What’s Old Is New Again.
Early Egyptian civilizations were the first to show a demonstrated commitment to the use of cosmetics. The eye was the main feature chosen by early Egyptians for embellishment. Sounds like a civilization after my own heart, truth be told. The gemstones, Lapis Lazuli and Malachite were often ground up to a powder and used to magically highlight their eyes. It seems like they were amongst the first to be hip to mineral makeup too, by the sounds of it. It’s so very intriguing to bare witness to how beauty of the ancients lives on in the trends of today.
Slow Baked Beauty.
For a little while now, the word has been out on the street about Flashtronic, MAC’s latest collection featuring Mineralized Eye Shadows and Skinfinishes due to hit the counters on August 6th, 2007. Flashtronic is a LE collection full of soft, illuminating, ambient colour found in Lipglasses, Mineralized Eyeshadows, and Mineralized Skinfinishes. Just to ensure that you have the right tools to apply the mineralized gorgeousness found in this collection, MAC is making available the large powder #134 brush and the large #227 fluff eyeshadow brush.
I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of the Mineralized Eyeshadows and they are ridiculously gorgeous. The eyeshadows in this collection are quite special and unlike the ones previously released. They are much like baby Skinfinishes, with distinct colours swirled together in its intriguing veining. Lovestone, in particular, is indeed divine. This raspberry baked shadow with wine and copper veining is pretty personified. Not only does it work well as a stellar eyeshadow, but also as a demi-frosted ethereal blush. The image of Lovestone pictured below is true as it sits in the pan from my vantage point. Quarry is written up as a sky blue with olive, coral and beige veining and does look as such, but wore more reminiscent of shimmering fields of wheat. Not at all what I expected, but lovely all the same. Quarry makes a fabulous all over wash, brow highlight and cheek highlight as well.
As I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the 4 Lipglasses or 3 Mineralized Skinfinishes as of yet, I will just have to try and manage my excitement for now. but I tell ya, it ain’t easy!
Ol’ Blue Eyes…
A bit sketchy I know. *Boom. Tish.* What? My eyes are old and it is a sketch. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. The other day, I sported an absurdly blue eye that won me tons of complements. I thought I’d share the gorgeous bits and bobs I used to create this crazy blue eye. I felt a million bucks and I’m pretty sure these blue eyes are why.
Shu Uemura Drawing Pencil 03 ME Blue to water and tight lines top and bottom.
Stila Smudge Pot in Cobalt Shimmer as base to top lid.
Stila Powder Eyeshadow in Azur to set Smudge Pot on top lid.
The Body Shop Eye Shimmer 07 in Indigo to crease, outer V and inner V.
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler to top lashes.
Diorshow Unlimited 090 mascara (black) to top and bottom lashes.
BECCA Brow Powder in Medium to eyebrows.
*sings* (badly)
I did it… myyyyyyyyyyy wayyyyyyyyyy!
Cream Blush Anyone?
Fancy a cream blush, but don’t know how to use it? Can’t get it to hang around past a few hours after it’s applied? If you answered yes, yes, and yes then you’d be in the very same situation as many makeup mavens out there. Cream blush can deliver a gorgeous dewy, youthful cheek but can be a tad tricky to apply and to coax into sticking around. Cream blushes are fantastic for skin that is reasonably blemish free and leans more towards normal to dry. Oilier skins can use cream blush, but it takes a little extra work.
As a makeup artist, my preferred way to apply cream blush is to use my thumbs. On others, I just load up one thumb with product (a few swirls on the blush generally suffices) then rub my two thumbs together. Place your wrists together so that your palms are facing each other, then gently touch both thumbs at the same time to the apples of the cheeks. This delivers the exact amount of blush to both cheeks at exactly the same height on the face. I then lightly blend outwards using my fingers along the cheek towards but not right up to the ears. The amount of blush should be most concentrated at the apples and then seamlessly fade off into the faintest amount of colour in the outer direction stopping about 2-3 finger widths from the ears. I use the same technique when I apply blush to myself as well, but instead of putting my wrist together facing palm-ward, I align my pinky fingers with palms facing upwards. Then I blend, blend, blend. If your feeling a little less dextrous, simply use a synthetic foundation brush. It will do the trick nicely too.
