Savvy Thinker » Rouge or blush http://savvythinker.com thinking about life, playing with makeup Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:15:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 FOTD Arbonne Smoky eyes + lips http://savvythinker.com/fotd-arbonne-smoky-eyes-lips/ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-arbonne-smoky-eyes-lips/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:35:37 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=4496

The Smoky Eye look is one of two eye sets that Arbonne has put together. Judging from how beautiful it looks on the model and how beautiful the Audrey Eye look is in the travel palette and on Shari, I wanted to try this sight unseen. Shari has a palette set up in it, but didn't think to bring it when Book Girl had her last party.

When my palettes arrive, I'll take photos of the sets in the palettes then post the pictures here, on yesterday's FOTD, and in a new post.

You can see the Smoky Eyes on a model here. Aren't they lush!

This set repeats the brown shade (matte) from the Audrey Eye look, but adds a bronzy shade (shimmery) to go with it. If I hadn't seen it on the model, I likely would not have ordered this shade because I wouldn't have thought it would work on me, but it does. It is very pretty combined with the brown, and will be beautiful alone also.

I applied this without looking at the recommended order of colors. Next time I will remember to do it the other way. One change: wetline, not tightline. The other: use the shimmery bronze (Charade) just over the pupil of the eye. Inkling is a beautiful color. It is not as black a navy as it appears; it is a true navy. I applied

Lids: linen, then smudge with inkling, adding Charade a bit over all
Drylined top and lower: Inkling I wanted to bring out the blue
Tight lined top and lower: Eclipse, smudged with smudger on the pencil
Inner corners: Illume. shimmery white
Mascara: Guerlain
Brows: La Prairie pencil

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Primer
Foundation: Revlon Age Defying (one side) Revlon Spa (other side)
Highlight:
Rouge under powder: MK stick
Powder: Guerlain meteorites
Blush: Arbonne Savvy, the soft apricot shade

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Lips:
Arbonne Illusion + Legend 1/2 and 1/2, 1 on each lip, smooshed; then blended well with a lip brush, because it looked like light lipstick with dark liner.

I loved the lip color on the model. I'm going to try this right now, just to see, since my earlier color is gone. Illusion looks quite brown in the tube, not the soft apricot on her lips. Stay tuned for a LOTD post.

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What do you think?

I think this will be very pretty for fall -- and I'm feeling like fall, even though the temps have not broken. It's still hot, hot, hot here.

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If you'd like to order any of these Arbonne products and do not have a consultant, Book Girl would be happy to help you.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com


Originally posted 2009-08-23 13:11:00.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/fotd-arbonne-smoky-eyes-lips/feed/ 0 FOTD Meow eyes, NYX lips http://savvythinker.com/fotd-meow-eyes-nyx-lips/ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-meow-eyes-nyx-lips/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:24:49 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=2172

I was happy with the way this turned out.

I spread out my Meow samples and thought what did I want to try:

Eyes:
Base: Nude Frost (there is some question as to whether this irritates me, but so far, so good today -- I gave it a rest, then tried again today) then my sparkly eye mix
Lid and Crease: Meow VandalEyes Misdemeanor (lime)
Crease and drylined top and lower: Meow VandalEyes Shoplifting (deep vibrant purple)

The lime is a little lighter and brighter than it photographed. You can see the glitter liner on the eye to your right.

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Lined: Estee Lauder Plum Grey pencil (which turned out to be more grey than I remembered, so I went over the line and past the line with Meow)
Glitter lined over the top of liners: GirlActik Lavender -- gorgeous color, this line was my first foray into glitters, before AL Rocks! glitter
Mascara: (top, to your left) Mark Scandalash Indigo (purple)
Mascara : (top, to your right and lower lashes) Estee Lauder MagnaScopic purple
The EL is a tad darker.
Brows: La Prairie pencil

Finished look:

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Primer: Smashbox Purple Primer
I like the color lift that this gives.

Foundation: Revlon Age Defying Liquid Color 04
I like this foundation and use it often.
Rouge: Mary Kay stick from a limited line
Powder: Lustre Aromaleigh Twilight supernatural powder
Nice gleam. Used my normal powder brush, not a FO.
Blush: Meow Masterpiece Water Lilies Love this color!
Lips: NYX Round Gloss Apricot 19
This is gorgeous and vibrant when applied heavily. Later it softens to a delicious stain-y look, but it is still moist with product on the lip. You can see how it looks here.

