Another everyday look...

I love seeing different makeup looks. I scour websites and books looking at new ideas all of the time. I have so much makeup, I will never be able to use it all. But here's the problem. Most of the time, the looks I find are too dramatic for me to use as a daily look. As much as I might want to deny it, I'm reaching an age where I need to tone down my makeup a bit. When the texture of your skin starts to change, super-frosty or metallic eye shadows just emphasize that "crepe-iness" (and you can call that crepe-y or creepy - they both work as far as I'm concerned, LOL!) and I want to draw attention away from that. I still like satin shadows or those with a pearlescent sheen, but I try to either keep them neutral/nude or add a matte shadow so that the entire eye area isn't shimmery.

I figure there have to be other ladies out there who feel the same way. You want to see different shadow combos to get ideas for your own use - but you want something subtle, with muted colors - something that you can apply in just a few minutes. So I thought I would start posting some of the everyday looks that I do. They aren't anything spectacular - I'm certainly not a makeup artist - and you're going to see the looks on skin that is almost 49 years old (so prepare yourself!). But I think I'm okay with that because not everyone out there is 20 or 30-something - and not everyone wants dramatic makeup. I hope that someone finds the information helpful!

This is a look that I did earlier this week. I was in a hurry and just wanted something neutral with a little smudged liner. I was going to wear jeans and a navy blue sweater, so this is what I chose:

Here's a list with links to the products:
Aromaleigh Plush Romantic eye shadow
Aromaleigh Aurora eye shadow
First Blush of Spring blush (the link will take you to the recipe)
GeoGraphx Peach Pearl eye shadow
MAC Whirl lip liner
MAC Delish lipstick (this has been d/c'ed, so check eBay)
MAC Nymphette lipglass
Spell Cosmetics Hologlow Embers eye shadow
Spell Cosmetics Gold Salmon eye shadow

This was soooo easy! I patted Gold Salmon over the lid and up into the crease, patted a light layer of Peach Pearl over that, and a light layer of Aurora over that. Then I added Hologlow Embers from the top of the crease to under the brow. Next, I lined the outer 2/3 of my upper lid with Plush Romantic, and smudged a little thicker line all along the lower lashline. Because I wanted to make sure the color lasted all day, I then took a little of the Plush Romantic, mixed it with a bit of eyeliner sealant, and wetlined the upper & lower lashlines. Then I went back with a dry brush and added a little more of the Plush Romantic while the wetlining was still damp. I know it sounds like a lot - but when you have all of the brushes & shadows in front of you, it literally takes 2-3 minutes from start to mascara.

I used a blush brush to apply a little First Blush of Spring to the apples of my cheeks. For my lips, I used MAC's Whirl lip liner (it's definitely my "my lips but better" color), then MAC's Delish lipstick, and topped that with MAC's Nymphette lipglass.

So as you can see, it's just enough makeup/color to add a little life, but not enough that people say "wow, she's wearing makeup".  ;-)

Spell Cosmetics

Update 5/28/10: I can no longer recommend doing business with Spell Cosmetics; read about my experience with them here.

After reading the Spell Cosmetics review on the Eclectic Musings blog, I decided to place an order. You can send a picture along with an email to Elle, telling her any colors you prefer to avoid, and what type of look you're trying to achieve, and she will give you a complimentary "makeover" - suggesting Spell Cosmetics colors. For 48 hours after the makeover, if you are registered at the Spell Cosmetics site, you can get 25% off your order, too!

I basically asked for a nude/neutral casual daytime look. Something simple that would be easy to do - no cool colors, no pink/orange/red shadows, no high glitter/shimmery/frosted shadows (although satin luster is okay).

Elle recommended Hologlow Embers for highlighting the brow, Gold Salmon for the lid, and Sepia for the crease.

I'm really pleased with the suggestions Elle made - it's a look I can do in just a few minutes and it works for any daytime function. And I can just add a little more Sepia and more dramatic liner to make it work for evening.

The lipgloss Elle suggested was Bona Fide - but she was worried I might be a little scared by it. I ordered it anyway because her second suggestion (Ingenue) looked a little too light. My lips have a lot of natural pigment, so glosses that are very sheer or light in color tend to look like clear gloss on me.

I admit - when I got it, I was scared, LOL! It looked much darker than it did on the website. But - it happens to be very sheer - a sheer bronze/brown nude. I applied  Christian Dior lip liner in Linen, powdered lightly, then applied MAC lip liner in Whirl, and powdered lightly. Next, I applied just a touch of Korres Mango Lipstick in Pink 14 (vibrant rose), and topped that with the Bona Fide gloss from Spell Cosmetics.

You can see that it really is a sheer product! So don't let the colors scare you! The consistency is very creamy without any stickiness. Of course that translates into needing to be applied a little more frequently, but I'm happy to make that trade-off to avoid stickiness.

My order also contained some generous free samples - Under My Spell face primer, Bronze eye shadow, and Filter Translucent Perfecting Powder.

And I have to tell you that the customer service is absolutely incredible! The Delicate Harmony foundation that I got was way too light for me, so I emailed asking if it was possible to exchange it (the seal was still intact) and maybe get color samples before purchasing another color. They emailed back saying that they would ship out the Medium Harmony foundation to me, along with a sample of the Rich Harmony foundation - and that they wouldn't allow me to incur return shipping costs, so to please keep the other foundation and give it to family or friends! How amazing is that?

I was so impressed that I immediately sent a "thank you" and went to the site to place a second order. I took advantage of their current special (through May 16) - buy 5 eye shadows, get 5 eye shadows free - 10 eye shadows for $30! I also ordered a tube of the Obvious Gloss in Tea Rose, and the new Liner le Creme in Blackest. I will receive a free full-size Illuminade Illuminator with my order, too (that offer is good through May 1)! Yay! I can't wait to see everything!

