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Color Focus: Teal Eyes & Nails Inspired by Marion Cotillard

January 20, 2010

I watched part of the Red Carpet coverage of the Golden Globes and was inspired by Marion Cotillard’s beautiful deep teal-green dress, eyeliner and nails she wore to dig through my collection and find similar shades so I could try to recreate the look. You can see her look linked here.

I don’t have a lot of blues or teals in my stash but with a little practice was able to combine the shades to achieve a similar result. Just a disclaimer: I have no idea what products or colors were used on her actual look, this is just what I tried myself to get a similar effect.

My application steps/technique:

Cheeks: First apply MAC Dainty on apples of cheeks followed by a sheer dust of Pink Swoon.

Eyes: Apply a pale champagne cream on eyes as a base like Nars Copacabana and dust MAC Quick Frost pigment from lash to brow (apply heavier near lash line). Right around the rims of the eyes, apply a seafoam green shimmer like the Bottom Left shade of Chanel Murano followed by a smokey line of a darker smokey grey-green like the Top Left shade of Chanel Murano. Apply a teal green liner like Laura Mercier Black Turquoise Eye Kohl heavily along upper lash line and lower lash line. Take a slightly damp brush and apply a shimmery teal-green shadow like MAC Deep Blue Green Pigment or Chanel Murano right over the pencil blending with a soft brush for a smudged look. The last step for the eyes (not pictured) is to take a contouring powder or soft brown like MAC Soba or Era and apply right over the middle of the eye for depth/contour.

Lips: Line with a pale pink shimmer like Trish McEvoy Essential Pencil in Baby Pink and top with a shimmery shell pink lipstick like Chanel Waikiki Aqualumiere. Top with a matching gloss for shine like Dior #431.

I would have liked to get a brighter smokey teal along the lash lines, the teals I have are darker and more subdued. I learned from experimenting that the key to get a brighter teal is to layer the colors from light to dark. Layering the Laura Mercier Black Turquoise, MAC Deep Blue Green Pigment and dark green shade from Chanel Murano over the lighter shades brings out the teal shimmer more.

For nails, I pulled out my green shades. I’m still in search for a dark teal shimmer that doesn’t look black in natural light. It’s hard for me to find something that’s the right balance of teal and dark shimmer. Most teals are either too bright for my taste or too dark. All swatches are taken with a flash, each has 3 coats. Anyone have alternative recommendations on pretty dark teal shimmers?

I already featured some other teal shades in my Smokey Eye Series in Color Focus: Smokey Eyes Part 5 (Blues & Greens) last November.

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Today’s Look: Tarnished Steel Silk Ribbon Tank + Grey Eyes + Pink Lips/Cheeks

January 15, 2010

So today I decided I would branch out a bit and show you more of my whole look – basically what makeup items I picked to coordinate with my outfit of the day. I didn’t have much on today’s agenda except for a lunch date with friends and a few errands to run (yes, I know it’s a rough life being on school break).

I know some of you prefer I stick to writing about makeup and after this post, I think I will. I suppose one benefit of this is that you can see a bit more of my style which you might say doesn’t exist. I tend to be very basic and simple with my clothing, not the most creative or fun, but it’s what I feel comfortable with so it works for me. My makeup tends to reflect my clothing style as well: simple and natural looking. For reference, I am petite at 5’3″. So much for trying to be a little creative, but here goes.

The outfit of the day:

Silk Ribbon Pleated Shell in Tarnished Steel from Banana Republic
Thin Cashmere White Cardigan from Jcrew (this is from over a year ago, so no link)
Paige Hollywood Hills Jeans
Quilted black purse/tote
Black strappy sandals from Banana Republic (from about 3 years ago, so no link)

The face of the day items used include:

Cheeks
MAC Golden Bronzer
Paul & Joe Face Color 001

Eyes
MAC Bare Study
Bobbi Brown Galaxy Cream Eyeshadow
Dolce & Gabbana Champagne Quad
Dolce & Gabban Stromboli Eyeliner
Diorshow mascara

Lips
Bobbi Brown Ballet Pink Lipliner
Chantecaille Camelia Lipchic
Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 06

The products against the steel grey tank
(not recommended since I almost dropped my lipstick on my dry-clean only tank)

Swatched on bare skin

One more view

I used all four shades in the Dolce & Gabbana Champagne quad and really liked the result. I applied MAC Bare Study Paint Pot first all over the lid, then dusted the light lilac-gold shade from lash line to the middle of the eyelid. I then put the dusty brown mixed with the black smudged along upper lash line blended upwards. Dolce & Gabbana Stromboli was lined and smudged over upper lash line as well with the black shadow reapplied on top for extra definition.

