artistic FOTD for New Year's Eve.

 

today i tried a more artistic makeup look, inspired by two of my favourite Rae's - Rae Chen from the Notice: a beauty blog (for the eye make up) and australian makeup artist Rae Morris (for the lips).
i wanted to do both elements from this FOTD since forever and a day, a liner-look and a glitter/duo-toned lip and i think it's wearable enough for an extravagant party. i think this makeup is at the same time edgy and puristic.


for the face:

foundation: i used Burberry Sheer Foundation in Trench No.4 (1), applied with the BeautyBlender (A) - this is not really a "brush-foundation"

contour: NARS Multiple Bronzer in Cap Vert (2) applied with MAC 109 brush (B)

blush: Guerlain Météorites Perles d'Or (3) from last year's holiday collection, applied with RMK Cheek Brush (D)

highlighter: Chanel Ombres Tissées in Beiges (4) applied with Hakuhodo G5537BkSL (C) onto the top of the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, cupid's bow and everywhere you feel like


for the eyes:

brows: MAC Copperplate Eyeshadow (1) applied with Louise Young Brow Brush LY30 (A)

eye makeup: choose the design you like! it's really hard though, to get an even result on both eyes -.-

• i applied MAC Shroom Eyeshadow (2) all over the lid and the brow bone area with Tom Ford Eyeshadow Brush (B) to get an even canvas.
• for the liner, choose one that's really really smudgeproof on you! this is essential if you want to go out with this eye makeup. i started out with the K-Palette 1-Day-Tattoo Real Lasting Eyeliner (3) which is both extremely longlasting and extremely precise and easy to handle, but after i was done with one eye, the liner was used up so i had to finish the other side with a gel liner - i chose Catrice Gel Liner in Black Jack with Jack Black (4) and applied it with Hakuhodo K007 Eyeliner Brush (C). you could use a very pale, matte grey eyeshadow to trace a shape before you go in with deep, wuite unforgiving black liner, but i did it free-handed.
• then i applied Lancôme's Hypnôse Doll Eyes Mascara (5) and false eyelashes (6), this time the conventional way for a intended fake and OTT look.
• to play up the contrast between bare skin and stark liner even more, i drew a pale beige liner (7) onto the lower inner rim to brighten it - no mascara on the lower lashes, please!

for the lips:

• i used a longlasting lip colour in a dusty magenta shade (Manhattan Lips2Last 47R (1) as a base, applied it with Essence Eyeliner Brush (A)
• to deepen and brighten the colour i went over it with Chanel Rouge Allure Velvets (2) in L'Exuberante (a bright magenta) onto the heart of the lip and La Fascinante (a blood red) on the outer parts, also with the Essence Brush.
• then i dabbed a mix of MAC Naval Blue Pigment (3) and an intense pink pigment by Basic (4) onto the center of the upper lip.
• i dabbed some of Bare Minerals True Gold Eyeshadow (5) onto the center of the lower lip.
• finished with clear gloss by Bobbi Brown.

would you go out with a look like this ;) ?

i wish all of you a good start in the new year!

striking FOTD for New Year's Eve.

 

today i played around with my make up a bit and came up with a striking makeup that would be perfect for a New Year's Eve party. quite bold, but still very wearable and not too flashy/spacy. i don't know yet if this will be the final version since i never really plan a makeup look, but it's a nice attempt!

for the face:

foundation: for a party in this special night, i think a longlasting foundation would be great. i used a mix of Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation in #02 Beige Clair (1) and Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle Foundation in Almond Milk Parfait (2) and applied with Le Métier de Beauté Blush Brush(A)

concealer: Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in #2 (3) and Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch Concealer in #3 (4), both dabbed in with the fingers.

powder: of course i still wanted a glowy complexion, so i used the Guerlain Méteorites Perles de Nuit (5) from this year's holiday collection applied with A'Squirrel Pure Squirrel Powder Brush (B)

contour: i used NARS Multiple Bronzer in Cap Vert (6) and applied with MAC 109 (C) brush, apply a bit more intense and also contour the nose since this night most probably flash photographs will be taken.

blush: with a bold eye makeup and lips, i wanted a warm and subtle look on the cheeks and chose NARS Madly (7) as a base colour and dabbed only a tiny bit of NARS Desire (8) onto the apples of the cheeks. i used the RMK Cheek Brush (D)

highlight: a bit of MAC Beauty Powder in Too Chic (9) applied with Hakuhodo G5537BkSL (E)


for the eyes:

brows: again, i went a bit darker than normal since brows tend to wash out immensely in flash photography. i applied MAC Copperplate Eyeshadow (1) with Louise Young Brow Brush LY30 (3) as a base shape and used the K-Palette 1-Day-Tattoo Liquid Brow Pen (2) to draw in fine lines for more structure. 

eye makeup: quite dramatic, quite sparkly!

