Tag Archives: smokey eye

the Makeup stuff.

Will Blog For Eyeshadow

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It’s been a while, but that’s okay. Busyness and work leave little time for blogging. However, my eyes are never too busy to miss the awesomeness that shows up on the red carpet in the form of seriously bonkers eyeshadow. I mean it people- this holiday season, PLEASE stay away from the neutral tones. If it’s Christmas and I see you wearing basic eyeshadow, I might get mad. ‘Tis the season to be purple. At the very least.

Let’s take a tour of possibilities, all of which have occurred within the last two months.

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Dark, navy eyeshadow is my fave. I mean it. If I could do my wedding all over again, I’d wear a mermaid silhouette and do a smoky navy eye. My preference is a matte finish over a sparkly one, but who cares. You can thank Carol Gonzalez for this magnificent job well done on Kerry Washington. My guess is she used a Pat McGrath Labs palette.

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I feel like the only eyeshadow color we see less than green is canary yellow. Yellow – not gold – is so under-appreciated! Pati Dubroff created this look on Margot Robbie using a couple MAC products, including Chromaline gel/cream shadow in Primary Yellow. I love that it’s applied all the way up to Margot’s brow for a really modern take.

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Jennifer Connelly is another example of the wonders of blue eyeshadow. It’s not just for pageant girls, people! And it comes in an infinite variety of tones. Kay Montano used a  silvery-but-vivid blue on Jennifer’s inner eyelids here, with what look like purple tones on the outer lid and around the rim. I love how her nearly blue-black hair makes the blue shadow stand out even more, especially with the dress. Coupled with the brows and everything else left bare, we’ve got perfection.

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Winged eyeshadow! Nothing says, “My allegiance lies with Imperator Furiosa” quite like winged, black eyeshadow. This is one of my favorite likes to try and recreate on myself, personally. I love looks that feel strong and ferocious like this, especially when paired with sleek hair. Jillian Dempsey has consistently turned out a killer smoky eye, typically on Kristen Stewart. This turned out perfectly; the blending is smooth as a milkshake.

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And because you know smoky eyes are pretty much my kryptonite … here’s another one! Georgie Eisdell managed to pull off what’s probably the most flawless version of the iconic look I’ve ever seen. I mean, ever. This is the makeup I’d die in. There’s such an incredible depth to Elizabeth’s shadow, with what could be four different shades used. Georgie used exclusively Chanel products to create this look. She doesn’t name which eyeshadow palette it is, and it might be one that hasn’t come on the market yet. Nevertheless, I’ve been searching like a crazy person.

What do you plan to do this year for holiday makeup? Any palettes or products you plan to try? Let me know in the comments! xo, MR

 

Photo credits by order of appearance and all are user Instagram handles: @carolagmakeup, @patidubroff, @kaymontano, @jilliandempsey, @georgieeisdell

the Magazine stuff., the Makeup stuff.

My Best Lily-Rose Depp Impression

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Glamour isn’t a magazine I usually pick up, but when I noticed that Gal Gadot was slated to be on their April 2016 cover, I figured I’d snag a copy considering it was Wonder Woman’s first American cover and she kicks major Super-butt.  However, a fun little surprise waited for me inside that had me squealing: a step-by-step-how-to-get-the-makeup-look-feature thingy.

Yes, I live for step-by-step-how-to-get-the-makeup-look-feature thingies.  Even though the “products used” typically aren’t accurate and they usually feature some celebrity with perfect skin, I still love coming across features like this because I like the challenge of recreating the makeup on myself (even if their skintone is completely different; it’s still fun to try and at least emulate the color portions).  Sometimes these written “tutorials” turn out great and involve some kind of makeup trick that I keep stashed away in my brain forever; other times, it’s just discouraging seeing how your face in general cat-eyeliner doesn’t turn out quite as stunning as Margot Robbie’s, even after adhering to the instructions.

