Breaking away from the amethysts from yesterday, I wanted to go for something a little different today. I do love all the GL colors from Aromaleigh.

Eyes all shadow AL Gothic Lolita which is 25% off this week.
Base: Lancome Cosmos cream shadow, a light pinky lilac; then a custom mix of sparkly beige powder
Crease: AL Verdant Wisp (green)
Outer corner: AL Elegant reverie (blue)
Dry lined top and bottom (outside the edge of the pencil liner) AL Aqua nightmare
Pencil bottom: MAC graphblack in waterline; MAC brownline outside that
Pencil top: Sephora Flashy Blue 08, bright aqua, just above the outer waterline
Mascara: Lancome Fatale in black
Brows: Chanel Blond-Taupe

Lips: NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil in 721 Soft Fuchsia, very pretty color!
Cheeks: no idea, will add later

Originally posted 2009-03-06 15:44:16.

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Updated to include Natural look.

The lighter of the two colors, with her Sheer gloss on top:
This is a beautiful rosy color, sort of a soft mid-red.

Full face:


The deeper of the two colors with gloss

Full face:
This was going dramatic in the look.

You can see other pictures of this set:
My Smokey Classics
My Smokey Classics -- Dramatic

Natural Look
Sheer gloss on bottom lip; lightest color on top; smooshed; rimmed and up the center with Beauté Allure, a technique that makes the lips look fuller

Full Face:

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

LAUREN LUKE - MY LUSCIOUS GREENS - PALETTE FOR EYES/CHEEK/LIPS - NEW BOXED

US $22.95

5d 7h 29m

Originally posted 2009-11-07 07:36:11.

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Ladies, get your mojo out and hold onto your hats, there are some seriously beautiful looks for fall.

Do we count you among the MAC faithful?
There are so many wonderful MAC products...

Sculpted faces, highlight and contour; 80's makeup, with a full face; red or fuchsia lips, bright or dark; soft pink lips; broad eye liner, the whole brush width; at :18 you can see an eye drawn like mine but more angular; shiny eyes or eyes with glitter; matte, semi-matte or glossy lips...

You pick, what's it gonna be?
What will be your best look? or, can you choose edgy over what you normally would wear? or softer, which would be edgy for you, if you normally go dark?

Here's what the MUAs themselves are saying about the beautiful looks they created:

making real statements...

Many more strokes for maximum impact...a real stamp of individuality, nothing trashy...dark times [said with a smile]lie ahead... like 80's way, but in elegance way...more about sophistication than looking over the top trashy...a lot of makeup everywhere...come out glamourous...all about feminine beauty [with a soft pink lip 1:23]...not too saccharine sweet...we didn't want normal pretty, we wanted pretty with an edge...creamy, dewy, romantic...everything blends into each other...[1:49 using a fat brush to do the edges of dark lips, with a powder to set?]...radiance beauty, but in 3D...

What do you think?
What will you incorporate in your look?

I am semi-planning to go to a MAC event, but it's not real close, so only time will tell if I get there or not, but I'm bringing my camera if I do, so I can post pix.

Keep your finger on your mouse so you can stop the video when you want to get a longer look. This is really well done, covers a lot of territory and quickly!

Karin

Originally posted 2009-08-11 18:37:47.

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I was really happy with the way this turned out and how easy it was to do. This is the first time I've used these Meow colors. I love being able to try so many colors by ordering samples.

Eyes: all Meow unless noted
Base Nude Frost
Lids: ScandalEyes Nicole S (beigy pink, very shimmery)
Crease: ScandalEyes Prissy (deep green)
Outer corners and lined under eye: IdealEyes Mischievous Purrl (light green)
Lined top and lower: Sephora bright teal, flashy blue
Mascara: Stiletto
Concealer: Dior skinflash

Primer: Sheer Cover
Foundation: Lancome mineral,Ivory 10, topped with Lancome mineral powder, then my sparkly mix
Blush: Meow Masterpiece The Kiss, pink
Lips: Popster tinted lip conditioner, rimmed with Beauté Paramour

Anyway, I loved it! How about you?

I hope you had a great day!

Karin

Originally posted 2009-04-19 23:01:07.

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This is the 4th NYX trio from my amazingly cheap NYX haul.

It's very late here, and after a busy day, I'm just now able to post my FOTD, though the pix were taken this morning.

TS 26 Velvet blue, ocean frost, space Medium blue, white/blue, grayed blue
These blues were very pretty on. I will definitely reach for it again.

Base: Nude Frost
Lids: Meow Nicole S -- to make sure the blue wasn't too intense on me
Crease: Velvet blue and lightly over lids.
Lined up and down, plus outer corners: grayed blue, then pencil lined with Styli waterproof Sky pencil
White: under brow
Brows: La Prairie pencil
Mascara: Stiletto on top; Tarte on lower -- Stiletto has smudged on lower under eye, the Tarte is still perfect -- 15 hours later!