• i applied MAC Vex Eyeshadow (4) to the inner corners with a Sigma SS252 (7) brush.
• then, with a MAC 242 (8), apply a intense oval shape of MAC Deep Truth Eyeshadow (5) onto the center of the lids and trace it on the outer 2/3 of the lower lashline.
• again with MAC 242 brush, apply Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in #85 Myrifique (6) onto the outer V, elongate to a cat eye wing on the outside. trace a bit on the most outer corner along the lower lashline and also along the upper lashline, starting in the center.
• blend the outer edges slightly, i used Sigma SS217 brush (9).
• then i dabbed a tiny amount of Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy (10) onto my inner corners and pressed on some holographic glitter (11) using a flat shader brush (MakeUpShow Medium Shader H06 (12)
• curl lashes, apply mascara (i used Shiseido The Perfect Mascara (14).
• line the upper waterline with P2 Perfect Look! Kajal in 010 Black (13). 
• apply false lashes (15) underneath your natural lashes, use THIS METHOD.

 here you can see the glitter on the inner corners better, but in real it's much more sparkly

lips: i tried two different lip versions, you could probably see them as day/night-versions. which lip do you like better?

 with Dior Rouge Dior in #298 Beige Indécise, a nude

or

 

a very dramatic combo with a longlasting lipcolor in hot red - Manhattan 44Q plus a shimmery red lipgloss - Rouge Bunny Rouge Gleaming Temptations Lipgloss in #46 Come Here, Sweetie

i have to say i much prefer the red-lip-version since it screams "party",  the red really revives my complexion.

2011 - these brushes & tools were THE BOMB.

B-R-U-S-H-E-S...  the unrivaled category.
since my affection to these products is that gigantic - it doesn't allow any competitors. with the right brushes, a mediocre product can appear as if it had amazing texture. good tools will apply an elaborated makeup look effortlessly and lets you enjoy the process of creating it, not only the result.
i love my eye brushes to be effective to save time and product, but face brushes should be as soft as possible to pet and pamper my skin and allow me to appreciate the fine texture of my blushes and powders.
this year i have discovered SO many incredible brushes, first of all were the ultimately sohoft blue squirrel hair brushes as overall theme for the year, secondly the amazing japanese brush brands (such as RMK, Lunasol and of course i ventured even more into Hakuhodo) but also the great less commercial western brands (such as Paula Dorf, Trish McEvoy, Le Métier de Beauté and my so much loved Edward Bess) and last but not least the super luxurious brushes by SUQQU.

my little collection of SUQQU brushes stays outside the competition but gets separately honoured for extravagance and unbelievable softness. i don't expect any non-brush-aficionado to understand or even pay for these ridiculous amounts, though. i will review them soon, i know many are very curious but i still have some installments running on here that i have to finish first for the sake of organization.

for FOUNDATION i've been loving the fluffy brushes to apply in swirling, circular motions. the Sephora Collection Pro Foundation Airbrush #55 and the Essence Blush Brush (old version) are amazing synthetic ones, but over the last months i especially enjoyed my goat hair Le Métier de Beauté Blush Brush to apply my liquid foundation.

the Lunasol Powder Brush N is fantastic for POWDER. it feels heavenly soft and dense and fluffy and luxe. the best for the price!

for BRONZER i adore the Paula Dorf Powder Brush and the Trish McEvoy Bronzer Brush #37 for even and effortlessly blended application. both these brushes are soft, but well structured and with great resilience.

in terms of CREAM BRONZER (like the Chanel Bronze Universel or the NARS Bronzer Multiple)  which i newly discovered and much enjoyed this year, i found the MAC 181 mini kabuki to be the best. it's the perfect size and of impeccable quality. very soft (even softer than its big brother the 182) and dense and doesn't shed.

for application of a CONTOUR powder, i've been using my trusty big tapered brushes like MAC 138 or the more luxurious version, S103 by Hakuhodo, all the time with much enthusiasm. it's just the easiest way with this shape.

for my HIGHLIGHTER i have discovered the Hakuhodo G5537BkSL. lovely fluffy white goat hair for a sheer result.

in the past year, the most outstanding brushes for BLUSH to me were the Cheek Brush by RMK (great price!) and the G5519BkSL by Hakuhodo. both are exceptionally soft while the RMK is fluffier and the Hakuhodo denser.

 for CREAM BLUSH i have found an amazing duo fibre brush, the Hakuhodo G5552.

over the last year, i have figured out my key brushes for EYE MAKEUP application. these are the best of the best:

for CONCEALER, nothing beats the Hakuhodo 212. effortless application, smooth and even result. handles all kinds of textures.