(In case you were wondering, I ordered these eye shadows: Driftwood, Taupe, Aubergine, Mocha, Camille, Promenade, Whisper to Me, Faint, Corset, & Echoes. I'll do swatches and a review when I get them!)

Check them out and take advantage of their generous free online makeover!

Sephora's Give Me Some Lip review, pt. 2

This is part 2 of my review of the lippies in Sephora's Give Me Some Lip sampler (you can find part 1 here)...

The first one is Urban Decay's Pocket Rocket gloss in Doug. I admit, the hunky guy on the tube is nice to look at and probably a conversation-starter! The gloss is a very sheer raspberry-mauvey-pink color with a good bit of fine, iridescent glitter. There is pretty strong scent that I don't find very pleasant - I can't place it, but it's sort of sweet & nutty, LOL.  The consistency is a little sticky, but not annoyingly so. I'd like it more if I could get past the smell.

Urban Decay Pocket Rocket gloss in Doug

 

 Doug swatched on my hand

Next up is Smashbox's Lip-Enhancing Gloss in Pout. The color is a pale "retro" pink - I'm not sure if I'll be able to wear this one without putting something under it. The color is pretty sheer, but what you do get is pale - very pale. There is a very, very fine shimmer to it also. The consistency doesn't seem to be sticky at all. I think I detect a slight 'cinnamon' scent to it.

Smashbox Lip-Enhancing Gloss in Pout

  

 Pout swatched on my hand (if you look closely, you can see a pink stain to the right & just below Pout - this is the stain left from Benefit's Poseytint in Poppy Pink!)

The last one is Tarte's Danny & Sandy lipgloss duo. The colors appear extremely bright in the tube - Danny looks almost cherry/candy apple red, and Sandy is just a bit lighter with lots of fine, silvery shimmer. If you look very, very closely at Danny, you can see that it also has a lot of shimmer, but it's almost exactly the same color as the gloss (maybe with just a hint of gold?). I'm not a big fan of Tarte glosses because they're pretty sticky. I can't get enough of the gloss out of the tube to determine the scent, but it doesn't seem to be unpleasant.

 Tarte Double-Ended Lipgloss in Danny & Sandy (Danny is the open one)

  

 Danny swatched on my hand

  

 Tarte Double-Ended Lipgloss in Danny & Sandy (Sandy is the open one)

 

Sandy swatched on my hand

Overall, the sampler was definitely worth $25 - but there are only a couple of the glosses that I would consider purchasing again.

Sephora's Give Me Some Lip review, pt. 1

Sephora introduced a cute little lipgloss 'sampler' for Valentine's Day, and of course, I couldn't resist!

 

 the front of the box

the back of the box, listing the contents

 the goodies inside the box!

Rather than try to review all 7 products in one post, I'm just going to tackle 4 of them today. First - the Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips lip plumper in April. It's a beautiful shade of sheer carnation pink (my favorite color!) with a fair amount of fine sparkles. The consistency isn't too sticky, but I did find it a little difficult to apply evenly with the applicator brush. I ended up having to smooth it out with a different lip brush. The scent is a bit like vanilla. This product does contain menthone glycerin acetal, which is basically menthol. And boy can you feel it! I experienced significant stinging (not uncomfortable, but noticeable) for a couple of hours. I didn't really notice any change in my lips - but I use Lip Fusion regularly, so I don't know that I'd see a difference. It does contain other actives that could produce plumping over time. I'm guessing if I used this regularly, I would have issues with dryness & flaking due to the menthol.

 

BE Buxom Lips lip plumper in April

 

April swatched on the back of my hand

The next product is Laura Mercier lipgloss in Rose. This is a deep rose color that is sheer, but definitely offers some color, too. It has some very fine shimmery glitter & the consistency is fairly creamy - not sticky at all. The scent is a little like vanilla Playdoh, which was not very pleasant to my nose, LOL.  

Laura Mercier lipgloss in Rose

 

Rose swatched on the back of my hand

Next up is Korres Mango Butter Lipstick w/ spf 10 in Pink 14. I think the color is very similar to the Laura Mercier lipgloss in Rose and it also has the same fine shimmer. The difference is that this product is a bit more sheer and a little less glossy - but it still has some gloss. I guess the scent is mango butter - but I'm not sure, LOL. It's not an unpleasant scent. The consistency of the mango butter lipsticks is lovely - very creamy, not sticky. I like them a lot.

Korres Mango Butter Lipstick w/ spf 10 in Pink 14

 

Pink 14 swatched on the back of my hand

The last lippie I'm going to review today is Benefit's Posietint in Poppy Pink. This is a really pretty coral-pink. The consistency reminds me of MAC's See-Thru Lip Color (from the Rose Romance Collection 2009). It has almost a watery consistency, so that once it's on the lips & dries, it doesn't feel like there is anything on your lips. And it definitely leaves a stain behind, so beware! I swatched the color on my hand early in the day and 10 hours later, even through doing laundry, washing dishes, and washing my hands several times - the pink stain is still there. Think light cherry Kool-aid stain and you'll have the picture! I like the feel of gloss on my lips, so I'd have to top this with something else - and I'm not sure how I feel about having my lips stained. Although I always wear a lipliner, so I'm guessing I wouldn't have much staining. There isn't any shimmer/glitter in this product.

 

Benefit's Posietint in Poppy Pink

 

Poppy Pink swatched on the back of my hand

Have you tried any of these? Did you like them?