26 October 2014

look of the day - A HAIRCUT, FINALLY

I haven't had an actual haircut in at least 8 months, likely more, and I finally went to the salon today.


Some things to note!
a) My bangs are doing weird things because my hair dried in a part too close to the center.
b) Obviously, there's a bit of a curl in my hair, but the actual length is at least two inches shorter.
c) I took this on my phone camera because it's a ton better than my point-and-shoot camera.

Kate requested a simple look for a regular high school day, so I've tried my best to replicate something and will provide cheaper dupes for products if I know of any.

For face products, start out with a BB cream if you need coverage all over your face. Generally, BB creams tend to be multipurpose, blurring imperfections while covering redness. I've used a Dr. Jart+ BB cream, but Maybelline makes two formulations (depending on skin type) that seem to work well. Take a concealer and cover up anything else you'd like to cover that the BB cream didn't. Maybelline Fit Me concealer is one that I quite like. For cheeks, a cream blush is quick and easy and can be applied with your fingers. Try one of Revlon's cream blushes or L'oreal's mousse blushes.

For eyes, take a shimmery pinky-nude eyeshadow and use it over the eyelid. This gives a wash of colour without complicating the process. If you want to take the extra step, use a taupe or purple-toned eyeshadow in the outer corner of the lid. Eyeshadow can actually be skipped if you're feeling lazy or you don't have that much time to get ready. The brown eyeliner is the most important--draw a line across your upper lid. Brown is softer and more forgiving than black. (If you have oily eyelids, consider using an eyeshadow primer and a translucent powder to make sure your eyeliner doesn't smudge.) Finish with a coat of mascara--brown for lighter eyelashes, black for darker.

For the lips, use a pinky-nude lipstick. There are so many good ones out there--Lipstick Queen makes a universally flatter shade but it's definitely pricey. Revlon lip butters are a good place to start, but their balm stains are really good if you don't want to keep touching up throughout the day. The glossy part of the product might fade but it leaves a stain behind that will last several hours. Honey is a really good colour.


BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Inner half of lid - Laura Mercier eyeshadow in Guava
Outer half of lid - Laura Mercier eyeshadow in Kir Royal
Upper lash line - marc jacobs highliner gel crayon in brown(out)
Lashes - ck one mascara in 800 black

FACE
Korres Quercetin & Oak Antiageing Primer
Dr. Jart+ V7 Beauty Balm
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
stila convertible color dual lip & cheek cream in peony (I THINK. This was a sample and I can't find the shade name on it.)

LIPS
Lipstick Queen Jean Queen lipstick

19 October 2014

autumn favourites - vampy lip colours

Okay, this post has been a long time in the making! If you're only just tuning into this blog, autumn is my favourite season and vampy lips are my jam. These photos don't really do any of the products/swatches justice, but these are all of the products I would consider fall-appropriate. (Also, this is likely the last post I'm making using my terrible point-and-shoot camera since I now have a smart phone with an amazing camera, REJOICE.) Of course, autumn doesn't just mean vampy lips and to hell with "seasonal beauty rules" if you prefer wearing neons or nudes or pinks, but there's something about cooler weather that just lends itself to berry lips in my mind.

I have quite the collection and if anyone wants better swatches, feel free to request them! Anything with an asterisk next to it is a favourite of mine. Every list is from left to right and where applicable, official colour descriptions are in parentheses. Note that I don't think they're always accurate.




  • Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Dolly (shimmery sultry mauve)
  • Marc Jacobs Lust for Lacquer in Shooting Stars (berry mauve with shimmer)
  • Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in Cabaret*
  • Sephora Color Lip Last in 12 Royal Raspberry (matte fuschia)
  • Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 11
  • Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in 107
  • Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry
  • Geek Chic Cosmetics JoyStick in Stay Classy (velvety burgundy)





  • Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick in Brooklyn (harvest fig)
  • NYX Butter Gloss in Devil's Food Cake (deep plum)
  • Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Amarone (raisin berry)
  • Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Bramble (black currant)
  • Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Aubergine* (eggplant)
  • Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Truffle (deep brown)
  • Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Lipstick in Touch of Spice
  • Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Lipstick in Divine Wine





  • Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb* (plum rose)
  • Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten
  • Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Berry (berry pink)
  • Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Bauhau5* (deep raspberry)
  • Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Vampira* (deep reddish burgundy)
  • NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen* (matte rich plum)
  • NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Transylvania (matte deep violet)
  • NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Plum (plum)
  • NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Cabaret (plum red)
  • NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Currant (plum)





  • ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner in Lust for Life (dark berry stain)
  • NYX Butter Lipstick in Hunk (blue violet)
  • NYX Butter Lipstick in Licorice (deep burgundy)
  • rms beauty lip2cheek in diabolique* (rich burgundy)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Strumpet* (seedless grape red)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Stained Gloss in Nomad (gold-laced maroon)





  • NYX Simply Vamp Lip Cream in Aphrodisiac (light brown plum)
  • NYX Simply Vamp Lip Cream in Temptress (deep royal purple)
  • NYX Simply Vamp Lip Cream in Bewitching (burgundy with blue undertone)
  • NYX Simply Vamp Lip Cream in Covet (light red with rust pearl)
  • NYX Simply Vamp Lip Cream in Enamored (deep brown with burgundy pearl)
  • NYX Simply Vamp Lip Cream in She Devil (deep plum)





  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Anita* (browned burgundy)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Lydia* (darkroom plum)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Cosmetic Colour Pencil in Lydia (darkroom plum)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Black Dahlia* (blackest blackened red)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Cosmetic Colour Pencil in Black Dahlia (blackened red)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Black Metal Dahlia* (blackened burgundy with red pearl)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Stained Gloss in Rhythm Box (translucent purpled burgundy)


(The lip tar swatches photographed the worst out of the whole bunch, but they tend to be my favourite, so I will likely take a better picture another time. They also bleed very easily because you only need a tiny drop for full-coverage, but to swatch them you need more, and then they start bleeding into every line of your skin. Lydia wasn't fully mixed when I swatched it so I re-did it below.)




  • Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Fig* (lavender)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Lydia* (darkroom plum)


Not pictured: Limnit Lipsticks in Swept Away (dusty rose), Castle In the Sky (slightly cool, pinky-purple), Olly Olly Oxen Free (medium oxblood with purple undertones/deep berry). I couldn't dig them out of my collection (buried in a shelf underneath other products) so I skipped them.

If you're afraid of trying a vampy lip and want a stepping stone, the cult classic Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey is perfect. I also own this and could swatch it if someone requests it.

I've been slacking when it comes to autumn makeup and not really giving much thought to it, but these are some of the eyeshadow palettes that I think are perfect for the season! Lots of plummy shades and neutral tones leaning slightly dark.

  • tarte Limited-Edition Rainforest After Dark Colored Clay Eye & Cheek Palette
  • Lorac Skinny palette in Plum
  • theBalm Nude Dude palette
  • IT Cosmetics Matte Luxe Eye Shadow Palette
  • both Lorac Pro palettes (the first leans warm, the second leans cool)

12 October 2014

sailor moon series #1 - sailor chibi moon

Wow, where did the weekend go?

After spending Friday night and Saturday visiting my sister and my best friend at my alma mater, I came home late last night so I could catch a movie and a zombie makeup artist at a nearby theatre, and now it's the end of the weekend and it's weird.

This marks the start of a new series of looks! I've loved Sailor Moon for the majority of my life, ever since the dub first aired on television when I was a child. I started doing makeup looks for each sailor scout over on my Tumblr about 2-3 years ago, but I'd like to think my makeup skills have improved and maybe I'll actually finish it this time.

I'm aiming for matching my hair to each sailor scout, so this series is going to take a while, but hopefully it's worth it. Since my hair is currently pink, the natural first character is Chibi-Usa, or Sailor Chibi Moon.


Okay, so the eye makeup is not immediately noticeable in this photo, but it's really not that important. I used a white eyeshadow in the inner corners, a light pink in the center of my lids, and a slightly more vibrant blue-toned pink in the outer corners and under the lower lash line. Taupe eyeliner finished all the eye makeup and then I curled my lashes and put on some falsies. If I were to do this look again, I'd line my lower waterline with a white eyeliner to give the wide-eyed, shoujo look.

My eyebrows are lighter than I've worn them in some time because I went with powder rather than the Dipbrow since Chibi-Usa is young, and I wanted to emulate that somewhat.

I used a light gold-pink eyeshadow in place of blush and a blue-toned pink lip colour topped with a multi-dimensional white shimmer gloss.

My hair is in pigtails to further emphasise the youthfulness of this look and the character. I'm still debating wearing clothing in the character's colour scheme, but I went with it and apparently all I have that's pink is this old sundress.


BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Inner corner - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Bobby Dazzle (metallic white/pale gold micro-glitter)
Center of lid - Geek Chic Cosmetics eyeshadow in Pretty Guardian + Urban Decay eyeshadow in Alien (pink-peach/golden shift)
Outer corner + lower lash line - Sugarpill Chromalust pigment in Birthday Girl (princess pink with fuchsia sparkles)
Crease - Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow in @#$%! (vampy pearl red with silver metallic sheen)
Liner - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Desperation (deep taupe to gray matte)
False lashes - Ardell Fairies Black lashes

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
Under eyes - It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector Concentrate Cream in Light
Urban Decay eyeshadow in Scratch (rose gold shimmer)

LIPS
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Milan (mid-tone blue-toned pink)
Shiro Cosmetics Lip Gloss in Moon Prism Power


28 September 2014

look of the day - new (pink) hair!

This is a brief post in lieu of the fall favourites post I've been working on for weeks, but it's been so long since I posted (a whole month?!) that I thought I should drop by before that's finished.


This is a lot of pink--three different shades, in fact, all from Manic Panic. The bottom layer is Fuchsia Shock, the middle layer is Cleo Rose, and the two light streaks + my bangs are Cotton Candy Pink. The Cotton Candy Pink only slightly tinted my hair, which was my intention because it's supposed to show up only on platinum blonde hair and mine is definitely not. The Fuchsia Shock stained everything. My left ear is still pink over 24 hours later.

I'm not looking forward to washing this and trying to get the water to run clear.

Makeup I'm wearing: Urban Decay Naked foundation in 1.0, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Dark Brown, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Haight, NYX Slide On Eye Pencil in Glitzy Gold, and Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Bauhau5.

23 August 2014

(belated) look of the day - curls and red lipstick

This look was actually from last Sunday, 17 August, but I forgot to post it.



This isn't any different from this previous look in terms of makeup, although I used a lip liner for the lips in addition to the lipstick. I wanted to post this partially to say that I bought the new Urban Decay Pulp Fiction lip liner and lipstick and they're FANTASTIC, and partially to say that I also bought the Sultra the Bombshell 1-inch curling rod and even though it was a bit pricey, it took a fourth of the time it usually takes to curl my hair.


BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Dark Brown

EYES
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Foxy (very light yellow/white matte)
Outer corner - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Naked2 (taupe matte)
Crease - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Faint (warm, dusty brown matte)
Waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte blackest black)
Liner - Sephora Colorful Waterproof Eyeliner 24 HR Wear in 01 Black Lace (matte black)
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black
Under eyes - Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 Fair

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
NYX Cosmetics blush in Desert Rose
Highlight - Benefit Watt's Up
Contour - Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick in 235

LIPS
Urban Decay Pulp Fiction™ 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Mrs. Mia Wallace (deep blood red)
Urban Decay Pulp Fiction™ Revolution Lipstick in Mrs. Mia Wallace (deep blood red)

JEN'S GUIDE TO EYEBROWS

Semi-recently, someone on my Tumblr asked me to write a post about how to improve their eyebrow game, and who am I to deny a request like that? So I present to you my extremely long-winded guide to eyebrows.

Eyebrows are crucial to facial recognition and expressing emotion, and there is at least one study to prove it. This is a sort of generic, really tedious post about eyebrows and how to shape them, maintain them, and fill them in. Because it isn't illustrated, I highly suggest that you browse around on the internet for some helpful videos and pictorials, some of which I'll link at the end of this post.

BASIC BROW MAINTENANCE
  1. Trim your brows. This is sometimes the only step you need to take in order to tame unruly eyebrows. Invest in a pair of brow scissors--you can find them at any drugstore. Using a spoolie, brush your hairs up and away from your eyes. Any hairs that are long enough to stick out of your desired brow shape should be trimmed with the scissors.
    NOTE: If you are of Asian descent, you might have the curse of long, super-straight brow hairs. This is my plight and no matter how much brushing you do to try to get your brow hairs to stay up, they will always fall back down. Do your best. If you get frustrated, just trim them at the angle at which they grow.
    NOTE: If you're a lefty and you're looking for brow scissors, you're screwed. (Yay, both of these notes apply to me!)
  2. Pluck strays. If there are hairs growing outside your desired brow shape, take a good pair of tweezers to them. Remember that it is very easy to go overboard and sometimes one single hair can be a gateway to taking out an entire row of hairs and suddenly you have pencil-thin eyebrows that don't look good on anyone. Back away from the mirror every few hairs to make sure your brows don't get too crazy. And remember: your brows are sisters, not twins. It's okay if they aren't perfect mirror images of each other.
    THIS IS OPTIONAL! I've seen a lot of people who don't pluck their eyebrows and as long as it doesn't bother you, then there's no need to mess with what you're born with.

WHEN SHOULD YOU FILL IN YOUR BROWS?
This is entirely up to you! Your answer might be never, or on special occasions, or always. (I fall into the last category.) At the very least, I encourage you to partake in eyebrow maintenance at least once every two weeks. I believe that everyone could benefit from filling in their eyebrows because it opens up the face and can often diminish the need for other makeup if you don't want to make the effort.

Like I said, my personal preference is filling in my eyebrows as long as I'm leaving the house, even if I'm not wearing any other makeup. At work, I usually don't bother with makeup on my face or eyes, just sunscreen, and I put on some sort of bright lipstick, but my brows are always done.

In terms of special occasions, I suggest filling in your brows if you plan on doing any of the following:
  • dyeing your hair a different colour, especially if you don't plan on dyeing your brows. (If you do dye or bleach your brows, DO NOT USE DRUGSTORE BOXED HAIR COLOUR OR BLEACH and DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF. See a professional, please--don't risk getting chemical burns around and/or in your eyes!)
  • wearing a smoky eye. If you don't do something with your brows, they will look sad and forlorn against awesome dark eyeshadow. Don't miss this opportunity. If you're also wearing any lip colour that isn't nude with smoky eyes, don't go too heavy with the brows or it'll be too much competition between each part of your makeup. If you're wearing a nude lip colour, feel free to go bold with your brows.
  • wearing a red or vampy lip. In general, makeup artists advise you to go easy on the eye makeup if you're wearing a bold lip colour, but the exception is your brows. Without a defined brow, your face will be out of balance and the upper half of your face will look washed out. This is one that I cannot stress often enough because so many people are trying out bold lip colours (a trend that I HIGHLY SUPPORT) but not enough of those people are paying attention to their eyebrows. It will change your entire look.
  • if you're going to be onstage. I'm a performer, both of music and of theatre, and anyone can tell you that expression is very important to performance. If people cannot see your eyebrows, expression is going to be so much more difficult.

HOW TO SHAPE YOUR BROWS
The most common method of shaping your brows is the three-point method. Take a pencil and follow along.
  1. The first point is where your brow should start toward the center of your face. Press the pencil against the side of your nose, excluding your nostril, with the eraser at the base of your nose. The inner corner of your brow should start where this straight line is.
  2. The second point is where the arch of your brow should be. Stare straight ahead. Keeping the eraser at the base of your nose in line with where your brow should start, tilt the pencil until it crosses right over your pupil. The arch of your brow should be on this angle.
  3. The third point is where your brow should end toward your temple. Keeping the eraser in the same place as before, tilt the pencil until it reaches the outer edge of your eye. The end of your brow should be on this angle.