MAC Golden Bronzer was applied on the cheeks like blush with the Paul & Joe 001 Face Color dusted lightly as a highlighter and to give a bit of pink to the cheeks.

The lips were a neutral healthy pink. Overall, I was happy with the result. FYI the Dolce & Gabbana quads have the best pigment that I’ve tried, they just don’t swatch well on a bare arm without any moisturizer or makeup base. I hope the swatches won’t deter you from checking out their quads!

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Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

January 15, 2010

It was really hard for me to narrow my list down to only 10 things this month! Since I’ve already featured quite a bit of the new spring 2010 items, I decided to feature 10 non-new/non-spring releases that I’m loving right now.

1. MAC Sunny By Nature Mineralized Skin Finish – I’m a sucker for bronzers and MAC MSFs and fell in love with this one when it was released last July with the Color Craft Collection. Looks dark and almost muddy in the container, but on the skin it’s a nice natural satiny bronze. I love that it’s not too shimmery (which most MSFs are). I hope MAC makes more MSFs in this kind of finish! If you missed out, check your local CCOs, I saw this along with Cheeky Bronze at my local CCO a week ago.

2. Bobbi Brown Nude Beach Metallic Eyeshadow – This was released as an exclusive with the Nordstrom Anniversary Exclusives but is also in the (X Palette). You all know I’m obsessed with neutrals, Nude Beach is a pretty shimmery, but not overly frosty, nude shimmer with great pigment and lasting power.

3. MAC Eyeshadow Brush #239 – This is hands down the best MAC eyeshadow brush I own. I think it’s a must-have for everyone. It’s so versatile and soft which makes blending a no-brainer. I have a soft spot for all of MAC’s white-haired brushes, I wish they would make more shapes and sizes.

4. Nars Ondine Eyeshadow – This is one of the few eyeshadows I have ever hit pan on (the one pictured is my second one). I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone – those who can’t pull off plummy browns will probably find this looks bruisey on their skin. I really like this though because it has a complex combination of brown, plum and gold all mixed into one shadow. Those who wanted to love MAC Starviolet but found it too purpley will like Nars Ondine. The Nars is a more wearable, more brown, more grown-up and less trendy version of the MAC.

5. Edward Bess Bare Rose Lip Gloss – Not your typical milky pink, but still light enough to give a pretty natural pink lip. If you’re a fan of Nars Chihuahua, you will definitely like the EB Bare Rose which has a fig-scent, slightly sticky texture, long lasting, and high shine.

6. Dolce & Gabbana Sparkling Lipstick – I got this from the D&G Holiday Collection from Saks NY and it’s the most unique sparkling copper/nude/gold lipstick I’ve ever seen. It’s very pigmented and frosty, so those who don’t like metallic lips, you may not like it. The frosty-factor can be toned down with a cream colored gloss though.

7. Shu Uemura P Gold 94 Glow On – This is a blush I like to use as a highlighter for cheeks and eyes. It’s a light-medium shimmery flesh-toned gold with gold flecks. I like that it’s not completely gold or yellowy. It seems more pigmented than most of Shu Uemura’s Glow On Blushes, perhaps it’s the metallic aspect that gives it more pigment.

8. Paul & Joe Caramel 04 Lipliner – This is the creamiest lipliner I’ve ever tried. It glides on more smoothly than MAC Cremestick Liners (which I love) and the Caramel is the perfect YLBB nude-pink-brown. I bought this thanks to the recommendation of Hettie from Bergdorf Goodman. Lipliners were one of the few P&J items I hadn’t tried yet, so I asked her to pick out 2 colors for me, #04 Caramel was one of them and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it.

9. Chanel Glow Glossimer – Pretty soft glowiness that’s hard to describe. It has peach and pink and bronze in it, makes my lips look full and glowing. The lasting power isn’t the best on this one, but I don’t mind reapplying it.

10. Paul & Joe Canyon 16 Face Color – Soft light pink and cool-toned shimmery highlighter. I like this for a natural angelic-pink blush. It goes on very soft and natural. It might not show up on MAC NC40s or darker though because it’s on the lighter side.

What’s on your list this month?