I quite like Meow mineral shadows. I am sampling several types, but they all seem to be equally pigmented and equally easy to use.

VandalEyes are our newest, most highly pigmented collection of multi-purpose eye shadows. Silky smooth and designed to be extra long wearing, they're intense and powerful but they are *not* for the faint of heart...Can be applied dry for a bold look, or foiled (applied wet) for the most intense color and sheen.

I'd love to try more of their Masterpiece blush line.

Masterpiece Blush Gallery: Our newest blush collection, uniquely formulated and unlike any other blush you've ever tried. They're sumptuously sheer, and sweep on your cheeks invisibly, leaving only a pure wash of gorgeous colors behind!

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-23 13:32:53.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/fotd-meow-eyes-nyx-lips/feed/ 1 FOTD NYX +MAC +Too Faced+ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-nyx-mac-too-faced/ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-nyx-mac-too-faced/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:11:03 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=3110

This is the 3rd NYX trio palette in my amazingly cheap NYX haul.

Eyes:
TS 30 Baby Pink, White Pearl, Baby Blue
These are more my colors than yesterday's!
Base: Lancome pink cream
Pink on my lids; Blue in the crease and lined under lower lashes; White on brow bone.
Brows: Prescriptive pencil -- has a super thin lead, easy to use
Lined top: Lancome Blueberry wand
Tightlined Lined lower: Tidal Wave gel liner
Lined top and lower: Prestige Denim pencil
Mascara: Lancome Hypnose on upper; Tarte Bottom up on lower

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Primer: Smashbox purple
Foundation: L'oreal N1
Rouge: Chanel stick
Powder: my sparkly mix + BE Mineral Veil as bronzer
Over powder: Benefit Georgia Peach
Blush: MAC Moon River
Concealer: Dior Skinflash

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Lips: I liked this really well!
Too Faced Pink Diamond Gloss from their super Vintage sale
Rimmed with: MAC Baby Sparks Dazzler gloss

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I was happy with the way this turned out. The color was nice with my denim top. And much more to my taste than yesterday.

What do you think?
Karin

Originally posted 2009-04-23 20:48:30.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/fotd-nyx-mac-too-faced/feed/ 1 FOTD Weekend look Lancome AL BE Beauté http://savvythinker.com/fotd-weekend-look-lancome-al-be-beaute/ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-weekend-look-lancome-al-be-beaute/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:42:16 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=3169

Wow, this sure photographed well! This is my new gauze top. I love the style with cut away sleeves.

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Eyes:
Base: Beauticontrol Pink, then my sparkly shadow mix
Crease: AL Grape pure eyes matte -- I forgot about this one and how much I liked it until I spotted it again -- I didn't think it went on as easily as the first time, but I was happy when I finished
Lids: AL Dandelion Satin Petals Frost -- a very soft yellow
Lined top and lower: Clinique Blacker Violet pencil
Mascara upper: Lancome Fatale; Lower: Tarte

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Primer:
Foundation: Lancome Minerals and Powder; my sparkly facial mix
Blush: BE Beauty
Highlight: M*A*D Alter Ego -- looks beige but pulls iridescent pink on the skin

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Lips: all Beauté
Paramour/Heroine 1/2 and 1/2, rimmed with Allure

What do you think?

Karin

Originally posted 2009-04-26 22:50:46.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/fotd-weekend-look-lancome-al-be-beaute/feed/ 0 FOTD Aromaleigh eyes + Cover Girl lips + http://savvythinker.com/fotd-aromaleigh-eyes-cover-girl-lips/ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-aromaleigh-eyes-cover-girl-lips/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:15:12 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=4586

I felt like wearing turquoise on my eyes today, and outside of the Summer set by Mary Kay, my go-to for turquoise is Aromaleigh. Kristen has beautiful shades of greens, turquoises and teals, and I probably have most of them, at least in sample sizes, which are quite long lasting. They are vibrant and beautiful, if you are on a quest for this color.