Now, this is just a general guideline, and it also assumes that you want an arch in your brow, which is totally optional. Straight brows and rounded brows are beautiful, too! If you want an arch, you can make it a small one or a very large one, or it can be slightly curved so that the arch isn't a noticeable angle. This is really up to your personal preference, though there is a guide about what brow shape goes with what face shape here.

Keep in mind that the three-point method is designed to give you the most flattering brow for your face. You can definitely play around with the location of each, but keep in mind the following:
  • The size of the gap between your brows can change the appearance of your nose's size. i.e.: If it's a small distance between your brows, your nose will appear smaller. If you have a wider gap, your nose will appear larger. Wayne Goss has a video about that here.
  • In general, the arch of your brow should be more toward your temple than the center of your eyes. If your arch is too far in, your brows might look a bit strange.
  • If your natural brow doesn't extend as far as the third point, you do not have to extend your brow with product. That is your choice entirely.

FILLING IN YOUR BROWS
  1. Read the beginning of each section to see if it applies to you so you can pick the correct type of product to use.
    A) If you have very thick brows or are a beginner who doesn't want to venture into filling in your brows, read on. If this doesn't apply to you, skip to step 1B.
    Use a clear brow gel to tame your brows.
    Swipe the wand through them a few times so the hairs stay in place. If you want a little extra colour or for your brows to look a little thicker, use a tinted brow gel. No need to read on if you're not interested in other methods.
    B) If you are a beginner who wants to fill in your brows and you prefer the easiest method, read on. If you want to put more effort into it or you want control over shading your brows, skip to step 1C.
    Use an eyebrow pencil to define your brows.
    Take the pencil and follow your natural brow shape, making quick strokes to define and set your brows. When you're done, take a clean spoolie and run it through your brows to pick up excess product and make the shape look more natural. If you have a very thin pencil, you can mimic natural hair growth with a few well-placed lines.
    C) If you're practised at filling in your brows with a pencil and want to try a new method or you want to consider the ombre brow trend (explained later on in this post), read on. If you prefer a bolder brow look or need a long-lasting look, skip to step 1D.
    Use brow powder or a matte eyeshadow to fill in your brows.
    I would always advise priming your brows with either a bit of eyeshadow primer or a brow wax before proceeding with a powder so it can adhere to something and won't disappear from your face, especially if you have oily skin. If you have dry skin, priming is optional, but would help the longevity of your brows. Take a stiff angled brush (Anastasia Beverly Hills makes a wonderful one) and run it through your powder of choice and create two lines--one at the top of your brow and one at the bottom. This will give you an outline of where your powder should be, and you can subtly thicken the appearance of your brows if you'd like. Do the same from the arch of your brow out to the end. Fill in your brows with powder using short strokes. Take a spoolie and run it through your brows, blending carefully so there aren't harsh powder lines that might be noticeable at a distance.
    D) If you want a bold brow OR you're advanced with filling in your brows OR you have very oily skin and need a product that stays OR you want something waterproof in case you're going out for the night or might be near water, read on.
    Use a cream product to fill in your brows.
    Cream products are designed to last through basically everything except makeup remover. The tiniest bit of product is enough for both brows, but you can always use a bit more if you want a bolder look. You can also use a cream eyeliner if the formula works for you. Take a stiff angled brush and dip it in the product, brushing off excess on a tissue or the lid of the product if applicable. Outline the top and bottom of your brows and then fill them in. These products are buildable, so try using only the tiniest bit first and then adding more if you aren't satisfied with the intensity.
  2. Set your brows with a tinted brow gel. This will keep your hairs in place and give a little more dimension to the look. A clear brow gel works, too, as long as you take a clean spoolie and apply brow gel without putting it back into the tube later. This will contaminate your nice, clear gel and cause bacteria to run rampant in it, turning it cloudy. It will probably start smelling gross, too.

MY CURRENT, ROTATING BROW ROUTINE
Please remember that you don't always have to stick to one method! My routine has changed many times just in the last year, but this is what I'm doing right now, and even then I have two options.

  1. Trim and pluck as needed. I trim my brows about every two weeks, and I pluck whenever I need to-- about every 1-2 days since my hair is dark and I'm a ghost. My brow growth is super noticeable. (I would advise not plucking this often if you can avoid it!)
  2. NATURAL Using Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette: Take the angled brush and some brow wax and prime the brows. Clean the brush, then load up the lighter of the two powders and fill in the inner half of the brow following step 1C of FILLING IN YOUR BROWS. Clean the brush again, then use the darker of the two powders to fill in the rest of the brow. Because my eyebrows are a bit on the short side, I extend the outer corner of my brow.BOLD Using Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW™ Pomade in Dark Brown: Take an angled brush and dip it into the pomade, making sure to use a light hand OR to wipe off excess product on the lid. Outline the top and bottom of the brow and fill them in following step 1D of FILLING IN YOUR BROWS.
  3. Set with Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite.

IF YOU WANT OMBRE BROWS
When I say ombre, I mean lighter toward your nose and darker toward your temples, which is supposed to be the natural gradient of brows. There are other ways of doing this, like focusing colour on the bottom edge of your brows and blending up!

This is easiest with a powder, so I'm going to explain this method using powders. Many brow powders include two shades, which makes this a really awesome option. You can also do this with cream products if you're advanced and good at blending!

In general, you want to use a lighter shade from the inner corner of the brow almost to the arch, but you can play with this as necessary. For example, when I do the ombre method, I often only use a lighter shade until two-thirds of the way to my arch and then fill in the rest of my brow with a darker shade. If I'm doing a brow with some sort of colour, I might just put the colour a third of the way into my brow or even just a hint at the inner corner and then use a natural shade to fill the rest in.

