MAC’s Combination for the Natural Eye

I have been receiving a lot of questions about MAC’s neutral eyeshadows. Here’s the answer. Ask MAC for their 4 piece shadow compact palette. And fill them in with- Kid, Malt, Orb and Brun. 

Those 4 work amazingly together. And what’s amazing about MAC is its strong staying power.  This will give you the No Makeup look. You can choose to apply each colour separately or blend two together or even all of them together. 

Kid-  matte neutral. Great to soften the crease of darker colours or to apply on entire lid. It’s the best blending eyeshadow

Malt- Soft Peachy brown, works well as a lid colour or for the crease. 

Orb-  light peachy pink glow. Close to skin tone. Great to highlight. Great also for the lids.

Brun- Blackish Brown, with a satin finish.  It’s a deep brown great for smokey eye + eyebrows. Does not have reddish or yellowish undertones

You can always choose the colours that suit you best. Always try to find easy gradual building colours. A light colour, a slightly darker one, and a very dark one for the crease/outercorner.

Eye primer

Is Eye primer important? YES IT IS!

What an eye primer does: makes your eyeshadow last, more vibrant colour & doesn’t allow the eyeshadow to crease.

2 products I’ve tried ( after hearing a lot about them): 

Urban Decay’s Eye primer potion   Vs.   Guerlain Eyeshadow Primer

The Primer potion is a tube with some magic potion. 

Prep your eyes by applying 2-3 mini smears with the wand. 

Then with your finger smudge it all over your eye lid to the area under your brows. It will dry instantly, making your eyelids feel smoother when touched. Available in 2 colours (sin & Original). I use the original shade.  It is also amazing for oily eyelids. 

Actually works. I tested this by applying it underneath my shadow since 7 am. Nearly 12 hours later, it’s EXACTLY THE SAME! IT DOESN’T CREASE. I SWEAR!

(Purchase @ Sephora –Dubai or Online)

Guerlain Eyeshadow Primer- more known as the “Ombre Eclat Primer” ensures long lasting crease proof colour. 

  It comes as a hard-creamy shade with a tiny brush.  That was the biggest drawback. Trying to brush the primer on the brush was the hardest. The product is literally stiff like a stone, making it very hard to apply. In the end of the day, I have realized some creases were there. 

The winner here is the primer potion! So easy to apply, amazing smooth eyelids, and allows the color to stay over 12 hours! YOU MUST GET IT.

Enhance your bronzer…

So you apply your bronzer. WAITTTTTTT… Enhance it more… 

Add this:

It is a cool product from a brand called “TOO FACED”—sold only in SEPHORA (Middle East).

This Pure Bronze Mineral Bronzer consists of crushed pearls. It gives you a natural tan. It creates a brighter,smoother, & more radiant complexion. It’s a loose powder form of bronzer. This unique, light reflecting shade is very easy to apply.

1.Tap  a little powder into the lid.

2. Use a kabuki brush-> (picture) I use inglot’s brush,I find it better than MAC’s brush. You can find those brushes in every makeup store. With the brush, absorb the powder in a circular motion.

3. Start at the temple & move to the apple of the cheek. Also apply on the nose.

However, I tend to do it differently. I apply my normal bronzerà (hoola, cargo, mac, etc). Then on the upper cheekbones, I would highlight it only with this mineral powder to give it a glow. Make sure to blend it in.

WARNING FOR THIS PRODUCT: IT IS VERY.. VERY.. SHIMMERY. If you apply it all over your face, it would all look shimmery-glittery. So be careful.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

How to properly apply bronzer?

This requires strategy. It is not hard, but you must be aware of the key zones on your face that you have to focus on. Remember, blending is the critical step to pull off flawless sunkissed radiance. You are attempting to copy how the sun hits your face, so you have to choose the areas.

After applying your foundation, tinted moisturizer, or sunless tanner (to warm up your face):

1. Get your favorite bronzer.. With a not so large fluffy powder brush (I use bobbi brown’s), dab any excess onto tissue place on cheek. Circular motion on apples and sweep along your side temples. The circle lightly at outer jaw. Make sure you don’t get anything under your eyes.
2. Very lightly, diagonal sweep across each side of forehead.
     (areas to apply bronzer are shaded)
3. Balance your bronze by some touchups on Nose bridge + chin
4.  Don’t forget to balance your face with neck, so apply lightly under chin, neck + chest.
5. You can add some blush to your cheeks to add some colour! Bronzer on its own might apply dull. Creamy or powder blush- your choice.
6. If you feel that your bronzer is not blended properly, take a KABUKI brush, and blend it with it. It should even it out.  (KABUKI brush below)

Bronzers are always available in either matte or shimmer finish.  If you have fine lines or wrinkles, matte is the answer. Bronzers are also available in either liquid or powder. I recommend liquid for people with extra dry skin, but the powder (mostly used) are for people with oily or combination skin.

