Sunday 18 May 2014

Tutorial - Smokey gold eye with a nude lip.





I'm all about a smokey eye. The typical smokey eye tends to be a lot darker but since I was only going for a pub lunch after this tutorial, I thought a really dark smokey eye might not be appropriate. 

I looked through my kit and found a gorgeous Copper pigment that I received in my last Glossybox. Now, historically I tend to avoid pigments. They can transfer all over your face if not applied with extreme precision. However, I was up for the challenge. I've included a step by step tutorial which is rather lengthy! Please don't be too offended by my bare face! :-)

MDR Make Up








1) Ensure your face is clean. I cleansed mine with Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, toned with Liz Earle Tonic and moistoirized with Elizabeth Arden SPF 50 8 hour cream for face.







And this, is my face! Since pregnancy, my skin has been a lot more sensitive and despite being acne free, it has a lot of redness to it. I also have one eye larger than the other which is actually something Darcy has also inherited too....


 2) To ensure a smooth foundation, it's always best to use a primer. I applied MAC Prep and Prime with a Real Techniques pointed foundation brush and then applied Too Faced Shadow Insurance to my eyelids and under my eyebrows with my ring finger.




3) Once that dried, it was time for foundation. I love Revlon 24hr Colorstay foundation and I use the shade 'Buff'. It's great for gradually building up coverage and lasts at least all day. I used the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to really buff in the foundation. You basically move in small circles all over your skin until the product has settled in. This can be slightly time consuming but it's worth it, trust me! 




Excuse the expression but as you can see, the majority of the redness has disappeared and my skin tone is looking a lot more even.

4) Now it's time for concealer. Without a doubt, this is one of my essential make up products. I used Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in shade 1 Fair. I then used a MAC 217 brush to really buff the product in. Now, as I was going for quite a full on look, I applied concealer slightly different then I do on a day to day basis. On this occasion, I used the triangle technique. This is something I do when professionally contouring and as you can see, really can transform the look of your skin.





The triangle technique














Ensuring all the blemishes are covered







5) I then use the Real Techniques detailer brush for any blemishes and also for the bridge of my nose. To ensure my foundation stays in place, I use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush and Collection 2000 Sheer Loose Powder.







Starting to look a little more presentable!









6) I recently purchased the MAC Bronzer in Golden from their recent Alluring Aquatics collection and wanted to test it out. As I expected, I love it! It's completely matt which is very flattering and is perfect for contouring. I applied this using the Real Techniques Contour Brush. 





I applied the bronzer to my cheeks, the top left and right of my forehead, chin, jawline and slightly on my nose.








7) At this point, I always prep my lips. I used the Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub followed by my trusty Carmex! This ensures my lips are soft and smooth which results in a perfect lipstick application.





8) I'm not using a blusher for this look so instead, to add a bit of contrast to my cheeks, I used a highlighter. This adds shimmer and is great at reflecting light which is very flattering. My favourite highlighter is one from Tophop. I used a light buffing brush from Freuline.






9) Now it's time for the eyes. Once you've got your skin base sorted, it's easy to figure out the density of your eyeshadow. I have the joy of one eye that is slightly smaller than the other which results in lots of adjusting with my eyeshadown. Because of this fact, I have to apply it slight differently to each eye so it they end up both looking the same.

I start by using a neautral base colour. The one I chose for this look is from the MUA neautral pallette. It doesn't have a name but it's a pearly/gold. I apply this all over my lid, the tear ducts and the bottom corner of my eye.




10) I then add the Copper pigment over the middle part of my lid. I use a very small, detailed brush for this to ensure that it doesn't transfer onto my face.

Using a fluffy brush, I then start to blend in the two eyeshadow products together.






The copper pigment was actually a lot less shimmery than I expected and didn't transfer under my eyes.








11) Now it's time to create the smokiness to the eye. This can occasionally mean a make up disaster. If you add too much eyeshadow at once, it becomes very difficult to blend it all in. For a while (until it's all blended) you will look a bit strange. Just build up the eyeshadow until it's all blended in. I'm using my trusty MAC pointed brush to add the colour. The eyeshadow I'm using is MAC Tempting. I apply it the orbital bone and at the corner of my eye then blend blend blend using a fluffier brush.






 This took me a good 10 minutes to get right. Lots of adding small amounts then buffing in and repeating.



12) Now for the eyebrows. Many years over overplucking has resulted in my eyebrows not having a very nice natural shape. They're uneven and even after doing eyebrows professionally for 5 years, they are still something I struggle to rectify. For my brows, I used a mix of eyeshadow (MUA) and pencil (AVON). First I line the brow to create shape, then use the eyeshadow to fill in. 




With one eyebrow done, you can already see the difference that a good brow makes!









13) Now it's time for eyeliner. This is without a doubt the most technical point of make up application. It's something I practice constantly. My best advice is to use a very good angled brush and good quality gel liner. I use Bobbi Brown. I have to say, it's not my favourite product. It's quite dry and so I have to add a small amount of water to the pot to get the right texture. I always work outside in, so start at the flick and trace along your lash line. I continue until the middle of my eye normally, unless I'm going for a really intense lined eye.













This is with eyeliner complete on both eyes














14) I then worked on my eyelashes. On an everyday basis, I apply a light coat of mascara then off I go. For this look, I used a mix of mascara and individual lashes. I will do a separate tutorial for lash application. I used my eyelash curler, applied a small amount of mascara and then added individual lashes for a more dramatic look.


15) To complete my look, I then added lipstick and lipgloss. Normally I like to use a lip liner, however I haven't found a nude lipliner I really like. I'm tempted to try MAC Oak as all the other ones I've tried have a very orange tone to them. Anyways, I applied MAC liptick in Honey Love with a MAC lip brush (the retractable one) and applied MUA lipgloss in Buff over the top.







I dried my hair and attempted some victory rolls!

Here is my complete look!













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