Tutorial! Jamie's Makeover - Eye Makeup

For this past Wednesday's makeover,  I showed you Jamie's completed evening look.  Today, I put together a tutorial to show you how I applied her eye makeup!

Just to not be confusing, I'll let you know right now I photographed this tutorial on myself.

First, we start with a bare eye.  I have already applied the rest of my makeup, including foundation and concealer. 

Then, cover the entire lid with eyeshadow primer.

Then, from the Stila In The Know palette, apply "air" to browbone, "rain" on lid, and "earth" at outer v, trailing to the outer bottom lash line just a little bit.

Blend in the area shown, wiping your brush clean after you blend air and rain, and before you blend rain and earth.  You don't want to muddy the colors, just blend the seams.

Next, apply Mosha Katani Eye Pigment in Persian Queen to the entire lashline...

...and to the top and lower waterline.

Blend, blend, blend!

Add some mascara!

You're done!  Once you get used to doing this, it takes about 4 minutes to do both eyes.  This is a soft and professional look for daytime.  It'll make your eyes look huge.

Now for nighttime... From Urban Decay's Naked palette, apply "darkhorse" on outer v and slightly on lower lid outer corner, 'sidecar' on mid-lid in a circle, and "sin" at inner sides of nose.  You won't be blending these colors to each other, so blend them in to the eyeshadow that is already on the lid.  Adding this color takes about 1 minute for both eyes.

You're done!

Makeover! Jamie

I had so much fun with the last makeover, that I wanted to do more!  Luckily, my neighbor agreed to be my next model!  Jamie wanted to find a way to cover occasional blemishes and try a way to wear eyeshadow for both day and nighttime looks.  Because she is so busy, I wanted to show her how to convert her daytime eyeshadow to a nighttime look without having to start all over.  To do that?  A smokey eye, done with brown for the day, and then darkened with bronze for night.

Here she is before we started.  She is absolutely stunning, which makes my job very easy!

And here she is, after!  This is the darker, evening look.  I applied the darker colors right over the top of the lighter shades I used for her daytime look. 

Side-by-Side:

My camera's flash thingie flipped open and bonked me right in the face.  Hardy-har-har.

What we used:
Face:
Moisturizer: Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Rejuvinating Oil-Free Moisturizer
Face: Garnier BB Cream in Light/Medium, Buxom Divine Goddess Luminizer, NARS Sheer Glow foundation in Punjab
Spot Concealer: Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in shade 2
Contouring Powder: NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna
Blush: tarte Cheek Stain in Blissful
Highlight on nose and lower center forehead: Boots No.7 High Lights Illuminating Lotion (possibly discontinued)

Brows:
Powder (to fill): Umber eyeshadow by Smash Cosmetics

Lips:
All-over: Sephora Nano Lipliner in 16 Pure Pinky
All-over: Wet n Wild Megalast Matte in 904B

Eyes:
Lids: E.L.F. Essentials Eyelid Primer in Sheer
Lids, daytime: Stila palette In The Know (air on browbone, rain on lid, earth at outer v)
Lids, nightime: Urban Decay palette Naked (darkhorse on outer v and slightly on lower lid outer corner, sidecar on mid-lid in a circle, sin at inner sides of nose)
Waterline and liner:  Mosha Katani Eye Pigment in Persian Queen
Lashes: Wet N Wild Mascara, Mega Volume, in Very Black

Brushes:
RealTechniques Stipple brush
Sonia Kashuk Smokey Eye Brush Set
Angled brush for eyebrow

As a note, I usually do not try to cover blemishes.  It seems like most attempts to cover them end up with product caking up over the uneven surface, and I end up with a spot that looks worse afterwards than it did before I started.  However, it was important to Jamie to figure out how to conceal them, so my preference doesn't matter.  I used Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in shade 2.  This concealer is meant for under-eye, and it is very creamy and moisturizing.  It works wonderfully to conceal a spot.  It doesn't dry to a cake finish, so you don't get the discoloration of a ridge of concealer.  It probably won't last all day unless you set it with powder.  I avoid setting powders, because I prefer a dewy finish, so it may require touch-ups during the day.

Review! Sephora Nano Lipliner in 18 Pinup Pink

I recently purchased three Nano Lipliners by Sephora.  Today, I tried out 18, Pinup Pink.

The one thing I don't like about this lipliner is the lid.  That sucker does NOT stay on the pencil tightly.  If you put it in your bag, you will need to contain it somehow.  I have a metal lipstick case that I plan to put mine in.  That lid will come off if left loose, so you've been warned.

Otherwise, these are sweet little gems at only $5 each!

