The Makeup Box

[Requested] Reinterpretation of a Sparkly Gold Smoky Lid

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This is not an exact recreation because my eyes are shaped a little differently and I wanted to blend the edges out more, but I’ll run through the type of products you need tocreate this look.

I can’t be 100% sure with the yellow lighting and difference in skintones, but the item I find can create this type of sparkly effect is a loose golden-brown sparkle like MAC’s Reflects pigment in Antique Gold, used wet.

Reflects pigments are not glitter, and not regular shadows either. They are shiny mica particles larger than regular loose shadows so they sort of combine pigmentation with sparkle. Like glitters, they don’t “stick” to the skin well and will fall out all over your cheeks, so you might want to do your eye makeup first, then clean up and do your foundation and concealer after.

To get them to go on like dramatic foiled metal, you want to use either a good creamy base or apply them wet (do use eye drops or a liquid sealant instead of pure water as they will rub off easily once dry if there is no ingredient that provides some tackiness).

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Holographia: Dramatic Metal Ombre Lids with Yellow-Red-Pink Transfer Foil! (Click images above to see in larger size)

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Transfer foils were created for arts and crafts. Then some genius decided to use it on nails. Not long after, some people thought it might be a good idea to attempt it on the lips.

(That didn’t go too well, because while it looked cool when it was done perfectly - a la Katy Perry - very few people ever managed to do it perfectly. Tons of women ended up with disappointing patchy, cracked-looking lips.)

Since I’ve got tons of foil (I buy mine from dollarnailart.com), I naturally wondered about using it for other things. It is BRILLIANT as a dramatic transfer tattoo, But what about the eyes?

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The Brushed Metal Eye Tutorial: Ridiclously straightforward!

This look was done to coordinate with a nail look I did the other day, and there isn’t really much of a step-by-step to run through because it’s so simple.

It’s a basic smoky lid without any shadow on the lower lash line, amd you can do it even if you have mono-lids or hooded eyes, as long as you bring the color up to your socket line so that it’s visible when your eyes are open.

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Scarlet Slippers: Red Glitter Eyeshadow Tutorial

Red on the eyes is always incredibly dramatic, but when you use a red glitter, it becomes surprisingly pretty as well. I am applying two matte shadows from the Lime Crime Chinadoll palette but you can use any reddish and black shadow you have if they’re strong enough to act as a base shade.

For the glitter, the finer cosmetic grade ones are better for the eye area, but if that’s not accessible for you and you want to use regular art store glitter, find the finest you can get, and make sure to be careful when removing from the lids. (Wipe upwards, away from your lash line, not down into your eyes.)

To get glitter to adhere really thick and even, one of my favorite bases is clear mascara. It’s not only cheap and easily accessible, but works extremely well without being sticky and hard to remove like clear gloss.

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Step 1: Because the shadow I’m using later is more of a brick-red than a crimson, I’m using a brown cream base to deepen up the color and intensify the shadows I’ll be applying on my lids.

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Step 2: Apply a strong matte black to either corner of the eyes and then connect them in an arc along the hollow of your socket bone. Then run along the lower lash line as well.

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Step 3: Pack (don’t rub) a matte red shadow in the space within the black shadow. 

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Step 4: Use a soft, fluffy blending brush dabbed very lightly into the black shadow again and then smoke out the edges of the color in windshield-wiper motions, until you diffuse it upwards and out into a soft wing at the outer corners.

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Step 5: Intensify the lash line by applying a jet black pencil along the waterline, and along the tightline as well. Then lightly run in short little strokes along the upper lash line without extending into a wing. I used Milani Liquif’ Eye pencil in black because it’s one of the most intense, amazing black pencils I’ve ever tried. PLUS, it actually stays put much better than most other pencils.

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Step 6: Use a flat brush to dab a thin layer of clear mascara over the lids, removing any excess globs. Then press your brush into red glitter and then gently place onto lids in sections. Don’t rub back and forth or you may “muddy up” the glitter. Just keep picking up and pressing on more red glitter until the red shadow looks completely covered. Then with the remaining bits on the brush, press outwards lightly onto the black shadow so the sparkle diffuses outwards.

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Finishing touch: Just run the black pencil lightly along the upper lash line one more time, curl lashes, and apply black mascara to finish.

Red Lids Mauve Lips: MAC Strawberry Patch Crushed Metallic Pigment Tutorial

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I didn’t want to do the typical look using the new MAC Vera products I got, so since it’s been quite a while since I did any red eyeshadow, I decided it was the best chance to showcase Moon Rose pigment (cool-toned burgundy red with a soft fuchsia sheen).

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Step 1: Apply MAC Shale or any smoky plum/brown to both corners of the eye, and run along the socket as in an arc as well.

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Step 2: Spray a flat brush with Fix+ to dampen, and then pack on a rich fuchsia-red pigment like MAC  Moon Rose from the Strawberry Patch Crushed Metallic Pigment stack.

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Step 3: Reapply the plum shade along the socket line.

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Step 4: Dust a pale champagne/ash shimmer along the inner corners. I used  Star Crystal pigment from the same Crushed Metallic Pigment stack, but you can use any pale beige or champagne.

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Step 5: Finish with a plum liner along the upper lash line and water line (Rimmel Exaggerate Pencil in 220 Perfect Plum), and then apply mascara.

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Step 6: After applying a soft pink blush, I applied a matte pale mauve on the lips (Revlon Matte Lipstick in Pink Pout) and then pressed on a light layer of a sparkly, glittery mauve pigment (MAC Strawberry Patch pigment).