it and do what you want!


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Makeup Monday: Shady Eyes






As I mentioned in this post, I decided to give Urban Decay's 15-year anniversary eyeshadow collection its own feature. One problem: there are so many colors, I might have to do a few more looks with different shadows! This palette is extra special because it includes 15 all new colors - no pre-existing shades. It has a great variety of bright, saturated and more subdued shadows. For this first look, I went for a high impact look with neutral shades.
 
In the meantime, keep reading after the jump for what I used and a step by step tutorial on how to achieve this look.


What I used on my eyes (all Urban Decay - provided by the company for my review - unless otherwise noted):
Primer Potion
Urban Decay's 15-year anniversary eyeshadow collection (I only used the ones with check marks on them in the picture above)
24/7 waterproof liquid liner in Perversion
Milani Liquif'eye metallic eye liner pencil (got it at CVS, not available in their online store)
Lush Lash mascara
 
Rest of face:
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Refined on cheeks (discontinued)
Julie Hewett Cheekie in Bette on lips
Shobha pencil on brows
Smashbox Photo Finish as primer all over face
Make Up For Ever HD foundation
 
Step by step:










If you need a tutorial on doing winged liner, please refer to my tutorial.