Lips:
Too Faced Trophy Wife + rimmed with NYX Silver

I really look bare faced here. Those of you who saw me in person today, did I look this bare faced to you?

No concealer, meant to, but I got sidetracked. I'm really liking the Dior Skinflash.
Primer: Laura Geller (used this sample from Sephora up -- yeah!) (This is the one that turned brown in the air/pot. If it is in a tube, not exposed to air, it might stay white.)
Foundation: Chanel
Rouge: Beauté liqui-gel Harlot
Powder: my sparkly mix, then BE mineral veil for bronzer
Benefit: Georgia Peach all over
Blush: MAC dolly mix
Highlight center of face and above cheekbones: MAC Mellow Mood + Benefit: That Gal

What do you think?

Karin

Originally posted 2009-04-25 00:10:32.

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I was working with the MK Spring 2009 Luminous Eye Colors. An earlier look using these colors is here.

You can see how looks can be varied using the same color pan. In RL the colors were blended, but distinct. The flash makes the colors look uneven. The eye to your left is more the way it looked in RL.

I'm posting today what I looked like on Wednesday because my blog was down.

Crease: luminous brown, a beautiful color
Inner Corners: luminous lime
Outer Corners: luminous teal

Lower: Lined with MAC pencils graphblack in waterline, earthline below, then the luminous teal dry lined below that, also used for upper line.

Upper: tight lined with MK teal pencil from this collection, then drylined above the lashes with luminous teal.

I don't remember any of the other colors I used for cheeks or lips. Sorry!

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-20 09:34:53.

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I had never heard of Hourglass Cosmetics until they came across my computer from another blog. Now I see it's being written up in a lot of magazines, including Allure.

A luxury line with a modern edge. Carisa Janes

I like the fact that while it is considered a luxury line, it is moderately priced, instead of off the scale.

Carisa Janes has created this cutting-edge line which is formulated with the latest in cosmetic technology. Since I had never heard of her, I did a bit of sleuthing.

Carisa Janes has been a creative force behind many different brands during her extensive career in the beauty industry, dating back to 1996. She began her career as an assistant product developer at Urban Decay. After that, she developed and brought to market Body & Soul, an upscale niche cosmetics line that received a lot of press attention when it first launched due to its unique packaging. Next, as head of her own consulting firm, Isa Design, Janes oversaw the creative direction for multiple skin care and cosmetic lines, including teen brand Sugar Cosmetics. Marie Redding

Something else that is nice: you can sample a friend with up to 3 free samples, which is how I got to try it. And I sampled a friend this morning. It takes about 7-10 business days to receive your samples.

The products are available from Sephora online. I do not know if they are carried in some Sephora stores. You can do a search at the Hourglass site to see a store locator.

Here's what I tried
Veil Mineral Primer oil free spf 15 $52

I loved this product. It has a slight radiance to it which makes my skin look perfect. This is something I likely will be buying. 132 people reviewed it at Sephora, giving it an average of more than 4.5 stars.

It is water-resistant and 100% fragrance free, oil free, and paraben free. It does not have an odd smell because of ingredients. I smell nothing.

It neutralizes the skin, creating a smooth, uniform slate for makeup application. Don't forget the slight radiance which evenly distributes light to soften and camouflage skin imperfections and fine lines. It also protects from oil breakthrough, so your makeup stays looking fresh longer.

It has no
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Phthalates

The SPF is formulated with naturally-derived titanium dioxide and zinc oxide rather than chemical sun-blocking agents.

Liquid foundation $60 SPF 15

I was sent 1.5 Nude. It is a little deep and yellow for me. I would prefer another color, less yellow, but it looks fine once it is on. When I choose a color for me, I choose a true neutral, neither pink nor yellow.

There are two other colors that are lighter: Ivory and Porcelain. Additionally there are 5 colors that are deeper.

A medium coverage treatment liquid foundation.

What it is formulated to do:
Veil Fluid Makeup provides luminous, long lasting coverage for a flawless complexion while fighting the signs of aging. Sephora

Tinted Moisturizer $55
I was sent Ivory, the lightest shade. It is lighter than 1.5 in the liquid foundation, but it is still deep and a bit yellow for me.

Hourglass Illusion Luminizing Tinted Moisturizer is an ultra-rich formula that offers moderate coverage for an even, natural, flawless finish. Added Instalift® firms and tightens the skin, producing visible results within an hour of application. Hyaluronic Filling Spheres™ help minimize the appearance of wrinkles while increasing skin's hydration levels, delivering a healthy, dewy radiance. Sephora

I did not notice any particular firming or tightening. It did look nice going on.

It covers nicely, as it is quite pigmented, so for an easy every day look, this is very workable. There is enough coverage that my skin doesn't look bare, unlike some tinted moisturizers that just melt away. I used this after my normal moisturizing as a foundation.

Sephora users rate both of these more than 4 star but not as strongly as the primer.

Have you tried Hourglass cosmetics?

