The Makeup Box

Chinese New Year FOTD (Neon coral-pink lips) 2013

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Just a quick-quick post to run through a quick look I wore during the Lunar New Year holidays the last week before my little stint in the hospital. The main item was the super-bright coral-pink lip, which is a change from my usual blue-toned bright pink.

In daylight it goes really pink but indoors and in artificial light, it leans coral.

This isn’t a tutorial, because I literally just rubbed the taupe cream shadow (Maybelline Tough as Taupe) all over the lids, smudged a little black pencil on, and applied mascara. Then I applied blush and lipstick, and that was it for the whole day. Talk about low maintenance!

Makeup:

• Make Up For Ever HD Foundation 120
• MAC Studiofinish Concealers NW25, C25
• Silica powder (for setting)
• NYX Pinky blush 
• Maybelline Color Tattoo Tough as Taupe over lids
• Black Shahnaz Husain kajal smudged in outer corners
• L’oreal Voluminous Mascara in Blackest Black
• MAC Force of Love lipstick (Viva Glam Nicki is very close but a little less pink; Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in L’eclatante is a reddened and more matte - but equally bright - version)

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Tomorrow, a multi-colored liner look that would go with this sort of super-bright lip!

Snow Fairy: Winter Sparkle Tutorial with a Dimensional Base

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[1st image above taken in flash, 2nd in daylight.]

What sort of holiday season would it be without at least one snow-inspired look? For those of us living in hot climates, there’s all the more reason to at least channel the look, even if we can’t get all wrapped up in Winter clothes. 

This is a look done using holographic white glitter, over 4 shades of shadow that create the illusion of depth and nuance that glitter would not be able to create.

You will need:

• soft blue shadow (I used MAC Tilt)
• a pearly white shadow (I used BH Cosmetics CS05)
• a soft grey shadow (BH Cosmetics MS17)
• a matte black (BH Cosmetics CM19)
• a white holographic glitter (Lime Crime Gemini; this is quite a common shade in craft stores, but you will be packing on a LOT so make sure that you are using very fine cosmetic-grade glitter)

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Subtle, Glitzy New Year Glitter Eye!

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Here’s a way to pack on the glitter and glamour but still have it remain quite clean and chic for the New Year. I also wanted to reverse the typical half-glitter eye, by applying dark glitter on the outer areas of the lid, instead of a light glitter on the inner half of the lid, which is the typical way to do it.

You’ll just need

• black eye pencil
• matte beige shadow or pressed powder
• matte black or charcoal shadow
• glitter (any opalescent, multi-colored shade would work well; I used Taurus, a black with green, gold and bronze highlights)
• clear glitter glue or clear brow mascara

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FAVORITE PARTY LOOKS

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Face it. This is the only time of the year most of us are likely to get away with full-on makeup on the eyes AND lips. 

Here are some of my favorites!

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1. Smoky matte brown eyes and coral lips

This looks festive and so pretty on so many skin tones. Coral is bright and cheery, but doesn’t look as heavy as a full-on red, so it still looks fresh when paired with a heavier eye. 

2. STRONG wash of deep jewel-tone shadow on the lids

Sometimes keeping the whole face quite soft and neutral can bring out the drama of a strong eyeshadow even more. If you’re attracted to all those bright purples, fuchsias, blues, and teals popping up in the holiday palettes, wearing a single shade to maximum intensity as a smoky eye is the easiest way to get into it this time of year. Just make sure you line and mascara so your lashes don’t disappear, and feel free to experiment and bring the color up as high as you dare.

Keep your hair and outfit simple, and you absolutely DON’T have to match your shadow to your dress. This looks sooo fierce when a girl’s wearing all-black or all-white and her lids are this deep jewel-toned violet or sapphire-blue.

3. Primrose pink on the lips

Take a cue from Natalie Portman and throw a little warmth into your fuchsia! It’s not quite as electric as a very blue-based pink, and works for most skintones. 

Try MAC Lickable lipstick if you have lighter skin and Speak Louder if you have a deeper skin tone!

4. Drama Queen

Color on the lips AND eyes. There ARE no rules but it tends to be more flattering if you keep one feature bright and punchy (e.g. coral on the lips), and one feature a deeper jewel tone (navy, dark hunter-green, etc) instead of all bright and electric as well. Feel free to reverse it and go deep and dramatic on the lips, bright and punchy on the lids!

(I definitely don’t recommend a strong bright blush on TOP of all this though.)

Speaking of Guilty Pleasures…. MAC’s Holiday Mini-Sets are out. You know what to put on your Wishlists!

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Just when I was talking about guilty pleasures indeed.

Well, if you’re the type to switch up your lip color a lot, getting 4 minis is a great way to try different looks without committing to any one particular color in full-size. The lip sets come in 3 groupings:

Nicely Nude: 4 nudes, creams, browns for the Mod girl.

Cocktail Coral: spans from creamy to peachy to pink. Good mix of shades, so check this out if you’re a beginner.

Lavish Rose: Cool creamy pink, and 3 mauve/purple shades for the drama-queen. 

As for the three pigment sets, I’m going to have to restrain myself since all my sets from the Snowglobe and Vera collections are all still pretty full. Still these are their usual gorgeous stacked metallic selves.

Tenderly Warm: Versatile mix of sugar-and-spice, with a soft pink, some beige/champagnes, and a soft brown.

Brilliantly Cool: The most interesting one if you’re looking for something different. Moss Garden from the Vera collection is re-released in this one, so if you love teals and marine shades, check this set out.

Guilty Passions: Arguably the prettiest-looking of the lot with a mix of pale pink, magenta, purple, and a dusty mauve. Might not be the most flattering and versatile shades for daily wear if you’re just starting out.

Check out the MAC page for more details here!