I also felt like doing a 5 min makeup today, which I did. The only reason it took longer is because I kept thinking of things I wanted to take pictures of, such as the Chanel container and my powder. So I would digress to that. Aromaleigh is really fool proof. Easy to apply; always looks great and lasts all day. I knew I could do a 5 min makeup with AL. And I had a busy, busy day today, meetings, errands, music lesson, pick and delivery to school and more.

In all honesty, there were two things I meant to do and got sidetracked: concealer, and some of the new Arbonne white shadow in the inner corners of my eyes. That would have taken 30 sec. I just forgot.

Eyes: all Aromaleigh, except where noted
Base: Nude Frost, then BE Queen Phyllis
Lids: Azure
Drylined Top: Aqua Nightmare (love this color!)
Drylined bottom: Caribe, just a touch more blue
Mascara: Stiletto
Tightlined top: NYX pen black
Brows: Merle Norman powder
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Primer: Avon Magix
Foundation: L'Oreal True Match, N1 Soft Ivory While it looks like this foundation covers well, when applying it, I'm a little disappointed in how sheer it looks in the pictures. I like my skin to show through, but I like it a little less sheer. I will likely use this more as a highlighter in the future, if I try it again, and it is equally sheer.
Rouge under my sparkly mix of powder: Chanel stick
Blush over: Arbonne Promise
Hightlight: Arbonne Bashful lightest blush

Lips: CG 912+928 + Stila Silver Mix
First: Guerlain liplift primer and conditioner and all round magic product
912 and 928 are plumping colors
1/2 and 1/2 each color, one on each lip, smooshed; then Stila-Silver Mix gloss when some of the lippie was gone to refresh it...this lipstick (928) is the one that hurt my lips after using it exclusively for months. After using every lip balm known to man and still having problems wearing anything on my lips, I remembered I had the Liplift. It fixed the problem with one application. I now have one in my purse and in the bathroom. And I made sure I used it before these colors. I never felt the product sting my lips. 912 is a particularly pretty soft shade. Perhaps tomorrow I'll show it alone.
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What do you think?
Do you like to use plumping lipsticks or teals and turquoises for shadows? What is your favorite AL color?

Kristen's birthday is coming up and she'd love to have people participate in nominating her business. See the info here.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com
do not steal my posts -- you know who you are

Originally posted 2009-08-28 17:41:19.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/fotd-aromaleigh-eyes-cover-girl-lips/feed/ 1 FOTD AL Spring Solstice Eyes http://savvythinker.com/fotd-al-spring-solstice-eyes/ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-al-spring-solstice-eyes/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:57:17 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=1943

I received AL's Spring Solstice colors a couple of days ago. They are really beautiful shades, and even better, they are 25% off until March 18, 2009. I love that it is affordable to try the colors as samples before ordering full sizes.

Because I was wearing gray today, I wanted to go bright and cheery, like the feathers of a bird. That is generally the look I go for, anyway, instead of a lot of extra blending. I try to blend as I go, but with bright definitions. I wanted my eyes to flash color when I blinked, the way a birds feathers would show in flight.

After all, it is spring! The birds have been singing here like crazy lately, even in the middle of the night.

I love all the AL reds that they have for eyes.
Before AL, I had never worn any red shadows, and in fact, had never even seen any. Yes, pinks and mauves and lilacs and purples and burgundies, but never red.

This shows you how I laid out the colors, but in RL the edges are not sharply defined as it shows with the flash.

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All Aromaleigh Spring Solstice, applied dry:
Crease: Lupine, a soft grayed blue
Outer Corners: Nasturtium, brilliant beautiful red
Drylined upper and below my usual MAC in lower waterline: Forget-me-not, bright teal
Lined outer top: E.L.F. waterproof pen in navy
Mascara: Jillian Dempsey for Avon, dual
Brows: Clinique pencil

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Cheeks: AL femmefatale rocks sonic rouge
This is a beautiful peachy pink, that I thought would go well with the lippie.
Lip gloss: Milani Glitzy Puttin on the Ritz 07
This takes on all different hues depending on the light. You can see it illustrated at my review post. Gorgeous color; almost like the 70s, but updated to be new and fresh.

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Today I'm comparing two serums. Everything else is the same.