I do not use lipliner to contain my lipstick.  I use lipliner either as its own color, or as a layer to wear under lipstick.  To keep my lipstick from feathering and bleeding, I line the outside of my lip with a concealer pencil.  If I have a color that really bleeds, I follow the concealer pencil with a white eyeliner pencil (it's dryer than the concealer), and then blend that with a concealer brush.  It sounds weird, but it works, and when you have it blended well, you cannot see it.  Therefore, I cannot comment on how well this contains lipstick to the lip, because I just never wear it for that purpose.

Pinup Pink is a bright rose pink, and it certainly made me think "Pinup" as I applied it.  It is frosty, and almost too frosty.  It narrowly escapes the 80's, though, and earned a place in my lipcolor rotation.  It applies smoothly without skipping or dragging, and despite the frost load, it does not feel gritty.  I paired it with a natural eye, but I would recommend matching it up with either a cat eye or a dark smokey eye.  I particularly like how it faded; it was uniform, and it lost the frost first, so it became a gorgeous rosebud pink shade.

Bare lips:

Half lips:

Full lips:

Full face (sort of!):

This is a great lipliner!  However, if you don't like frost, I would skip this one and go with a different pink in the same line.

Review! Sephora Nano Lipliner in 17 Funky Fuchsia

Sephora makes a shorter lipliner, Nano by Sephora.  I bought three of them, and today I reviewed 17 Funky Fuchsia.

The one thing I don't like about this lipliner is the lid.  That sucker does NOT stay on the pencil tightly.  If you put it in your bag, you will need to contain it somehow.  I have a metal lipstick case that I plan to put mine in.  That lid will come off if left loose, so you've been warned.

Otherwise, these are sweet little gems at only $5 each!

I do not use lipliner to contain my lipstick.  I use lipliner either as its own color, or as a layer to wear under lipstick.  To keep my lipstick from feathering and bleeding, I line the outside of my lip with a concealer pencil.  If I have a color that really bleeds, I follow the concealer pencil with a white eyeliner pencil (it's dryer than the concealer), and then blend that with a concealer brush.  It sounds weird, but it works, and when you have it blended well, you cannot see it.  Therefore, I cannot comment on how well this contains lipstick to the lip, because I just never wear it for that purpose.

Funky Fuchsia is a matte, natural purple-pink (you know, fuchsia).  It applies very smoothly, almost like lipstick in a pencil form.  It is not dry at all, and doesn't skip or drag.  Coverage is nearly opaque with one coat, and it wears for 2-3 hours before needing a touch-up.  The color fades uniformly and does not stain.

Bare lips:

Half lips:

Full lips:

Full face:

I love these lipliners.  If I wasn't obligated to try other lipliners to review for you, I would stop right here, and just buy all the colors of Nanos to suit my needs. 

The Art of the Simple Swap

One of the first things I have my clients do is to track their calories for a few weeks.  Be as honest as you can.  Don't log "carrots" when you know you ate carrot cake. 

After those few weeks, take some time and look over what you ate.  Think about why you ate it.  These reasons why you ate what you did, when you did are the keys to your health.  Your nutrition is a direct reflection of your life as a whole. 

Was it full of planned healthy meals with the occasional treat factored in?

Was it nothing but convenience?

Was it all stress eating?

Was expense a factor?

Take a moment and, in the scope of what you are eating and why, think about those things around you that influence these patterns.  Work, kids, commute, income, health concerns... any reason is valid.  Every reason you list is "one little thing"...  but make no mistake.  These are actually big-picture items that can trickle down to your waistline.

I cannot fix everything in one blog, but let's aim for one thing- a simple swap.

If you see from your food log that you are reaching for the crunchy at 3:30- pack in carrots instead of chips.  And no, the walk to the vending machine does not count as cardio.

If you reach for the sweet, have fresh fruit available instead of the Twix.  Alternately, if you must have the chocolate- upgrade the chocolate to dark to reap the antioxidant benefits.  And savor it.  Slowly. Really.  Eat it slow and let it melt in your mouth.  The slower you eat, the more mindfully you reach for the flavor of each bite, the less it will take for you to feel satisfied. 

If you must have The Mega Caramel Froopity-do from the coffee shop, omit the sugar syrup and try sugar free.

If you like rice with your Chinese take-out, ask them to hold it and try some quinoa instead.

What these swaps have in common is not just about a 100 calories loss and a gain of better nutrition- what they have is preparation. 

You become aware of your habits, and you can change them by having a game plan.  It's like premeditated fat murder.  There is no "100%" here, no perfect score.  There is your best effort under your day's circumstances. If you know that fast food is in your future, then arm yourself with the best options (steamed over sauteed, grilled over fried...).  If you know your paycheck is going to be short, plan your meals around sales and what you already have.