To get your cream blush to hang out a bit longer, simply set it with a light dusting of powder. Powder blush of a similar colour (my fave), translucent powder, blotting powder, or powdered foundation will all work well. Just remember to put liquids, gels and cream based products before powdered. Although not a forgone conclusion entirely, generally moist products applied over dry can tend to cake, bead, or peel, so should be avoided when possible. Lightly powdering over will vastly improve your blush’s colourful existence on your cheek. Admittedly, powdered blush, especially, on top of cream blush seems to amp things up nicely, giving you long lasting colour with extra alluring dimension. Hopefully, these tips will tempt you into trying cream blush as it is certainly one of the more gorgeous, yet under utilized makeup items out there. You’ll be pleased if you show cream blush a bit of love. Do be sure to let us know how you go.
One Click And Magic Happens.
Yes, I know they are not due to be released until August 2007 in Australia, but these beauties are too good to keep under my hat until then. Maybelline New York has “cast a spell for luscious lips” with new Shine Seduction Glossy Lipcolor. A magical lip gloss wand filled with captivating colour, shine and feel.
Maybelline NY Shine Seduction Glossy Lipcolor comes in 20 super spellbinding, ultra moisturizing, and beyond enchanting colours. A click or two of the base of the wand will release the perfect amount of bewitching potion that will deliver brilliantly alluring colour. No spongy tip applicators either, but a clever new sculpting tip that makes precision application a dream. It gets even better, because the wand clicks back in the opposite direction to ensure that not a skerrick of Maybelline Shine Seduction Glossy Lipcolor droplets made from aqua botanicals (algae and lotus flower extract) and Vitamin E are wasted.
Let’s say for the record, that out of the 20 highly reflective, multidimensional colours released, Beauty Marked! wouldn’t want to be without a single one. Too fabulous to choose!
When In Doubt, Chuck It Out!
Did you think that today’s post heading only pertained to suspect food in the fridge? Well, the same goes for cream based cosmetics. The nose knows. We have all seen those natty little drawings (PAO symbols) on most cosmetic packaging of a round container with the lid ajar and a number and the letter M (M = months) around it. The varying numeral on the jar states how many months the cosmetic company reckons you can safely use their products once opened before they are meant to “go off”, so to speak and need replacing. I’m not entirely convinced that these stipulated periods of time are wholly accurate, but more a not-so-subtle indicator as to when you should go and *wink* buy more. This most certainly seems the case with dry powder based products, as they can last ages just as pristine as when you first purchased them. But, In all fairness, they must be a somewhat reasonable life span indicator for cream based products, because some cosmetics can certainly turn a bit manky soon after this duration. My suggestion to you is to not only plan to turf cream based items within this time period, but to sniff them every now and again to be sure to be sure. Most oils and waxes within products will definitely “turn” eventually and have a slightly sharp and possibly more rank and or pungent smell to them. Trust me, rank and pungent is never good in cosmetics. Even that smell of something that makes you feel a bit unsure is your cue to place that cosmetic item in the circular file: the bin. When in doubt, chuck it out!
Golden Moonglow.
I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to remind you of this ultra-luxe, pressed powder illuminator by Jane Iredale. Moonglow is a rounded quad of golden bronze and copper-toned shades designed to be used individually on eyes, cheeks, and lips, or swirled together as a divine all over bronzer for the face, decollete, shoulders, shins and calves, for starters…Wherever you wish to set aglow.
The finely milled shimmer of Jane Iredale’s Moonglow is made of 24-karat food grade gold flakes. No FD & C dyes or irritants are used in Jane Iredale Products, whatsoever, which is fabulous. Moonglow is easily built up to be as dramatic or as soft and ethereal as you desire. Beauty Marked! wouldn’t be without these four sumptuous, rich shades of sheer golden indulgence!