One fun thing is E.L.F. Shimmering Facial Whip in a pink tone that I used to highlight up the center of my face before my usual glimmer powder mix. I bought this on a whim. Plus the price. Every E.L.F. item I bought was only $1, except for two which were $3 each. I figured I couldn't go wrong.

I'll talk more about E.L.F. in another post after I try more of the products.

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-15 13:59:10.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/fotd-al-spring-solstice-eyes/feed/ 0 A little makeup theory http://savvythinker.com/a-little-makeup-theory/ http://savvythinker.com/a-little-makeup-theory/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:50:15 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=1990

This is just a quick summary of some various ideas about makeup.

Powders, creams or lotions?
If your skin is oily, work more with powders than creams or lotions.

If your skin is dry, work more with lotions or creams. Use powder sparingly because it might not soften.

Soften the top step Usually not necessary for oily skin.
For drier skin:
Just as foiling is a concept for eye makeup, dampening the face after applying product softens the edges, mutes a powdery look making it appear more like skin, not makeup.

Damp, not wet.

A damp sea sponge offers a bit more control than spritzing with a product that might not be as even.

Dark recedes; Light or bright brings forward
This concept works for every part of your face: eyes, cheeks, nose...

You want to lift, not drag down.

Contouring the face
Use the concept Dark recedes; Light or bright brings forward to your advantage.

If you are very fair, like me, contouring might tend to look like dirt on the face. It is more subtle to use bronzer (matte in hollow of cheeks) (with some glimmer along edges of face) or a slightly darker shade of powder in those areas.

Contouring can be done with very defined edges, as Oprah's face is contoured. You can examine her cover pictures to see how contouring is laid out, because it is defined enough that you can see it. This looks good for magazine shoots and TV, but too made up for RL unless you are a star.

More subtle: follow the outlines, but with less difference in tonality.

Highlighting the face
Highlight wherever light would touch your face (the high points) and up the center of your face to draw the eye. This can be done with powder, creams or lotions.

Go for a mix of these two ideas
In general, whatever is under your top layer, looks like your skin
This creates an optical illusion that looks like your skin.
Most people are not aware of this concept or how well it works.

Use a cream or powder blush and highlighter/contouring under your last step (powder or mineral.)

If you are using a cream or liquid foundation, use a cream or liquid blush under your finishing powder. If you try to use a powder blush at this point, it will most likely grab and not go on even. Cream or lotion works better.

OTOH, if you are using minerals in a powder form, you can use cream, liquid or powder in this step, then finish with your sheer setting powder.

Whatever is on top of your last step, looks like makeup, not your skin
Putting some color under your last step, means you can use less in this step. Therefore, while you have color, you look less made up.

Highlight or contour with powders or minerals at this point. Use a cream or lotion, if you have drier skin.

Blush can be powders, minerals or creams depending on the look you are going for and what your skin type is.

Lips
Highlight just above the dip in your upper lip to draw the eye to your lips.

If one lip is smaller than the other and you would like to balance them more, line just outside the smaller lip line with pencil. Be sure to fill in the whole lip with pencil so it holds better and doesn't just leave you with an outline. This can match your lipstick or match your lip line. Experiment with how far outside you can go and still have it look natural.

Contour the lips to make them look fuller by using darker shades at the outer edges or highlighting the center of the lips with gloss or something that glimmers.

Nose
To slim a nose: use deeper color on sides than top; use a slightly lighter color along ridge of nose.
Nose too long: This sometimes happens with aging. Use deeper color on tip.

Chin
Use the same theory as for the nose. If your chin is too prominent, use a little contour.

Cheeks
You are looking to make high cheek bones, rosy cheeks, and slim hollows.

Use light and bright along apples of cheeks and above.

Use deeper in contours of the cheeks, if you wish to try contouring, to slim the hollows.

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-17 10:16:52.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/a-little-makeup-theory/feed/ 0 FOTD Tues Meow AL Fyrinnae http://savvythinker.com/fotd-tues-meow-al-fyrinnae/ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-tues-meow-al-fyrinnae/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:52:27 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=2843

I'm running behind, as you can see, but here is my look for Tuesday.