So, last Friday night, I opened up to page 97 of the April issue of Glamour (on stands now, btw) and got to work recreating this smokey purplish-bluish eye as seen on Lily-Rose Depp.  And yes, that’s Johnny Depp’s kid.  Makes you feel a bit old, don’t it?


For my foundation, I used Lancome’s Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick in Bisque W (which I’m pretty sure stands for “warm”).  I stuck with the advice of placing four dots of foundation on the face and then spackling it out with a BeautyBlender, but I ended up needing more like six or dots.  I think this method would work seamlessly with liquid foundation and mine was a stick, so I’ll try liquid next time.  Stick foundation just doesn’t blend outward as easily as a liquid.

For my cheeks I used MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish powder in Soft And Gentle, and their Mineralize Powder Blush in Warm Soul.  I would’ve preferred a matte blush for this look, but I discovered that I don’t have a matte blush that I’d consider “peachy nude” as suggested by the makeup artist.  I do love Warm Soul in general, though.  It’s great for a casual daytime look, though I’m not sure if it would complement every skin tone so I’d sample it first.

It’s when I got to the eyes that I really parted ways with the article’s recommendations.  I used a NARS eyeshadow duo that I’ve had for some time, called Marie-Gallante.  I thought it matched the product suggestions well, but in the end I wasn’t quite on the money.  I’ve often used Marie-Gallante as a liner, but this time I layered both shadows on thick as suggested.  The result was a lot more pastel than I was hoping for, though the purple still looked nice.  Turns out the blue shade in this duo is deceptive; it’s a lot lighter than it looks and it just isn’t deep or navy enough to create that dark, smokey effect I desired, so I ended up with something that ultimately felt very springtime as opposed to, well, nighttime.  Oh well.  And for my lips I used Lancome’s Color Design Lipstick in Natural Beauty.  That turned out just as I wanted; I love that shade.

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So as you can see, the eyes don’t really match at all but the skin turned out rather nicely!  I need to break into my Urban Decay eyeshadow in Perversion again- it’s a super concentrated, smokey blue-black that probably would’ve worked better for this look overall, minus the purple tones.


Any off-the-beaten-path looks you like to try when going out, or just when you’re feeling bored with your same ole’ black eyeliner?  Teach me your ways!  And I’m really one to talk, anyhow- every time I try to break out of the black smokey eye rut, I find my hand once again reaching my MAC kohl liner.  I’m a creature of habit; what can I say?  xo, MR

the Makeup stuff., the Skin stuff.

Winter Makeup Inspiration

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So, if you follow me in my various social media outlets, you know the SAG Awards were a relative disappointment to me.  I think my favorite dress honestly may have been Brie Larson’s thanks to its unexpected details, but beyond that, I was considerably underwhelmed.  Again.  However, what the SAG Awards were lacking in dresses, the month of January certainly made up for in awesome celebrity makeup.

This is the kind of makeup that I find so inspiring, mostly because it actually seems accessible and real and like something I could repeat on myself.  I love makeup that is still beautiful but doesn’t exist for the sake of itself, and doesn’t insist on completely transforming its subject.  Ironically, red carpet celebrity makeup is much less intimidating to me than anything like what I see on YouTube or Instagram with all the palettes and powders and contour creams, however fun that all may be.

So the following three looks are ones that had me gasping and reaching for my own makeup brushes this past month.  The subjects all happen to look extremely alike, so you’ll need to forgive me for my unintentional-but-glaringly-obvious lack of diversity in this post.  However, it is beautiful makeup nonetheless, and I think everyone can appreciate that.

Kristen Stewart at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Certain Women”

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K-Stew is my jam when it comes to a smokey eye.  She frequently wears a smokey eye and it seems to fit her supposedly moody disposition (though this smile would say otherwise), but I absolutely love the look and am always thinking of either her or Keira Knightley when trying to replicate it on myself.  Friends know this tends to be my go-to look when I really want to “do my makeup” – a smokey, smudged-out eye paired with little else, hence the nearly-bare lips.  Good stuff.  And just yesterday, Kristen was announced as the new face of Chanel cosmetics so I’m pretty sure we have a lot more smokey awesomeness coming down the pipeline.