my favourite BLENDING BRUSH of all time is the Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush. it just works better than any other and can blend the most complicated shadows beautifully.

the best one for quick and even application of CREAM EYESHADOW with an instantly blended result is the MAC 217 (and other 217-type brushes like the Sigma ones, Estée Lauder #25 or Paula Dorf Eyeshadow Brush).

my favourite brush for a defined CREASE/OUTER CORNER colour was the Hakuhodo Kokutan Brush T. it has the perfect size and is very smooth and soft but still defined.

hands down the best LAY-DOWN BRUSH for intense eyeshadow colour still is the MAC 242. it's easy to work with, not too stiff like some weasel-only-brushes may be since it has a nice hair-length-to-width-ratio. it doesn't absorb too much product but transfers it all onto your lids.

my favourite LINER BRUSH is the MAC 231. it's not only very good for gel or powder liner along your lashline but also amazing to push the liner/dark shadow right between your lashes and smooth it onto the upper or lower inner rim. i actually find the rounded edges much easier to work with than an angled liner brush. this is also a fabulous lip brush.

my best TOOLS of the year.
by far the most appreciated is the BeautyBlender. despite the dupes i tried, i still prefer the original version. it's the best for a quick and effortless, flawless application of liquid foundation and i have used it for that purpose most days of the year.
secondly the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers. still my favourite, but i need to replace mine very soon.
another amazing but not often mentioned tool is the Tweezerman Lash Comb. it's made of sharp metal needles, so you must be careful when using it, but the round edges of the close needles create the most natural feathered lashes effect without clumps because they smooth the mascara onto your lashes instead of ripping clotted lashes apart like plastic combs do.

a last much enjoyed makeup gimmick which i didn't know where to sort are false eyelashes, very outstanding because they have been something i absolutely disliked...
now i truly appreciate them, but only when applied underneath the natural lash line with this method.



well, these were my makeup-highlights of 2011. it was a good year, and i'm looking forward to the next, may it be at least as fun.

i hope you enjoyed this favourites parade! do you want another favourites-post particularly for the month of december or are you saturated?

2011 - these lip products & nailpolishes were THE BOMB.

LIPSTICKS

i'm not an avid lipsticks-user, i tend to go for subtle colours and finishes that are easy to wear and flatter many different looks. they should just let my lips appear fresh and healthy instead of dominating and directing the overall look.

gold medal - Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in #54 Boy, the universally flattering, and #57 Aventure, lovely for the summer. i like the sheer pigmentation, the glossy finish and the hydrating formula.

silver medal - Dior Addict in #343 Miss Dior, a juicy peach colour and #564 Model, a fresh summer-pink. the packaging and extensive colour selection are amazing, but the formula is not as moisturizing as Chanel's.

bronze medal - SUQQU Creamy Glow Lipstick in #06 Umegasumi and #12 Hiwada. these are amazing lipsticks, but i don't own them long enough to push them onto the throne. will review them soon!

LIPGLOSSES

gold medal - Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in #52 Génie and #56 Imaginaire. i highly enjoyed the semi-opaque, non-shimmery colours, the creamy texture, the great finish.

silver medal - Essence Stay With Me Longlasting Lipgloss, all 7 of them. reviewed here and here. these are fabulous drugstore alternatives to the Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss. super affordable (makes trying out the more striking colours much easier ;)), great consistency and lovely colour selection. they all are shimmer-free and semi-opaque, just like the Chanel version. i love the half balm, half gloss finish.

NAIL POLISHES

i have been loving the unusual pearl shimmer effects in my polishes, out of my whole collection i loved these the most:

gold medal - Estée Lauder Surreal Violet. i love love love this polish! it's a dusty lavender with copper pearl. i'm so glad that i bought a back up of this LE colour since i'm almost out of my first bottle. do you know of an affordable, high quality exact dupe for this? i'd feel weird to start my back-up-bottle without having another secured ;)

silver medal - Essence frankenpolish of VIP Appeal (i wanted to dupe Chanel Riviera). i loved how this frankenpolish turned out. too bad it's almost used up and i don't remember the "recipe" anymore, plus the base polish itself has been discontinued.

bronze medal - Rival de Loop #51. a neutral greige with gold pearl. it's a boring-but-not-so-ordinary-colour that goes with everything. i love this colour!

nominee - P2 Rich & Royal as representative for all my grurples.

nominee - Yves Rocher Taupe Grise the perfect taupe/greige. i love this colour but hate the micro-bottle and -brush!

special mention - fast-drying top coats. my top picks are Seche Vite (which i have stored a huge family-size bottle of) and Essie Good To Go (i'm on my 2nd or 3rd mini bottle of this).

now i'm almost through this series, stay tuned for the last episode on brushes and tools!