There is also a full color line for eyes, face, and lips.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

Originally posted 2010-01-09 08:40:44.

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Quick and simple works for most days, especially if I wanted to layer up to something more dramatic by the end of the day. It would be easy to do that with this, or even just to change the lipstick for more drama. The longest part of this was tweaking the foundation, trying to use an expensive foundation that isn't the right color, but it is the lightest that they have.

5 parts makeup again: face; cheek color; eyes; lips; brows.

Eyes: my usual base, including Queen Phyllis (BE); then 1 shade of Ulta shadow (a green) and a bit of Ulta shadow with more sparkle (a light silvery gray) because I needed the sparkle; Chanel greenblack pencil to line; Clinique mascara.

Concealer: I used Maybelline Matte Mousse foundation for concealer again (not the concealer.) I find it is a the perfect color, not too light, not too dark, and much simpler than using two products. Also the texture works well and it doesn't crease.

Brows: La Prairie pencil

Face:
Foundation: I have an expensive Guerlain foundation, but I think it is too dark/yellow so I don't reach for it very often. Today I thought I'd mix it with Chanel illuminator, but it still looked too yellow. It doesn't pick that up, though, once my makeup is complete. But it takes the fun out of using it. Additionally I used more of the illuminator to highlight the center of my face.

Cheeks: rouge under my sparkly mix and over the mix, both Lancome, different colors, but both in the pink and plummy range.

Lips: Sephora 10, a sort of grape color (and tastes grape) with quite a bit of micro glitter in it. I generally don't wear it alone, but I really liked how it looked today. I've reapplied it several times, staying with the same color. I just didn't feel like changing it.

What are you doing with your makeup lately? Is the heat getting to you?

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

Originally posted 2010-08-10 15:35:50.

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You can see more about these Too Faced glosses here. I updated it with a picture now of this color combination.

And here is where I talk about the technique in detail.

Mermaid using Pink Bling on rim
I love, love, love this technique. I used Guerlain Lip Lift to block out any stain on my lips so this would be a fairly true picture.

Here's another view:

This shows the degree of sparkle:

Have you tried this technique yet? I love it!
Honestly, my lips look like I've had something done to them.

Here's what I like about the technique
It's easy, and it works. It camouflages my lipline in a soft, natural, updated way. It works better than a pencil for doing that.

It used to be that I would do my lipstick on the bottom inside the outer ridge. (Book Girl has this ridge too.) But in later years, it didn't look as good doing it that way, and thanks to my dad for both my lips and the lines around them, I still miss him! -- this works much better and looks the way I prefer to look.

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-26 08:41:26.

No related posts.

I always like a good beauty quote, and Andrea Claire had a few good ones in her interview with Makeup Junkie. You can read the full interview and learn more about Claire's makeup, hair and style career here at MJ's blog. You can also see some of Claire's print work. I'm glad MJ is back online posting again.

Here are some highlights:

Fall 2009 Beauty Trends
Claire feels smokey eyes, matte red lips, and 80s revival will be the top trends this fall. This was confirmed in the MAC videos I posted earlier.

Advice to women of a certain age
Avoid trends such as 80s revival, if you already lived it once. Makes sense to me.

...if you had been there done that and bought the lime green shadow you cannot do that again! Besides, it is very much a 'must have young skin' to pull it off. Bold colour blocking with eye shadows can age you and have you looking like you are stuck in a time warp. This look is only carried off if you are an adolescent so if you are 21 and under I say rock it, over 21 opt for another trend of the season.

Claire gives the following makeup tricks:
Smokey Eyes

*layer carbon/charcoal shadows with metallic colour. [You notice that I have done this, as it works better for my eyes.]
*If you find shadows are difficult to blend with your dark base then layer MAC's Smolder pencil with a Lise Watier's Metallic Eye shine pencil, smudge together with a Q-Tip. [Or use the MAC smudger brush as I have done. And use a lighter base. MAC's Smolder moved on me and made a mess. Blackgraph stays put. They are two different formulas. Smolder would likely smudge better.]

Matte Red lips

*apply the lip liner after the lipstick so it doesn't appear to[o] geometric.
*dot a smidge of vitamin e on top - not to add gloss but just a little moisture -- if matte is too drying for you.

What I really loved is her beauty mantra:

Be realistic. Be real... Beauty is not serious - beauty is a moment in your day that can convey confidence, flirtiness, calm. What I mean is, all women 'take 5' in their day by touching up here and there ... Beauty is a moment in time that is forever changing. Embrace those little moments but don't be those moments just live in them.... HA! Life is short - enjoy it - have fun with it. That's what beauty and fashion is all about; ... A form of expression that can change day to day, season to season - enjoy the trends but remember to enjoy life too. Andrea Claire at Makeup Junkie

Be sure to look at Makeup Junkie's blog.

Karin --I do wear the lime shadow, just judiciously.
www.savvythinker.com
don't steal my posts -- you know who you are!

Originally posted 2009-08-27 19:21:47.

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