  1. Take a lighter powder and an angled brush and load it up. Follow step 1C under FILLING IN YOUR BROWS when it comes to outlining and filling in your brows. Take a darker powder and fill in the rest of your brow.
  2. Use a spoolie and comb through your brow to loosen up the colour and take out any rough patches.
  3. If your blending isn't so great from the first pass, take a clean brush and run it through the darker colour into the lighter colour right where the two meet. You want to create a gradient. Alternatively, use a powder somewhere in between the two original shades and use that to blend the two together.
  4. Finish with brow gel.

IF YOU WANT COLOURFUL BROWS
DO IT. If you've seen my beauty blog at all, you've probably noticed that I don't shy away from crazy colours. Purple, blue, green, red? If you feel confident about the idea, then try it. These are very much statement brows, particularly if your hair isn't dyed to match, and as long as you feel comfortable wearing them, then it's worth it. If you have lighter hair, using a bright cream liner or powder will be a little easier than someone with thick, dark hair like mine, but there's no need to try to cover up each hair with colour if you have dark hair. Just run with it.

Fill in your brows following the methods described in FILLING IN YOUR BROWS depending on the products you're using. I don't advise using pencil eyeliners to do this, mostly because they're often softer than brow pencils and will go on too thickly. Stick to powder or cream products and set with a clean, disposable spoolie and clear brow gel if needed. However, if you find an eyeliner that is matte and a bit on the dry side, you might be able to use it as a brow pencil.

IF YOU WANT TO LIGHTEN YOUR BROWS WITHOUT BLEACHING
Using a clear brow gel or brow wax as a base all over your brows, dust some loose powder and let that dry. Or you can use a primer and then a brow powder lighter than your natural shade. Really, anything goes as long as you give the powder something to stick to so it doesn't slip right off the hairs.

You can also use a cream product, but sometimes that doesn't stick to your hair and might create a contrast between hair colour and product that you don't want.

IF YOU WANT TO COVER UP YOUR BROWS
No shaving required! Beautylish has a wonderful tutorial here.

NOTE: I have tried this method and it works for the most part, but I find that with my hair texture, the glue doesn't fill in all the gaps between hairs and you can still tell where my eyebrows are after concealer and powder. You might want to test this out beforehand if you're planning to do this for an event of some sort.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR BROWS STAND OUT A LOT
After you've filled in your brows with the method of your choice, you'll want to find a good concealer, either your shade or one shade lighter depending on how much attention you want to draw to your brows.
Load a stiff brush with concealer and carefully trace over your brow (and under, if you want even more oomph). This will look hilarious at first--don't fret. Now, take a clean brush and blend the hell out of your concealer until there is no harsh line between it and the rest of your skin. This is also a very useful tip to clean up the appearance of your brow if you messed up somewhere.


GUIDE TO CHOOSING A BROW COLOUR
The general guidelines say this: choose a shade that is 1-2 shades darker than your hair colour, unless you have very dark hair, in which case you should choose a shade 1-2 shades lighter than your hair colour. I think this is a pretty solid rule to follow. You can choose to fill in your brows in regard to your natural hair colour or your dyed hair colour. Always consider your undertones in both hair colour and skin colour! (Guides on how to find both are here.)

If you have red hair, sometimes it might help to go more brunette than red because redder eyebrows might feel out of place. If your red is natural, your brows might be blonde and nearly invisible. If your red is from a box or the salon, your brows might not match. If you want to lighten the appearance of your brows, scroll back up! If not, you might want to match your brows to your hair colour, which isn't for everyone, or you might want to try the universal shade.

The universal brow shade is taupe. What is taupe, you ask? It's a colour somewhere between grey and brown. Since grey is cool and brown is warm, this makes taupe a great default colour for anyone who is unsure where to start with colours. It will give definition to blonde brows while still leaving them natural, and it will provide a base for brunette and black hair without being harsh.

Remember, these are just guidelines that you don't need to follow. Do you want blue eyebrows but have brown hair? Go for it. Do you have blonde hair but want to do the dark eyebrow trend? Rock on. The sky's the limit here.

My only caveat to this is that true black brows might look unnatural on most people. If you're really attached to the idea of black brows, go for a softer black, or remember that it will look theatrical and not everyone is suited to it. If that's the look you're going for, then more power to you!

FINISHES
This just means matte vs. shimmer vs. satin vs. whatever else you can find out there, including glitter. In general, I think matte products are best for your brows because you don't want them to compete with any other part of your makeup or catch the light in a weird way.
Shimmer, if used heavily, can look out of place on your brow bone. Shimmer used in moderation, however, can give the brow a little extra dimension without being clownish, and since natural hairs usually catch the light, a bit of shimmer can help mimic that look. Anastasia's tinted brow gel is an excellent example.
Glitter is fun and can make for a really awesome brow in pictures and editorials, but be advised that trying to get glitter out of your eyebrows will never actually happen. It will be there for months.
  
GUIDE TO MY PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRODUCTS
Reminder: what works for me might not work for you! You might have to go through a few different products until you find something that you really like.

Pencils
It Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil - This comes in a Universal Taupe shade, and despite how dark my brow hairs are, when I apply the pencil with a slightly heavy hand, the colour works really well. People with lighter hair should use a light hand and it will work just as well.
Benefit Cosmetics Instant Brow Pencil - Comes in 3 shades. Creamy without melting away immediately. This is a good place to start. I ran out of the pencil early this year and didn't repurchase because I didn't like using a pencil anymore and the brand isn't cruelty-free. (I used the shade Deep.)