I use Benefit’s Hoola /Cargo/NARS laguna/Mayelline’s Sunglow/MAC’s refined golden

Brushes you can use

N.A.K.E.D

FINALLY! I got a hold of the NAKED Palette from URBAN DECAY! I’m so excited to try it out. Heard rave reviews about it, makeup artists talking about it nonstop.

This eyeshadow palette is a must have for anyone who loves neutral & smokey shades for the eyes. How are they different than the normal neutral shades we always get?

THEY ARE NOT SO BORING…

12 gorgeous neutrals, ranging from champagnes to dark gunmetal. It consists of all different textures: glitter, shimmer & matte (but majority is shimmery). What I love about it too is that it has a dual ended eyeliner  (black + brown)or a brush. Each shade has a crazy name ex: darkhorse/ buck.

AMAZING DIVERSITY OF NEURAL SHADES

The palette is handy for both: an everyday neutral look + a darkened look in the night. You can easily blend any two colours together.

(from an online make-up reviewer)

Some suggested shades to blend together:

-virgin + sin (all over lid), buck (crease), naked (blending buck in crease), darkhorse (outercorner blending)

-toasted (lid), hustle (outercorner +crease)

-gunmetal (lid), creep (outercorner + crease)

-half baked (lid), smog(crease), darkhorse (outer corner)

-hustle (lid), naked +buck (outer corner), virgin(highlight under brow + tear duct), smog (under lower lashes), creep (V outer corner)

As in one of my previous blogs, the 4 important eye brushes are essential to use here for application & blending.

This product is always out of stock like crazy! Hope you get your hands on one. Order yours online or get it from SEPHORA- DUBAI. Sadly, it’s not available in Bahrain.

THE BIG BRONZER

CARGO -- The majority of you haven’t heard about this company. It’s a Canadian cosmetic line, in which product cases are made from renewable resource & easy biodegradable products. In the Middle East, it is only sold in SEPHORA. It is an amazing brand, with award winning products- especially their blushes!

Anyways, the product I wanted to introduce to you is:

THE BIG BRONZER

This award winning bronzer has gotten better, after it’s been made bigger! The advantage of this highly pigmented bronzer is that it doesn’t make you look orange. It’s different than the bronzer “Hoola” from benefit, as it is more shimmery & gives you a glow (NOT THAT SHIMMERY AS OTHER BRONZERS). It gives you a very natural + healthy tan. This stunning copper coloured won’t streak!

What’s also good about this medium shade is that it’s so versatile. It compliments all skin tones. You can wear it instead of blusher if you have fairer skin. You can wear it without foundation. You can even wear it all year round!

Make sure you use a bronzer brush with this, or a slightly big brush. I love Bobbi Brown’s bronzer brush (photo below). You can use any brush similar to it.

Mac Semi Precious Collection for Summer 2011

MAC never stop with their collections! This is the 3^rd collection arriving within those three months! This collection is ofcorse, is LIMITED EDITION!

This dazzling new collection, with “gem-like” colours will make you shine. The semi precious gems include shades of: “bronzite”, “black tourmaline”, “gold pyrite” & “lilac lepidolite”.

The collection includes minzeralize skinfinishes in crystal pink, goldstone, pearl & rose. Blushes, lipsticks, a new range of eyeshadows, cremesheen glass, new brushes, a new hydrating mist, and a moisturizing lotion.

Mineralize Skinfinish

Lipsticks

                         (Gem of Roses, Lush Amber, One of a Kind, Musky Amethyst)

Lipglosses

        (Geo Pink, Looks like sin, Natural Flare, Pure Magnificance, Richly Revered)

Brush 179

                                           

Eyeshadows + brushes

USA launch date July 7, 2011 and Internationally mid July



Bobbi Brown – Tortoise Shell Collection

The Tortoise Collection conveys beautiful colours. They are the perfect “AUTUMN” colours. Stunning eyeshadows that range from gold to bronze to espresso, all placed in cute tortoise shell compacts with some gold detailing. Also, soft nude tones for cheeks and lips are included to balance the warmer tones on the eyes.  The collection includes:

 “Shell Bronze Eye Palette”à warm neutral colours for medium to dark skin tones

 “Shell Sand Eye Pallete”à light to dark shadows for lighter skin tones.

-Lip colour + High Shimmer Lipgloss

-“Shell Mini Brush Set”à perfect for travel size

This collection will be available in the States July 2011, and in Bahrain Sept/Oct 2011.