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.

FOTD festive golds.

 

a recent makeup i did for a christmas party. of course i chose a shimmery golden eye makeup! and since a lot of food was involved in this party, i only went for the pink lip instead of a full-on red.

for the face:

foundation: mix of Guerlain Parure Extreme in #02 Beige Clair (1) and Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle Foundation in Almond Milk Parfait (2), applied with Le Métier de Beauté Blush Brush (6)

under-eye concealer: Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in #2 (4) and Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch Concealer in #3 (5) applied with the fingers

contour: NARS Multiple Bronzer in Cap Vert (10) applied with MAC 109 brush (9)

powder: Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre in #20 Clair (3) applied with A'Squirrel Pure Squirrel Powder Brush (7)

blush: NARS Orgasm (11) applied with RMK Cheek Brush (9)


for the eyes & lips:

brows: MAC Omega eyeshadow (1) applied with Louise Young Brow Brush LY30 (2), additionally K-Palette 1-Day-Tattoo Brow Pen in Grayish Brown (3) to draw fine hairs for more stucture and a natural look

lips: Chanel Rouge Allure Lacque in #707 Empire (18)

eye makeup:

• smooth UDPP (4) on the lid and lower lashline - for a party the makeup must stay fixed!
• metallic gold shade in L'Oreal HIP Gilded duo (5) applied to the inner 2/3 of the lid and lower lashline with Sigma SS252 (8) brush.
• Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Silk Eyeshadow #6 (6), a metallic olive bronze, applied with the same brush to the outer parts with a soft flick outwards
• both shades blended out and together with Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush (9)
• with Tom Ford Eyeshadow Brush (10), apply a bit of MAC Vanilla Pigment (7) to the tearduct area and below the arch of the brow. blend it above the golden shadow for a warm glow.
• create a thick, slightly smudgy winged line with Essence Gel Eyeliner in London Baby (14), a shimmery cool dark brown, with For Your Beauty Lip Brush (12). smudge a thin line onto the most outer part of the lower lashline and meet up with the upper wing.
• draw a very thin line extremely close to the upper lashline with K-Palette 1-Day-Tattoo Real Lasting Eyeliner (13) onto the brown liner to deepen it and thicken your lashes.
• curl lashes with Shu Uemura curlers (15), apply one coat of Shiseido The Perfect Mascara (16, a samle size)
• apply false eyelashes (17) - i used segments and applied with THIS METHOD for an absolutely undetectable result
• apply black waterproof eyeliner to the upper inner rim to blend in your false lashes, i used P2 Perfect Look! Kajal in 010 Black (11).

how do you like it? what will be your christmas look? will try to feature some more festive makeups in the following days.

nudey FOTD with Guerlain #93, Rue de Passy palette.

these days i'm really loving the nude look, my favourite eye make up with the #93, Rue de Passy palette by Guerlain. it's a naturally polished makeup that lets my eyes appear warm and bright. this would be my version of "romantic eye makeup".

for the face:

foundation: Lancôme Teint Miracle in 01 Beige Albâtre (1) applied with Le Métier de Beauté Blush Brush (2)

undereye concealer: Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in #2 (3) and Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch Concealer in #3 (4) applied with the fingers

powder: Giorgio Armani Micro-fil Loose Powder in #01 (5) applied with SUQQU Face Brush (6)

contour: NARS Multple Bronzer in Cap Vert (7) applied with Sigma F84 Angled Synthetic Kabuki (8)
 
blush: Cargo Tonga (9) applied with Hakuhodo B505BkSL Blush Brush (10)


for the eyes & lips:

brows: MAC Omega eyeshadow (1) applied with Louise Young Brow Brush LY30 (2) and K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Brow Pen (3)

lips: Crazy Rumours lip balm in Juicy Grapefruit (10)

eye makeup: with Guerlain #93, Rue de Passy palette (4)

• apply the matte rose peach (#1 in palette chart) with Tom Ford Eyeshadow Brush (5) all over the lid and blend it up to the brow bone area.
• add the nougat brown (#2) as a soft crease colour using Tom Ford Crease Brush (6).
• again use the Tom Ford Eyeshadow Brush to apply the frosty pale pink (#5) to the inner corner and tearduct area, sweep it lightly onto the center of the lids to add some glow.
• apply the pearly taupe colour (#3) on the lower lashline.
• use the Sigma SS266 (7) to apply the pearly black shade (#6) as an eyeliner on the outer half of the lid and outer corner of the lower lashline.
• curl lashes with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers (8) and apply Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Eyes Mascara (9 - sample)

the close up photos from the eye makeup were shot on another day but it was basically the same as in the full face pics!

Guerlain Écrin 6 Couleurs in #93, Rue de Passy.