Powders
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo - Comes in 11 shades. Each duo has one lighter and one darker powder in the same pan, so you can use each one separately or blend them together. These are really good for natural looking brows. (I use the shade Brunette but also own Ebony.)
Any powder eyeshadow - Look, I can't really discriminate against any brand here. I will use any matte shadow I can get my hands on and even some shimmers if I'm just taking pictures for the blog.

My favourite brand for bright mattes is Sugarpill, but Concrete Minerals has these Pro Matte loose eyeshadows that are I. Urban Decay's Faint eyeshadow (in the Naked Basics palette) is a good taupe shade. Laura Mercier eyeshadow in Plum Smoke and Sephora eyeshadow in Blueberry Muffin No 30 are my go-to shades for a subtle purple ombre brow.

Creams
Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW™ Pomade - Comes in 8 shades. This product only came out last year and already it's gaining a cult following for good reason. I love this stuff because it gives you a bold brow without too much work, and it comes off easily with makeup remover at night.
Even with my oily skin, it doesn't budge throughout the day. you want to be more light-handed with this product because it's very easy to go overboard, but it is buildable so you can start off with a very thin layer for a more natural brow and build up to a very bold brow that's perfect for photography. Consider going a shade lighter than what you would pick for any other brow product because of the intensity of pigment. (I use the shade Dark Brown, but also own Ebony.)
Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel - These are great because they come in such a huge range of colours, so if you want turquoise brows that don't budge, try 87. If you're looking for a purple, consider 82 or 83. There's just so many options!

Brow gels
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel - Comes in 7 shades. This is a really good product and keeps my brows in place all day, though it's not entirely waterproof. That's not much of an issue most of the time, though. It has some shimmer in it which gives the hair dimension and doesn't make the brow look flat. (I use the shade Granite.)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel - Clear. This is a universal product!

GUIDE TO PRODUCTS THAT ARE WELL LOVED BY OTHERS THAT I HAVEN'T TRIED
This list is hardly inclusive of every possible product, but I hear about these products the most.

Pencils
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz - Comes in 9 shades. These are very thin and really good if you want to draw on individual hairs.

Powders
Urban Decay Brow Box - Comes in 2 shades. These sets come with 2 brow powders, a brow wax, mini tweezers, a mirror, and two mini angled brushes.

Creams
Make Up Forever Aqua Brow - Comes in 7 shades. This is a waterproof product and you only need the tiniest bit for both brows.
NYX Eyebrow Gel - Comes in 5 shades. A drugstore equivalent to the MUFE Aqua Brow about which I've heard a lot of rave reviews, so I went ahead and bought all 5 shades. Review to come!
Too Faced Bulletproof Brows - Comes in 2 shades. This is waterproof and claims to be a powder, gel, pencil, and setting wax in one.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse - Comes in 3 shades. This is a mousse, so the texture is quite different from the others mentioned here.

Brow gels
Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow - Comes in 2 shades. This contains fibers to help thicken up your brows if you so choose.

TIPS
  • If you've slept strangely and wake up with brow hairs sticking up all over the place, take a drop of a facial oil and smooth it over your brows. This always works for me, especially if there are really wonky hairs that are bent because I slept on my arm or smashed my face into my pillow, but I can't guarantee this works for everyone. Please report back to me and let me know if this works for you! It might also be worthwhile to try experiments with coconut oil or olive oil, but do keep in mind that while coconut oil is awesome for your hair and great at removing makeup, using it as a moisturiser can cause acne because it is a rather comedogenic, or pore-clogging, oil.
  • If you accidentally get product outside of where you want your brows to be, take a cotton swab to the mistake as soon as possible and it should come off. If you're using a cream product that has already set, you might need a little makeup remover to correct a mistake. A little bit will do the trick! Too much makeup remover can escape your swab and drip into your eyebrows, ruining what you've already done.
THIS IS BY NO MEANS AN ALL-INCLUSIVE GUIDE! There are so many other wonderful tutorials out there and I really encourage you to look for them. Makeup how-to videos are incredibly valuable when you delve into them, but be warned: they are addicting! And this is also not meant to be me telling you that you need to do one of these aforementioned tasks for your eyebrows. If you are happy with your eyebrows, that is all that matters. However, if you want a place to start regarding your brows, I hope this was informative and helpful.



NOTE 1: I AM NOT AN EXPERT. I am not a licensed make-up artist or beautician. I am a beauty blogger and make-up enthusiast who happens to talk about eyebrows a lot. I am not condoning this post as some sort of be-all end-all handbook on brows, and I'm sure there are many of you who have your own methods. This is merely a collection of what I've read on the internet and watched in videos, with the addition of my own experience. I would love to read about what you do differently than what I've listed here, or product recommendations, or even brow horror stories.
You'll notice that most sections include me saying THE FINAL DECISION IS YOURS. (Paraphrasing a tiny bit.) I am of the firm belief that when it comes to makeup, as long as it makes you happy and you feel confident in it, do whatever you want. Makeup rules don't exist--they are always guidelines. They only exist so you have somewhere to start if you need it.