Makeup artist Jamie Greenberg was responsible for this look, and you can check out her blog for the exact routine and products she used on Kristen (which are almost all Chanel, of course).  And what a fun surprise- Greenberg used Burt’s Bees Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands on her lips.  That little guy is sitting in my makeup bag at this very moment!  I knew that paired well with tons of eyeliner.

Alicia Vikander at the 2016 SAG Awards

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This is the kind of makeup we call “timeless”.  Makeup like this, on any skin tone, on any woman, for any occasion, will never not be beautiful.  Look like this at Prom, look like this on your wedding day, look like this at work – it will never be an issue.  I know it helps to have otherworldly skin like Vikander, but honestly, even if you have acne or some type of skin insecurity, the color features of this look will still work for you.  Yes, they will.  Why?  Because it sticks with the very best strategies for flattering anyone’s features- a rosy-ish lip that looks like it’s just come in from the cold, glittering eyes surrounded by an earth-toned shimmer, full, voluminous lashes, groomed eyebrows, and gently sun-kissed skin.  Even if you don’t have pristine skin (and I’m sure a bit of makeup was involved in giving that illusion, too), your features will still be nothing but enhanced with makeup like this.  You would just vary the choice of shades depending on your skintone.

Charlotte Tilbury created this look to complement Alicia’s stunning Louis Vuitton sequined gown.  The Australian edition of PopSugar did a full feature on the look here, complete with a run-down of every single product used.  Remember that the prices for the mentioned products are translated into Australian dollars, so they don’t cost quite that much stateside.

Natalie Portman at the New York City premiere of “Jane Got A Gun”

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Good ol’ Natalie Portman.  I think the first high-end product I ever purchased as a teen was Stila’s lipstick that they’d made just for her back in the day, appropriately named Natalie.  It was sheer, a berry color with purple-ish undertones from what I remember.  Of course it’s now discontinued and who knows what happened to mine, but I remember thinking as a fifteen-year-old girl that I would finally look like Padme once I got my hands on that lipstick.  Padme isn’t exactly the worst film character to look like, but her choices are pretty questionable and I’m not sure how much the lipstick actually helped my cause.  I managed to date someone similar in character to Anakin Skywalker, so I guess the goal was met?  Minus the whole awesome space opera part that made it actually worth it?

Fast forward some ten-odd years later and here’s Natalie again, still looking gorgeous as ever with a deep, crimson lip.  There’s something so fragile and feminine about Portman’s features that makes a dramatic lip stand out on her in ways that may not be the case with others.  I love her nearly porcelain skin here.  When I try to let my skin lose its color, I find it doesn’t give off a Snow White etherealness so much as it does a yellow-green Tales from the Crypt vibe.  It’s all about those undertones, man.  They’ll get ya.

As the face of Dior beauty, you can count on every product used here on Natalie to be Dior.  Lipstick Lifestyle did a great feature on the whole look recounting all of makeup artist Pati Dubroff’s steps.  I’m eyeing the eyeshadow and liner duo used that’s to be released as part of Dior’s spring makeup collection, but I’m certain it’ll be a little out of my reasonable price range (especially considering my lame empties challenge, which I guess I’m continuing with indefinitely).  I’ll just need to shop what I own.

And now I’m looking forward to seeing what beauty awesomeness (and hopefully gown awesomeness) the Oscars will hold for us.  Hopefully there’s some Leo awesomeness involved in that, too, because if there isn’t there will probably be some type of bear-attacking-you-in-nineteenth-century-Canadian-wilderness hell to pay.  xo, MR

Image credits (in order of appearance) to: Vanity Fair, Getty Images, Mike Coppola for Getty Images