The Makeup Box

Makeup Giveaway Update

My contest prize package has reached NY safely it seems! All images here are courtesy of Lena at http://www.lenallure.com/. 

I just had to post them here because her photographs are always so nice. If you’re curious what all the items were, read her post here!

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@Lena: You’re more than welcome! Hope you enjoy the goodies and show us some Faces of The Day and swatches! (BTW, Beauty Cottage is an Indie brand from Thailand. That shadow can be paired with black/brown shadow for definition, and would look good with your grey, green, blue lenses. And it’s too bad we have the same taste in Wer n Wild eye shadow palettes LOL.)

P.S. If you think you should do a giveaway so someone else can get the greed palette, go right ahead. Just share some love by letting them know it was from me, and open it up to the folks here on Makeup Box as well! ;) 

Nicki Minaj Allure Cover Makeup (Simplified) featuring Saint Germain Amplified Creme Lipstick

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Nicki Minaj, to me, epitomizes “irreverent, colorful, and fierce” and her loud style makes her a really fun celebrity to watch. While her wigs, makeup, and outfits span every color of the rainbow, she does tend to favor one lipstick shade above all others. Pink.

Pink Nouveau, to be exact. One of my all-time favorite pink lipsticks.

(The same Pink Nouveau that Lady Gaga also listed as one of her favorite lipsticks before she became a global style-icon and got her own MAC Viva Glam namesake.)

In this month’s issue of Allure, Nicki wore a pale blue-pink on the cover which caught my eye. Turns out it looked familiar because it was none other than MAC’s Amplified Creme lipstick in Saint Germain.

And because the rest of the makeup was so Classic, simple and soft, I decided to just do a quick and easy makeup tutorial with subtler eyes, for anyone who wants to recreate it for daily wear. Nicki was made up using 2 neutral MAC shadows, (matte beige and matte taupe brown) but I recommend the 88 Warm palette if you’re on a budget.

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The eye makeup is actually very typical of a sleepy Marilyn Monroe eye, with a pale lid, contoured crease, pale waterline, and false lashes.

Step 1: Pack a pale pink-toned beige on the lids. You can use Blanc Type by MAC or just blend some of the soft matte beiges and creams from the 88 Warm Palette together.

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Step 2: Define the socket line with a little soft matte taupe. Sweep along the arc to sculpt and define your eye socket but don’t go all the way inside to the inner corners of the eyes.

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Step 3:Apply a matte beige (or yellow or white) pencil to your waterline. This helps to open up your eyes.

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Step 4-1: To draw the angular winged liner, begin with a flick at the outer corners, angled like it’s an extension of your lower lash line as it slopes upwards. Gel liner is the easiest product to control.

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Step 4-2: Then draw another line from the outer tip diagonally inwards to the center of the eye. Try to draw an almost-straight line as you pull the brush inwards, and that will give you the angularity and drama of an Italian diva, as it tilts your eye shape dramatically.

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Step 5: In keeping with Nicki’s look, I applied false lashes which are much longer on the outer halves. She was wearing super-dramatic stacked lashes in case you were wondering.

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Cheeks: I applied bronzer along the cheek bones to sculpt the face a little, and then ran a soft glowing pink (MAC Sunday Afternoon Pearlmatte powder - limited edition) on top of the cheeks. If you don’t have this, any soft luminous pink would do.

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Lips: If you have a dark lip line, make sure you apply a little flesh-colored lip base or non-creamy concealer around the lips, and then just coat with a layer of bright, pastel, blue-based pink like Saint Germain. (If you are really pale, you may need to use Barry M 100 Baby Pink Lip Paint to get a similar effect against your skin).

Pale/Baby Pink Lipsticks

(L-to-R: Lime Crime Great Pink Planet, MAC Saint Germain, NYX Jupiter, NYX Strawberry Milk, Barry M 100 Baby Pink)

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Anonymous:

What are some good pale pink lipsticks?

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More people love pale-pink than dare to wear it as a full-on lipstick. Sure it’s a bit of a Snooki-esque disaster if you wear it wrong but the right shade can be sweet on the pale, oh-so-cute on the medium-toned, super-sexy on the tanned, and edgy on the darker-skinned.

I didn’t get into pale/pastel pink lipsticks until quite recently (2010 to be exact). I never thought I’d ever pull off a pale pink without looking ridiculous, and I’m sure many of you feel that way too.

Well, arm yourself with a good lip primer or concealer, and give it a shot.

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Shades I own:

Lime Crime Great Pink Planet: The lipstick that converted me to the world of opaque pastel pinks, and arguably my favorite of the lot. This is one of those lipsticks that is opaque enough to give you that “stick-on” lips effect when you really layer it on. If worn sheer, it will look deeper as it stains your lips pink.

Finish: Opaque Satin

Opacity: High

Price: mid-range

Shade: Bright pastel true-pink

Note: Often listed as a dupe of Saint Germain but it’s actually not as blue-based.

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MAC Saint Germain: This legendary Amplified pale-pink creme has driven many makeup collectors crazy as it was previously only available in Europe and via limited edition collections. It’s STILL not available outside of the US/EU at the moment. (I got mine shipped to a friend’s hotel on her recent trip to the States.) 

Finish: Opaque creme

Opacity: High

Price: mid-range

Shade: Bright pastel blue-pink

Note: This can look quite shocking on deeper or yellower complexions because it is VERY blue-based. Not for the faint of heart. If you’re not sure, Great Pink Planet is a better one to start off with as it’s plenty-bright, but warmer and not so stark against the skin. If you want a really eye-catching pale pink though, this is it. 