NOTE 2: The state of makeup and fashion in society is very eurocentric and quite misogynistic, and it feeds into capitalism. I personally use makeup as a form of self-expression, but I recognise that women are shamed into wearing makeup and women of colour are shamed into wearing makeup to emulate Western standards of beauty. Women of colour with naturally thick eyebrows have been subject to ridicule for years, but recent trends due to the emergence of white cis female models with bold eyebrows are simultaneously hypocritical yet a symbol of bastardised acceptance.
This is a superficial guide to eyebrow maintenance and makeup and I'm not an expert in the subject of the politics and social stigma surrounding makeup--please do some research if you're interested in the subject.

10 August 2014

look of the day - purple vamp

My hair is looking sad and so is my bank account, so I won't be re-dyeing it until I get my hands on some new Manic Panic. To cheer myself up, I did a vampy makeup look, which is really what I gravitate toward most days but I can't really get away with it at work.


For the eyes, it's a bit of a typical smoky eye where the darkest colour is closest to the lashes. I used a midtoned plum shimmer from the lash line up to between the brow bone and the crease, and a dark, blackened purple with iridescent glitter from the lash line to the crease. The most important part of smoky eyes is blending! Make sure to blend each colour into the next so you get a nice gradient. Blend with a clean brush each time. Use a matte purple eyeshadow to blend in some colour on your lower lids.

Take a black pencil eyeliner and line your waterlines, top and bottom. (Feel free to skip this step if you're not comfortable with this!) Take a black cream or gel eyeliner and draw out serious wings at the outer corners of your eyes. Feel free to go a little crazy since you've got such dark eyeshadow on anyway. Line your lower lash lines, too, and extend the line past the corner of your eye. Finish with a few coats of mascara.

For the lips, take a dark burgundy lipstick and fill in most of your lips with it. Then, using a black lipstick and a lip brush, line your lips and blend the two colours together. Because my lips are naturally quite pigmented, I had to cover them with some foundation so my lip line wasn't obvious.

Most people would want to balance this with a tad of blush or some contouring. I skipped both because I was bored and really wanted to get all the black eyeliner off in less than a half hour, but if I didn't get so impatient, I would've done some contouring around my cheeks and the perimeter of my face.

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Dark Brown

EYES
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Inner corner - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Sin (champagne shimmer)
Lid up to below brow bone - Makeup Geek pigment in Enchanted (light plum shimmer)
Lid up to crease - Sephora eyeshadow in N° 22 Fireworks (black purple with iridescent glitter)
Liner - Inglot Cosmetics AMC Eyeliner Gel in 77 (matte jet black)
Lower lid - Sigma Beauty Flare palette: Gossip (plum matte) + Allure (warm bright purple matte)
Waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte blackest black)
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black
Under eyes - Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 Fair

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Highlight - Benefit Watt's Up

LIPS
Wet N' Wild Fantasy Makers lipstick in Black
Geek Chic Cosmetics JoyStick in Stay Classy (velvet burgundy)


01 August 2014

look of the week - new hair!

So, remember how I was blonde for two weeks? Well, that's not the case anymore.


Here's my sunset hair! It's a little dark in this photo, but my hairdresser put in purple, pink, and orange semi-permanent dye and left one piece and my bangs blonde. This was done on Sunday, 27 July. (The only makeup I'm wearing here is Anastasia Dipbrow in Dark Brown and OCC Stained Gloss lip tar in New Wave.)


And here's the back! He curled it a bit so the colours blended more.

Two days later, I put it into a side ponytail and accidentally turned myself into a rainbow because I was wearing green eyeshadow and a blue sweater, but when I got home, I just put blue eyeliner on instead of wearing the sweater.


The makeup here is Dr. Jart+ V7 BB cream, Anastasia Dipbrow in Dark Brown, Sugarpill loose eyeshadow in Olivia (a limited edition olive-green shimmer), Urban Decay eyeliner in Flipside (a discontinued bright teal with silver-teal shimmer), a black Sephora liquid liner, and Kat Von D liquid lipstick in Bauhau5 (deep raspberry).


I washed it Tuesday night and then had the genius idea to put in a clear gloss to protect the colour. Turns out that just faded it even more quickly and I didn't even wash all the gloss out, so I almost gave myself a peroxide burn on my scalp. WHOO! So this is what my hair currently looks like:


Man, those dark circles. And that faded hair. I'm wearing some combination of Sugarpill loose eyeshadows (Magpie, Royal Sugar, Weekender, and Smitten, I think?) to invoke the deeper end of a sunset and possibly allude to what I might do with my hair later on. Additional makeup: Anastasia Dipbrow in Dark Brown and Lipstick Queen Butterfly lipstick in Float.

All I'm really saying is that I really love this hair and while I'm sad it's fading so quickly, I'm glad I get the opportunity to play with colours. Any suggestions for what to do next with my hair? I'm stocking up on Manic Panic!

Also, this weekend I should be posting a mega post about eyebrows. It might be my legacy, and it also might be approaching 4k.

26 July 2014

celebrity-inspired looks #3 - elizabeth henstridge at the guardians of the galaxy l.a. premiere

I swear, I'll do a celebrity look that isn't Elizabeth Henstridge. Eventually. But I had to attempt the seriously awesome smoky eye and red lip pairing she wore to this premiere--you can find pictures here. I'll take suggestions for other celebrity looks anyone wants to see!


(This is the last post I'll be making with my blonde hair! Good thing, too, since it's misbehaving a lot today.)

Okay, let's get lipstick out of the way. From what I could tell in the pictures I've seen, she was wearing more of a sheer red lipstick, though some pictures made it look more pigmented. I suggest going the sheer route especially with a strong smoky eye like this, but if you want to go full red, go for it. Lipstick Queen's most popular lipstick is a tinted treatment that fit so well. And one day, I'll have a camera that doesn't desaturate reds!