Guerlain's Écrin 6 Couleurs Palettes are one of my big loves. i just adore everything about them (except for the price) - the amazingly beautiful, hefty packaging, the selection of neutral nuances combined with a "star" shade in each palette, the textures and finishes and the versatility.
at 72€ each, they are real luxury items - but when Nägele (read more about them here) did a sale about a month ago with 25% discount, i couldn't say no to a fourth Écrin 6 Couleurs Palette. 54€ for such a treasure, which contains 7.2g of product, is quite a steal.
there are 5 of them in the permanent line, i already own and reviewed 3: #2 Place Vendôme here, #29 Rue de Sèvres here and #68 Champs-Élysées here.
so there are just 2 left to choose from and since Magi and Amelie have featured them so beautifully on their blogs, i decided against my first choice and went for #93 Rue de Passy.
but i still have the fifth permanent palette, #10, Rue de Francs-Bourgeois on my radar ;)
the limited edition ones are not really my colour scheme, all were too pinky/purpley. i wish for a neutral one with teal and forest green as blurs of colour.

have i mentioned that i love every aspect of these palettes? the parisien tinge, the details and stories behind them (for example, they are named after Guerlain boutiques in Paris), the jewel-like packaging of reflective, weighty metal material. they already feel luxurious and are real masterpieces of packaging design. the sumptous ornamental grid, the magnetic closure, how you have to open the big mirror to the side like a jewel case... everything comes together for an opulent experience of making up in the short time you spend at your dressing table.
us women shall feel like queens for the few minutes we are all with ourselves, dressing up - before we have to rush out into the stress of the day, we should pamper ourselves to feel special and beautiful, even if the result we're opting for is just the most subtle and boring.
that's why i love good packaging and luxurious brushes - and these Guerlain palettes deliver and symbolize exactly this feeling for me.

they are the most wearable, neutral and subtle shades and finishes, but they can make you feel great when you use them and each one is perfect on its own.
i love how the concept with the graduation of soft shades plus a star-shade, plus a liner colour allows you to create many different looks with just one palette, but it's still not too many eyeshadows to choose from.
the textures are silky and fine, the pigmentation soft and safe, the finishes are satiny, pearly or slightly shimmery but all on the office-appropriate, professional side.

ok, that's it with my schmaltzy love letter to the Écrin 6 Couleurs ;)

#93, Rue de Passy is a harmony of rosey neutrals. i feared that this palette could be too pink for me, but i was proven wrong and they are the perfect neutral, slightly warm colours on me while my other 3 are definitely cool-toned.
i really appreciate the silky colours, they are easy to handle and to blend but if i wish to, they can give me enough impact and smokiness. the low-shimmer or -frost shadows can create incredibly dimensional, sophisticated looks.

• in the center we have a shimmery, borderline frosty pale pink. i like this as an inner corner highlight or for the center of the lids. i'm glad that it's rather a cream colour than a pink shade on me.
• the lightest shade looks like a caramel toffee colour in the pan, but swatches as a rose-peach on me. it's matte. surprisingly it blends into my skin super-nicely although it swatches quite dark on my arm, so i like to use it as a base colour on the whole lid up to the brow bone for a natural, subtle look or as a blending shade.
• next colour going counterclockwise is a nougat brown, on me it's a rosewood colour. it has a satin finish. this is my perfect natural crease shade i've been searching for a long time. colours i've tried were always too ochre and made me look icteric, i never had the idea to try a rosier shade. 
• then there's a slightly mauvey, classic taupe with pearl shimmer finish. it's quite cool-toned on my eyes and i like it as a lid shade (in this palette it's the nicest one to wear on its own) or on the lower lashline.
• the dark shade is my favourite in this palette, to me it looks like Chanel Paradoxal nailpolish as an eyeshadow. very subtle, beautiful "hidden" duochrome of cool toned charcoal taupe with pink and purple pearl shimmer that is most visible in direct light. great shade for a smokey eye.
• the liner colour is a pearly warm black. it's intensely pigmented and i also use it to darken the outer V. it's fine on the waterline (at least for me)

with flash

tihilw

#1 soft & subtle nude eye

for this eye make up i used the matte rose peach on the whole lid up to the browbone and added the nougat brown as a soft crease colour. i used the pale pink in the inner corner and a light sweep on the center of the lids, the pearly taupe on the lower lashline. liner shade used dry on the outer half of the eye.
i really loved how nice this look turned out. usually really nudey lids make me look sick and small-eyed, but these colours let me appear very bright and almost invisibly polished. not too pink at all. probably my favourite look with this palette although i'm not a fan of lighter shadows.

#2 daytime smokey eye

i applied the pearly taupe all over the lid and on the lower lashline. pale pink on the inner corners, pearly black used as a soft crease colour. everything blended out using the light rose-peach.

#3 dark smokey eye

again, the pale pink in the inner corner. the dark "Paradoxal" shade on the whole lid blended upwards to the crease, the pearly black near the lashline to intensify depth. pearly black also on the upper waterline (which slightly transferred down to the lower). pearly taupe on the lower lashline.

comparison

i already had the Guerlain quad in Les Fumes (review) and i worried that the colours might be too similar to #93, Rue de Passy. but as you can see they are quite different. they are in the same colour family especially for the top and right shade of Les Fumes quad as both are warm, rosy neutrals, but Les Fumes is darker, smokier and slightly more cool-toned than #93, Rue de Passy. no remorse owning both at all.


and lastly, for the sake of the eye candy, my Guerlain Écrin 6 Couleurs palettes altogether:

from left clockwise: #2 Place Vendôme here, #29 Rue de Sèvres here and #68 Champs-Élysées here.