It all comes down to "default living"- not thinking, not assessing or examining.  You break that cycle by stopping, evaluating, and making a decision.  

One of the biggest changes in my life came from default-eating chips every day.  I was on my 3rd or 4th serving before I realized that I was not even tasting the chips,  I was just going for the crunch and the habit.  I stopped immediately and realized that I only ate the chips at the most stressful part of my day.  I made a point to schedule my break for the 15 minute stretch before 3:00 pm, and to use that time for walking or jogging the stairs.  I began to pack in carrots, celery, and cauliflower as an easy swap.  Now, I was still "mindlessly" munching, but I was deliberate in my approach to it.  I ate less over all, took in more nutrients, and was more calm.  It all began with stopping and examining.

What I would love for you to focus on over the next month-

1. Maximize the clean, whole foods. 
2. Minimize the processed junk.  Minimize- not eliminate.  Why?  Because life happens.  Be kind to yourself, and forgiving.
3. Plan your meals ahead of time and be creative:
   1. Take advantages of sales and seasonality
   2. Use ingredients you already have and try AllRecipes.Com.  Queue in what you have and make the healthiest option.
   3. Take a loved recipe and swap one less ideal ingredient for a healthier option.  Sour Cream or plain Greek Yogurt for that ranch dip?
4. Have a plan for life happening.  Keep clean snacks available. 
5. Repeat after me:  Pyrex is your friend.  We'll go into why later.

Review! Sephora Nano Lipliner in 16 Pure Pinky

I've been looking for some new lipliners.  I have several drugstore brands, but I wasn't overly thrilled with any of them.  I knew I wanted a natural pink shade, and I didn't want a full-size product, as I never use them up.


I was in Sephora and spotted their mini lipliners, Nanos.  I bought three of them.

You can see the one thing I don't like about this lip liner in the photo above... the lid.  That sucker does NOT stay on the pencil tightly.  If you put it in your bag, you will need to contain it somehow.  I have a metal lipstick case that I plan to put mine in.  That lid will come off if left loose, so you've been warned.

Otherwise, these are sweet little gems at only $5 each!

I do not use lipliner to contain my lipstick.  I use lipliner either as its own color, or as a layer to wear under lipstick.  To keep my lipstick from feathering and bleeding, I line the outside of my lip with a concealer pencil.  If I have a color that really bleeds, I follow the concealer pencil with a white eyeliner pencil (it's dryer than the concealer), and then blend that with a concealer brush.  It sounds weird, but it works, and when you have it blended well, you cannot see it.  Therefore, I cannot comment on how well this contains lipstick to the lip, because I just never wear it for that purpose.

First up is 16 Pure Pinky.

This is a rose pink with a subtle shimmer, with a slight lean towards towards purple.  It is not glittery, and it is not overly frosty, it just shimmers a tiny bit.  In the flash photo, above, the effect is exaggerated.  The pencil glides on smoothly, with absolutely no tugging or dryness.  It's very similar to feeling like a satin lipstick, except it is in a little pencil.

Bare lip:

Half lip:

Full lip:

I love this color.  It is a very natural color on me, and it wears for about three hours before it needs reapplication.  I will definitely re-purchase.

Review! NARS Sheer Glow in Punjab

I've been on the lookout for a new foundation.  In the winter, I like to use Asian BB creams and embrace my naturally pale complexion.  But, in the warmer months, my skin darkens a bit, and I enhance that with self-tanner just a smidge.

I've heard good things about NARS Sheer Glow, so I decided to give it a try.

I really like it.  I like the sheer-to-medium coverage that evens out my complexion and hides most of my flaws.  It feels lightweight, and doesn't cake or crease.  I could easily make this my go-to foundation.

Here I am, bare faced:

And here I am with one coat of NARS Sheer Glow.  I was matched to the shade Punjab.

And here I am with the rest of my makeup on:

And a side-by-side:

Finally, here is a list of what I used:

 

Face:

Moisturizer: Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Rejuvinating Oil-Free Moisturizer

Face: NARS Sheer Glow in Punjab

Undereye Concealer: Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in shade 2

Illuminating Powder (under eye): Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight

Contouring Powder: NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna

Blush: tarte Cheek Stain in Blissful

Brows:

Pencil: Cover Girl Brow and Eye Maker in Midnight Brown

Powder: Maybelline Ultra-Brow Brush-on Color in light brown

Lips:

Outside Lips: Hard Candy Concealer Pencil in Medium

All-over: Sephora Collection Nano Lip Liner in 16 Pure Pinky

Eyes:

Lids: Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Saint

***Using the method in this tutorial***

Lashes: Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara (Walgreens)