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Recent Bargain Beauty Finds

January 8, 2010

Yes, I am a high-end beauty snob for so many reasons, but finding good products at a bargain or cheap price is always good! Finding cheaper products that I end up keeping and liking is another story.

I ventured to Walmart and my local outlet to check out what was available and this is the loot over the past couple months:

From the CCO: MAC Flower Mist Dew Beauty Powder, Strada Blush, Gentle Shimmer Slimshine, Warming Trend Eyeshadow, Smoke & Diamonds Eyeshadow, Goldmode Pigment, Silverstuck Nail Polish

NYX Finds: Red Blush, Stone Blush, Nude Eyeshadow, Iced Mocha Eyeshadow, Nutmeg Eyeshadow, Deep Bronze Eyeshadow, Utopia Gold Eyeshadow

Walmart Hard Candy Picks: Envy Nail Polish, Hypnotic Nail Polish, Hula Hula Baked Bronzer

This was my first experience with the NYX brand. I’ve been intrigued by the raves for these products and the fragrance outlet was having a special for certain 5 items at $9.95, so of course I couldn’t resist. The eyeshadows are indeed decently pigmented and soft – along the lines of MAC Starflash eyeshadows but softer but not quite as pigmented in my opinion. They are almost too soft for my taste, but at the cheap price I’m not complaining. I’ve contemplated ordering some more of the taupey shades online, but the problem with lower priced items is that more often than not, I end up neglecting them, so in the end, the fact that I spent $4 on an eyeshadow is $4 wasted.

The Hard Candy nailpolishes are pretty nice for $5. Be warned that Envy needs 2-3 coats since the formula is pretty thin. In natural light, it’s so dark it looks black. You can only see the shimmer in sunlight or with a flash. Hypnotic is a pretty sparkley pink with a foiled finish. The Baked Bronzer in Hula Hula has decent pigment for a drugstore brand. On my MAC NC30ish skin, it doesn’t seem like a bronzer, but gives a pretty nude shimmer blush. I did have to pack it on to get it to show because it’s lighter.

Do you have any recent bargain finds that you like?

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Eyeshadow Comparisons For Marina, Lakshmi & Josie

January 5, 2010

I have been procrastinating on a few comparison requests and thought I’d post this in case anyone else had the same questions. I plan to be a better blogger this upcoming year and be more on top of things!

Comparison Project #1: How does Edward Bess Intimate compare to other shades, particularly Chantecaille Pyrite & Benefit Fawn Over Me?

Chantecaille Pyrite has more gold while Edward Bess is definitely more taupe/brown. Benefit Fawn Over Me might look like a close dupe at first glance, but looking more closely will show that it’s more of a paler sandy champagne compared to the Edward Bess. Here it is compared to similar shades.

Top: Chantecaille Pyrite, Edward Bess Intimate, Laura Mercier Bamboo
Middle: Scott Barnes Sable, Benefit Fawn Over Me, Guerlain Sable Blonde
Bottom: Becca Mermaid, Nars Cyprus, Benefit Fawn Over Me

1) Chantecaille Pyrite
2) Edward Bess Intimate
3) Laura Mercier Bamboo
4) Scott Barnes Sable
5) Benefit Birthday Suit
6) Guerlain Sable Blonde
7) Becca Mermaid
8) Nars Cyprus
9) Benefit Fawn Over Me

Bottom line: In my opinion, there is nothing like Edward Bess Intimate and I find it different enough to justify owning even if you have any of the above shades. This post will be updated later this afternoon with swatches.

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Comparison Project #2: Is Bobbi Brown Java Metallic similar to the brown shade in Nars Brousse?

Bobbi Brown Java is a cooler mouse-grey when compared to Nars Brousse which seems to have a tinge of red. By itself you would barely be able to detect any red tones to Nars Brousse. I’ve also compared it to a few other medium-dark cool-toned browns.

Top: Edward Bess Mystery, Bobbi Brown Java Metallic, Nars Brousse
Bottom: Cle de Peau Satin 106, MAC Magnetic Fields, Jouer Espresso

1) Edward Bess Mystery
2) Bobbi Brown Java Metallic
3) Nars Brousse
4) CdP 106
5) MAC Magnetic Fields
6) Jouer Espresso

What’s the verdict? Are these different enough to justify owning all? Probably not unless you are a brown eyeshadow fanatic like me. This section will also be updated with swatches if my camera will cooperate with me later today. While I love the Cle de Peau 106, it can look a bit bruisey on my Chanel Shell (equals MAC NC30-35) skin and it’s the least shimmery.