Elizabeth has some amazing eyebrows but they looked a little lighter than usual, so fill in your brows with a light hand, and set the hairs in place with a tinted brow gel. The secret to lightening your brows a bit is to run some powder through your brows while the gel isn't fully dry--translucent or tinted powder would probably work best, but I wanted to be fancy and used a gold eyeshadow.

For the eyes, take a gold shimmer to the inner corner of your eyelids, blending carefully. Next, use a deeper bronze-brown shade on the center of the lid. I added a glittery deep brown shade on top of the original colour just to give it some more dimension. Take a dark brown to the outer corners of your eyelids, and then blend all three of these together.

Blending with a brush would be ideal, but I'm a rulebreaker and just use my fingers. That won't work for everyone, so choose a method that works best for you. I suggest blending the lighter shade into the darker shade so you don't risk darkening your entire lid.

Tap a matte deep brown shade into your crease and blend that toward the inner corner of your eyelid. For your lower lid, take a bit of the gold eyeshadow and some of the dark brown shade and blend that into your lash line. Line your upper waterline and lash line with a matte black eyeliner, and your lower waterline with a brown eyeliner. (Since my eyes water a lot, I set the lower waterline with a matte brown eyeshadow. Totally optional.) Swipe on a few coats of mascara, and if you'd like, put on some false eyelashes. Elizabeth seems to have really long eyelashes and mine are stubby, so I put on some partial falsies that only cover half of my lash line. Make sure you glue these on correctly because I 100% messed mine up!

For the face, take a foundation a few shades deeper than your skin tone and blend it just underneath your cheeks for a little contouring, and then dust on a peachy-pink blush to give some colour to your cheeks. Because the eyes are so intense and you have a bit of a noticeable lip competing, you need to have a little blush on your cheeks to keep you from looking washed out.

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Dark Brown
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite
Urban Decay eyeshadow in Half-Baked (bronze)

EYES
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Inner corner - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Half-Baked (bronze)
Center of lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Smog (golden brown shimmer) + Shiro Cosmetics loose eyeshadow in Nic Cage Raking Leaves on a Brisk October Afternoon (coffee brown-black with gold and red sparkles)
Outer lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Darkhorse (bronze-plum shimmer)
Crease - Paula's Choice eyeshadow in Coffee, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Buck (brown matte)
Lower lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Half-Baked (bronze) + Darkhorse (bronze-plum shimmer)
Upper lash line + waterline - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (matte blackest black)
Lower waterline -  Hello Kitty Charmmy Kohl Eyeliner in Chocolate Milk (shimmery brown) + Paula's Choice eyeshadow in Coffee
Lashes - Maybelline Volum' Express the Mega Plush mascara in Blackest Black
Falsies - ecotools Naturally Beautiful Lash System in Barely There

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
Under eyes - It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector Concentrate Cream in Light + Bye Bye Under Eye concealer in Light
Contour - Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick in 235
Blush - NARS Blush in Orgasm (peachy pink with shimmer)

LIPS
Lipstick Queen Medieval Tinted Treatment (sheer red)


20 July 2014

looks of the weekend - simple summer look + helena (bonus blonde hair!)

I wasn't even going to post anything because this is just a transition hair colour until I get the rest of the dye put in next weekend, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity, really.

First, here's what my go-to summer look has been.


Yes, I am wearing the garland I bought at the nearby Renaissance Faire the first time I went! And hello, blonde hair. My hairdresser didn't want me to be stuck in a chair for 4-5 hours getting all the dye in, so my next appointment is next weekend. This time next week, I'll have purple + pink + orange hair!

Since it's summer, I don't really bother with foundation or any sort of face product except for sunscreen. I'd rather protect my skin than try to bother covering anything up. That being said, I did use tiny dots of concealer where I really needed it. Sometimes I use an under-eye concealer, but I didn't here.

For the eyes, take a simple nude-pink shimmer eyeshadow and swipe it across your lids, and then use a liquid eyeliner to draw on a slight cat-eye. Often, I skip eye makeup entirely because it'll crease like crazy in the summer with my oily lids. Brows are a must for me, though! Lately I've been using Anastasia's Dipbrow Pomade, which has been a lifesaver.

Summer is the time for bright lips so I slapped on a long lasting liquid lipstick so I wouldn't have to worry about touch-ups. This stuff lasts through everything.

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Dark Brown
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Stila eyeshadow in Kitten (shimmering nude pink)
Sephora Colorful Waterproof Eyeliner 24 HR Wear in 01 Black Lace (matte black)

FACE
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair 15

LIPS
Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Bauhau5 (deep raspberry)


I know I did Helena's makeup once already, but since I have blonde hair for a brief window, I had to try it again.


The eyeshadow looks a little less red in the picture than in person, but I used a lighter hand this time. The band shirt isn't quite The Clash (sorry Sarah!) but Company of Thieves is the only band I have a shirt for, so it'll have to do.

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Dark Brown
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette: Faint (warm, dusty brown matte)
It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Matte Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette Vol. 1: Soulful, Sunrise, Sunset
Saucebox Cosmetics Etude palette: Biscotti, Caramel, Cream Dream
Lorac PRO To Go Eye/Cheek Palette: Café

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye concealer in Light

LIPS
NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cairo (matte pure nude)
Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Naked (nude-pink)