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NYX Jupiter: This is what I call the “Beginner’s Pale Pink”, because you get a pale, pastel-pink frost rather than an opaque layer of pastel-pink. I don’t like frost lipsticks but this actually looks nice, wears evenly, and will work with many skin tones.

Finish: Sheer frost

Opacity: Medium-low, buildable

Price: Low

Shade: Warm shell-pink with strong pale-pink frost

Note: Avoid pairing with frosted cheeks AND frosted lids if you don’t want to look like an 80’s throwback. Looks FANTASTIC on those with a tan.

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NYX Strawberry Milk: Least-favored of the bunch. Seems everyone who owns it either loves it or hates it. I’m actually probably going to throw it out some day soon. It’s a pale nude almost-pink that looks like it would look so fabulous, but the slippery texture killed it for me. I have a hard time applying it evenly, which drives me nuts because I’m so a**l about getting lip color even.

Finish: Almost-opaque creme

Opacity: Medium

Price: Low

Shade: Pale, pale pink with beige tones

Note: I actually have an extra NEW tube sitting in storage if anyone wants to give it a go. I’ll send it to you free if you’ll pay for the shipping. Just message me if you’re interested and let me know your country. I’ll check on the shipping rate and  you can decide if it’s worth it first!

[Update] You guys are fast! I’ve got a few queries already and am taking this “off the market” before I disappoint too many people. I’ll update again if the deal falls through and the lipstick is available again!]

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 Barry M 100 Baby Pink Lip Paint: UBER-pale pink that is almost white against the skin. I’m NC25 and even on my medium-light skin, it looks very dramatic. Not the easiest shade to wear, but works with the right makeup.

Finish: Satin-pearl (the pearl is almost invisible on the lips)

Opacity: Medium-high, buildable

Price: Low

Shade: Pale white-pink

Note: If nothing but the most deliciously-shocking pale pink will do, THIS is the lipstick for you. Just note that you will need to mute out your lips with a little concealer, especially around the edges, as the lipstick is paler than your skin and will bring out any ruddy tones around the mouth

Primrose Pink: Bright Summer Lipsticks from MAC, Shu Uemura, and Barry M)

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Not everyone loves a blue-based true pink. If you want to start wearing brighter, happier shades, a warm coral-toned primrose pink is a nice place to start. 

This type of bright medium-pink has a lovely dash of salmon/red thrown in, which warms it up and makes it flattering for many skin tones. There are several options on the market right now, and I know of 4.

Barry M Pink Ribbon is the sheerest and glossiest, so if you don’t want anything to strong or bright, this is a good one to start out with.

MAC Chatterbox is probably the most accessible shade in terms of availability (though I don’t own it). It’s got a similar sheen to Pink Ribbon. 

MAC Force of Love is the brightest of the lot. Still a primrose pink, but matte and a lot more vivid and slightly more salmon-toned.

Shu Uemura Evil Pink has the cutest name. It’s part of the Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte line, so it’s very similar to Force of Love in texture and tone, but deeper and less neon though the difference is not so apparent on camera. It’s a touch deeper and more pink, and also wears a little more evenly than Force of Love and feels just as comfortable, so I actually recommend this more than the MAC, though it’s more expensive. 

(I got my Shu Uemura at a Cosmetic outlet store for about $10SGD (approx USD8) less than retail, which is the only reason I discovered the shade at all!)

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Shown in full-face image:

Nails: Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in 130 Candy

Eyes: Coastal Scents Doe Tail Mineral Shadow (inner half of lids), MAC Shale Shadow (outer half)

Cheeks: I Nuovi Thumbelina blush

Smoky Brown with Electric-Blue Liner (Bourjois Intense Extrait 08 and Regard Effet Metallise 54 Bleu Clinquant)

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This is a super-simple way to dress up browns without piling on a whole lot of color. If you enjoy wearing color along your lash line, this is also a way to get it to to stay longer and more intense along the waterline. 

I used a lot of Bourjois in this look (uninentionally, but aside from the electric blue pencil, it’s easy to find lots of alternatives and many makeup wearer should already have similar shades in their collection).

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Step 1: Apply a brown or nude base to the entire lid, thinning out towards the brow bones. I used MAC Cream Color Base in Take Root.

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Step 2: Run a metallic chocolate pencil along the upper and lower lash lines, drawing it thick  on the bottom lashes. I used Boujois Regard Effet Metallise Pencil in Brun Inoxydable.

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Step 3: Pack a rich russet brown (Bourjois Intense Extrait Shadow #08) over the entire lid, blending above the socket  and  upwards toward the brow at the inner corners for a slightly more doe-eyed effect.

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Step 4: Run a metallic cyan blue (Bourjois Regard Effet Metalise in 54 Bleu Clinquant is one of the most gorgeous I’ve seen) along the water line. You will need to go over your waterline about twice to even out and pack on the color.

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Step 5: To intensify, set and stop the blue liner from fading due to the moisture from your eyes, use a flat brush to carefully pack a translucent aqua-blue shimmer or micro-glitter (try MAC Reflects Transparent Teal) onto the water line, over the blue pencil. This gives a very intense sparkle.

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Step 6: Apply black along the tide line (upper lashes) and apply black mascara to finish.

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Step 7: For the cheeks I applied pink blush, and then on the lips, I layered a pale nude lipstick (Barry M 154 Pale Nude - or any concealer-nude shade you have) and a bright peachy-pink (Barry M 153 Pink Ribbon - this is almost an exact dupe for MAC’s Amplified Lipstick in Chatterbox so use that if you don’t have access to Barry M).

You can also just apply a pink gloss over a nude lipstick if you want something with more sheen.