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MAC Dupes: Can You ID These MAC Colors Or Tell the Difference?

December 31, 2009

I don’t write much about MAC because I find that since there are so many MAC experts out there, I don’t feel like I would be contributing much by writing about the line. But I actually do like MAC products quite a bit. To me, they are definitely the most fashion-forward with trends and I love that they have such a wide range of colors, textures and finishes for all their products. Because there are so many colors, I think that just about anyone can find something they like.

One of the things I’m not crazy about though is their frequent discontinuation of colors to make room for new ones, but if your favorite product has been discontinued, there are chances it may be re-promoted with a new collection or that a very similar color will be released under a different product name.

All the products above are different colors, and while they aren’t 100% the same, they are so close that once you apply them on the skin, you can barely tell the difference. Can you ID these or tell the difference?

Pink Swoon Sheertone Blush
Pink Glow Matte Blush (discontinued around 2007)
Dark Edge Satin Eyeshadow (LE with N Collection, January 2008)
Rummy Satin Eyeshadow (LE with D’Bohemia, May 2005)
Bendel Girl Lipglass (Henri Bendel exclusive in September 2007)
Light That Fire Lipglass (LE with Warm & Cozy 2009 Collection)
Sugarshot Lustre Eyeshadow (LE with Sugarsweet, March 2009)
Light Ray Lustre Eyeshadow (LE with Turquatic, July 2006)
Cherry Blossom Lipglass (LE with Cult of Cherry, August 2008)
Cultureclash Lipglass (LE with Electroflash, July 2008, will be re-promoted in Feb 2010)
Trifle Lipglass (LE with Antiquitease, October 2007)
Tongue-in-chic Lacquer (discontinued, unsure of date)
Flash of Flesh Lipglass (LE with D’Bohemia, May 2005)
Bare Necessity Dazzleglass
Camel Eyeshadow (discontinued in 2000?)
Modelette Eyeshadow (released with MAC Warm & Cozy 2009)

My New Years Resolution is to use up more and buy less (we’ll see how well that actually goes). All of these from my stash are still good, I normally don’t throw out things according to the standard expiration dates.

That being said, it still doesn’t stop me from wanting MAC to repromote Maroon pigment, Brass Pigment, Coco Pigment, Pleasureflush MSF, Shrimplette Lipstick, Sharp Beige Lipstick, Fringe Eyeshadow, Heavenly Bliss Eyeshadow, Camel Eyeshadow, those cute Diana Ross pink makeup brushes and a bunch of their original blushes that they discontinued. The closest thing I’ve found to MAC Camel is the new Modelette Eyeshadow, but it’s still a tad bit different. Close enough for me to be happy right now though.

I wish MAC would do an “Originals” collection every year and repromote discontinued products from the past as a collection.

Have you found any MAC dupes?

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What’s Your Definition of “Nude”?

December 28, 2009

I love the theme of nude-colored makeup for everything ranging from eyeshadows, lipsticks, and glosses but find it amazing how many different interpretations there are of this word “nude.” I personally associate nude with something the color of one’s natural skin, but with so many different skintones how does one define “nude”? Is there such a thing as a universally flattering “nude” lipstick or blush?

Take for example the following products that have the name “nude” – all of which are very different and not entirely flesh or skin colored.

Blushes (clockwise from top left):
Bobbi Brown Nude Shimmerbrick,
Dolce & Gabbana Nude, Chanel Nude

Eyeshadows (clockwise from top left):
Dior Nude Look 565, Dior Nude Look 365,
Bobbi Brown Nude Eyeshadow, Dolce & Gabbana Nude,
Edward Bess Nude, MAC Nude (d/c), Stila Nude

Lips (left to right): Dolce & Gabbana Nude Lipgloss, YSL #1 Pure Nude, Trish McEvoy Sexy Nude Beauty Booster, Bobbi Brown Stonewashed Nude, Bobbi Brown Nude, Bobbi Brown Nude Glitter, Chanel Nude Rouge Allure, Laura Mercier Nude Lips (sheer), MAC Creme D’Nude, Laura Mercier Barely Nude

Do any of these nudes work to give you a true “nude” eye, cheek or lip? I am still on my neverending quest for the perfect flattering nude blush and lip combo. I find my definition of nude is quite diverse as there are brownish nudes, pale nudes, golden nudes, beige nudes, pink nudes, peachy nudes etc. My holy grail nude eyeshadow is MAC Camel which has long been discontinued.