Tis the season to get smokey

Xmas is drawing near, and I am sure most of you have attended at least one Xmas party. One of my most favourite and glamorous looks for parties are smokey eyes (followed closely by the 'Red Lip' look.) 

There is just something so glamorous and alluring about a smokey eye. It can be played down with neutral colours or you can go all out wearing bold eyes and lips, the choice is yours. 

I treated myself to some retail therapy a few days ago, and was kindly given some complimentary makeup, courtesy of No.7 at Boots. 

As soon as I opened the 'Deco Darling' gift box, I knew these products were perfect for a smokey eye look. I thought I would share how you can make good use of these products too. 

The kit contained:

• Exceptional Definition Mascara in "Black"
• Stay Perfect Lipstick in "Classic Rose"
• Stay Perfect Eyeshadow in "Black Gold"
• Stay Perfect Metallic Eyes Pencil in "Blackest"

 

Get The Look

Unfortunately, the box did not contain a foundation base, so I had to provide my own. 

1. I started by prepping my skin with a moisturiser and a primer. I used 'The Body Shop's Seaweed mattifying day cream' and 'Collection 2000 Primed and Ready' primer. 
2. I applied my foundation on all the necessary areas with a foundation brush. Matte skin is best for this look, so I used 'Chanel Perfection Lumiere in 50 Beige'
3. I started on the eyes by applying the metallic eyes pencil along my top lash line. I made a very thick line from the inner corners to the outer corner. 
4. Then I took a blending brush and used the Stay Perfect eyeshadow to blend the eyeliner. I started on the outer corner of the eyes and blended inwards to get the gradient effect. You can build the colour however much you want.
5. I applied the Metallic Eyes liner again, this time concentrating on keeping the line closer to the lash line (upper and lower lash line.) I used the blending brush to blend the liner again, but this time I didn't use the eyeshadow. 
6. Finish the look by applying two coats of the Intense Volume Mascara. Let the first coat dry before you apply the second coat. You can also opt to use false lashes to add drama.
7. I wiped away any fallout under the eye, then used concealer to brighten the under eye. 
8. Contouring is a must for this look, especially if you are planning on taking pictures. You want to avoid a flat face. I used 'Victoria Jackson bronzing powder' to contour my cheeks. You may use a peach or light pink blush to add colour to your face. 
9. Last but not least apply the Stay Perfect Lipstick onto your lips. Blot your lips with tissue and reapply for a longer wear. 

I have quite a hooded lid, so I didn't take the colour beyond the crease. However you can adapt the look to suit you. If you feel scared to put the colour all over the lid, you can smoke out the liner without apply the eyeshadow all over the lid. 

Hope you like the look, and Good Luck!! 

Stay blessed, Peace!

"Makeup is for now, but beauty is forever"

Back to Basics - Makeup to suit your eye shape

I have received a request to write a post on how to create eye makeup to suit your eye shape. So here it is. What I love about makeup is that you can use colours and textures it to manipulate all sorts of looks and shapes. Eyes can be enlarged, made smaller, emphasised or defined just by makeup. All you need to do is know how. 

There are 6 main types of eye shapes. I will talk about how to "correct" each eye shape with makeup. To be honest I don't like using the word correcting, but I mean generally if you want to know how to apply makeup in a way to suit them then keep reading. 

Almond eyes 

This eye shape is considered to be the "perfect" eye shape, as most styles of makeup will suit this eye shape. Go crazy and experiment with different colours and styles of shading and highlighting. 

Down turned eyes 

This is where the outer corner of the eyes droop down slightly, almost giving the eyes a sad look. A technique to "lift" the eyes is by shading up and out, almost drawing yourself a lifted eye. You want to apply liner close to the lash line and you want to fill the outer 2/3 of your eye socket with a dark shade. This will lift the eye. Curl your lashes and apply mascara to really open them up. 

Prominent eyes

Also known as bulging eyes, you would think that by adding very dark colours you are receding you eyes. Incorrect!! By going to dark with eyeshadow, its going to look obvious. Its actually best to stick with neutrals and nude colours. If you want to use bright colours then apply it on the lower lash line to add a pop of colour. This also helps to shift the focus away from the lids. Another tip is to use false lashes rather than eyeliner, as that will set the eye back a little. 

 

Closed set eyes

The key thing to do here is to highlight the inner corners and shade only the outer corners (1/3 of the eye). You want to make the gap between your eyes look bigger, and you want to take the emphasis off the shorter distance. Please don't try to fiddle with your eyebrows, that is not the way to go. Always make sure they at least align with the inner corner of your eyes. However you can extend your brows a little by filling them in.

Wide set eyes

As you probably have guessed, doing the reverse for what is advised for closed set eyes is appropriate for wide set eyes. To bring eyes closer together, you should emphasize the inner corners by using darker colors in the inner corners. Apply lighter eyeshadow to the outer two-thirds of the lid. You can use eyeliner on both the top and the bottom lashline. Pencil eyebrows a little closer to the nose but don't extend eyebrows out at the ends. 

 

Hooded eyes 

Some people are born with them and some acquire them with age. Whatever the case, there is a 3 step method to make eyes appear brighter and the brow bone "lifted". Don't make the mistake of highlighting the brow bone to much, that will actually make the hood more prominent. Instead, highlight the inner corners of your eyes to make them pop. To help the hood recede, use your mid tone colour eye shadow. Apply it all over the lid and the brow bone. You can choose to then highlight your brow bone slightly and then blend. Contouring is the key here. Take a dark shade eyeshadow and contour your crease and the outer edge of your lash line (in a crescent shape). Curl those lashes and apply plenty of mascara. 

A note for all eye shapes. Cat eyeliner suit ALL eye shapes. Its just about seeing which thickness you are comfortable with and how far to extend the flick. 

I hope this post was helpful. Feel free to post a comment if you have any questions and I'll get back to you. 

Stay blessed, Peace!!