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Eyes:
Lids: Meow IdealEyes Cat got your tongue? light pink
Crease: AL Spring Solstice Bellflower purple orchid
Pencil Lined top: Clarins Midnight Flash, great purple, now discontinued
Pencil lined lower: Fyrinnae Iimmortalitythen more Bellflower below that
Brows: Clinique pencil
Mascara Upper: BE Buxom; lower: Stiletto

Primer AL
Foundation 2 Chanels to compare
Rouge under powder: Nars The Multiple Riviera
Powder: my sparkly mix, then BE mineral veil as bronzer
Blush: Meow
Lips: NYX Round Gloss Ballerina Pink 36

This was such a pretty, soft look. I felt like spring even though winter is giving us a last hurrah! It's going to be in the low 40s here tomorrow morning! What do you think?

What are you doing with your makeup to feel more spring-like?
Karin

Originally posted 2009-04-07 23:51:16.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/fotd-tues-meow-al-fyrinnae/feed/ 0 FOTD Thursday Chanel eyes + http://savvythinker.com/fotd-thursday-chanel-eyes/ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-thursday-chanel-eyes/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:30:28 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=3776

Chanel Les Quatre eye shadow Sublimes: Marine, Beige Rose, Granite, Clear Blue
I rarely use this set, but I should use it more often. I originally bought it because I didn't have anything in this color family. All my blues were more of a normal blue.

This set leans toward teal. If you make an X, the upper right and lower left are both light shades, though I've never worn them alone, say, for day. Thinking about it, I wonder why, and want to do it sometime soon.

The opposite line, are two darks, very dark and extremely dark. One looks black-blue; the other looks black-black-blue. They would be very dramatic if used for evening -- or even to achieve a goth look.

You can see where I laid the lines. I used the lighter of the two dark blues to dryline the bottom. The darkest to dryline the top.

Arbonne mascara, 2 step. La Prairie brow pencil. Dior skinflash concealer with a touch of Arbonne in the outer corners.

Chanel foundation; my sparkly powder mix, followed by BE mineral veil sort of like a bronzer.

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Highlight: Benefit Georgia
Blush: YSL # 19, also used as a bronzer

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Lips: NYX Aphrodite + rimmed with Beauté Paramour (and a touch in the center.)

What do you think?

To buy Arbonne from Bookgirl, if you don't have a representative, go here.
Karin

Originally posted 2009-06-19 13:51:54.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/fotd-thursday-chanel-eyes/feed/ 0 FOTD Meow Eyes, AL blush, Milani lip gloss http://savvythinker.com/fotd-meow-eyes-al-blush-milani-lip-gloss/ http://savvythinker.com/fotd-meow-eyes-al-blush-milani-lip-gloss/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:13:44 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=1921

Trying out Meow eyes again today, but different colors.

Used my new fiber optic AL brush again. Love this brush. Get one! I will do a review in the next few days. I used it for everything except the outer corners. It makes application a snap!

In the order of application:
Base: Avon light purple cream; my golden beige sparkle
Crease: IdealEyes Anti-Social Purrl
Outer corners: VandalEyes Pole Dancing
Inner corners: ScandalEyes Nicole S (I used this yesterday too).
Mascara top: compared two Guerlains; the one is the dual ended one.

This is a pretty container:

Lined bottom MAC: graphblack in waterline; earthline below it.
Mascara lower: the tiny brush for lower lashes from the dual ended.
Drylined: ScandalEyes Feral
Brows: Clinique pencil

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Cheeks:
AL Breathless rocks sonic rouge (great color)
Using a fiber optic brush -- I took about 3 grains; 2 would have been enough.

Later I updated my lips with Cover Girl Incredifull lipstick (see my review tomorrow.)

Cover Girl Incredifull 928

Primer(s)
Today I used Guerlain Meteorites Perles Light Diffusing Perfecting Primer

over a bit of Smashbox primer, under Chanel foundation. The Guerlain is wonderful for correcting a foundation that needs a little help. The Chanel alone is a bit yellow. I wish I could still get the foundation that they discontinued. That color was perfect!

And, of course, my mix of glimmer powder over the foundation. You can find the recipe under Savvy Thinker quick find or here.

Karin

Originally posted 2009-03-14 16:16:16.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/fotd-meow-eyes-al-blush-milani-lip-gloss/feed/ 0