Wing/Cat Eyeliner, 3 Looks!

So it's no secret that I.Love.Winged.Liner! I pretty much wing my liner out on a daily basis and I think it best fits my eye shape. I know there are people out there though who don't know how or of any good ways to rock the cat eye without defaulting to pin up or 50's-esque looks.

Now granted, while I'm also a huge lover of retro makeup, I tried to come up with 3 modern and relatively easy ways to style the eye.

I got my inspiration from a makeup magazine I purchased a few weeks ago (I'll post the name soon, I left it at work!) and the outfit I was wearing.

The first is definitely the easiest, a simple black on white cat eye. I LOVE really toned down eye looks like this because then you can do whatever you want with your lips and get away with it. You could go from violet, to fire engine red to barbie pink lips and it'd all look good with such a subtle eye look.

Next I went with a look I've been meaning to try for FOREVER. I love yellow shadows but have found a yellow eye is extremely hard to pull off. The color rarely looks good on most skin tones and you really need to get the perfect bright, not muddy yellow to do it right.

Last I did a toned down smokey eye with some thicker liner. Being as pale as I am, I normally never wear black shadow (or liner for that matter, I usually go with brown) as it always makes me look too harsh or punky. To avoid that issue, I went with cool browns and taupes to build up the smokey effect and added the drama with the liner. Still very wearable but not as subtle as the 1st look :)

I hope you enjoy, I'll stop blabbering now!

XOXOXO

Not So Neutral Makeup Tutorial

And for round 2 of my makeup uploads for today, I have a "Not so Neutral" look :)

 

Again, I came up for this look just getting ready for work an I really liked the cool vs warm shadows/tones on the eyes and wanted to share it! It's a super simple look and great for day or night.

 

 

Enjoy!

XOXOXO

Eyeliner Review from Best to Worst

I've gone through more eyeliners than I can count and tend to use liquid/felt tip liners most often. I decided to make a list of my personal favorite/least favorite liquid/felt tip liners. I have them listed from best to worst.

Below is a picture with the swatches in the same order of the list, best to worst, from left to right. (the last swatch is in green because I hated the black I used so much I'd already thrown it away, but I still had the product in green...)

#1. BEST - L'oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner - Black Mica

I LOVE this felt tip liner. I use it nearly every day and have re-purchased it several times. The felt tip is the perfect size, not TOO skinny and definitely not too thick. The line comes out precise and smooth, and I can get sharp points whenever I decide to go with a cat-eye/winged liner look. The formula is long-lasting, but not waterproof (which I prefer). It CAN smudge slightly througout the day right at the area where your outer eyelid creases/wrinkles when you close your eye, but it's typically not until late in the day and I normally don't wear my liner that low.

All in all, the pros way outway the cons and I can't say enough how much I love this liner!

#2 - NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner

This is my go-to liner whenever I want that classic pin-up flawless eyeliner look. The formula is great and super pigmented, and I've had no trouble with it smudging or wearing off throughout the day. The line it makes is extremely precise and I get the sharpest point with this liner. Love it!

#3 - Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner - Perversion

I've never been a huge fan of waterproof eyeliners or mascaras, but in the situations that I know I'm going to need it, I use this liner every time. I've used this liner at waterparks, funerals and when I've been out and sweaty and it's never budged. The color comes off pretty good, though I occasionally need to apply 2 coats to get it as dark as I want it. The formula comes out smooth and again, once it's on, it's not coming off until you wash it with makeup remover.

#4 - e.l.f Liquid Eyeliner

For the ridiculously low price, this liquid liner is amazing! I love this stuff! I believe this only costs $1 per liner in stores, and I've had nothing but good results with it. I use the liquid liner in brown most often which gives super natural results. The pigmentation is slighly light, so I normally use 2 coats, and it CAN smudge/wear off a bit throughout the day, but again, for the price, I love love love this liner. I haven't been able to find a brown liquid liner I like more than this one :)

#5 - NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker

I'm not a huge fan of this felt tip liner. The formula isn't as wet as the L'Oreal brand and I've had trouble getting it to apply smooth over eyeshadow. The line is gives IS extremely fine and detailed, but I've just never been able to get it to apply to the eye fluidly. It doesn't roll over the lid smoothly and it seems like it dries out halfway through and need to be wiped off/shaked to get it to work.

#6 - L'Oreal Telescopic Precision Liquid Eyeliner

I have no complaints with the formula, as it's extremely pigmented but I'm awful using the blunt rubber tip. It's no good for precision lines and the product tends to go everywhere. This may just be a user error since I'm not used to using this kind of applicator, but it's definitely not a user friendly product.

#7 - Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner - Everlast

Ok... normally I'm a Milani lover, but I HATE this product! The formula is too thick, the brush is too big and it's a pain to get off. The only plus I can give this product is that it calls itself 24 hour, and I don't doubt it is. I took it off immediatly after using it, but for how hard it was to remove, I don't doubt it would last all day and night. The formula itself is extremely thick and tends to clump, and the brush itself is too wide and makes fine lines impossible. I couldn't see myself ever using this liner in black and I ended up tossing it, but I do have the product in green which I honestly can say I do like. I do use the green as an accent color and it works great for that because it won't wear off, but I will never buy the black again.

Phew! So those are my favorite/least favorite liquid and felt tip liners. I've tried most of them (minus the last one) several times and hope this review can help out anyone looking for a good black liner!

Till next time!

xoxoxo

Ciaté Caviar Manicure

Sooo I caved and bought Ciaté Caviar Manicure from Sephora. I won't lie, I did my best to avoid it and went to 3 different craft stores looking for micro beads w/out thread holes, but came up unsuccessful. Being me, when I want something I go on a mission so I finallly resigned myself to dropping the $25 and buying the kit.

 I decided to go with the Black Pearls kit. I figured it would be the most versatile for the colors I typically use.

 And here are the results! I painted 2 coats of the black nail polish that came with the kit. Instead of applying the beads after the 2nd coat, I waited for it to dry and added nail glue then worked in the beads. For the money, I'm making sure these things last the longest they possibly can!

So far so good, I think the end result is super pretty, unique and fresh. Definitely something I'll most likely use primarily for special occasions, but I'd definitely consider buying other colors. (Or online search for regular micro beads >>;;;)

Until next time!

XOXOXO <3

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Inspired Tutorial

I decided to go out of my comfort zone a bit and get a little dark with a look inspired by the makeup in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (David Fincher ver.). Definitely not a look I'd go with normally but I really loved the makeup in that movie and I'm honestly digging the bleached brows especially!

Of course I didn't bleach my own out, but I find hers in the movie really beautiful in a weird way. Anyways, I kept the makeup pretty simple. Just a red/black smokey eye, sculpted cheeks and a nude lip. Again, this look is just inspired by the makeup in the movie. I didn't take it from any perticular makeup Rooney Mara was wearing, which surprisingly was very little at all throughout the entire movie!

Enjoy!

Looking SCARY!!!!