30 November 2013

Tutorial: Defined, Shaped Brows using Make-Up

Today's post is a tutorial on how to shape and define your brows using make up. Well groomed brows is a trend that continues to grow(no pun intended), and with good reason. Eyebrows completely frame your face. A thin over-plucked eyebrow will age you and very bushy eyebrows will overtake you face. Eyebrows that are rounded will soften your face and a high arched brow will evoke a Marilyn Monroe style defined look.


What you need:
❤ Brown eyebrow pencil (Essence 02 brown)
❤ White pencil (Catrice Kohl Kajal 040 white)
❤ Highlighter (Urban Decay Naked2 "Bootycall")
❤ Spool
❤ Dome brush (Inglot)


Here's what we start with. Messy, untamed brows. How attractive.


A slight improvement. In this picture I have used my spool to brush my brows into shape.


Taking my eyebrow pencil, I draw one straight line which begins from the beginning of my eyebrow (in line with the inner corner of my eye) to the arch of my brow (above the outer corner of my eye). It is important that your eyebrow pencil is recently sharpened. This keeps the pencil sharp, making the line drawing clearer and simpler. It also peals off any bacteria that may be lurking on your pencil.


I repeat this process above my brow.


I connect the upper and lower lines and create one downward facing line. This completes the eyebrow shape.


With my eyebrow pencil I filled in my brows using strokes that go in the direction of my brow. For a more natural look, use your spool and brush inwards, starting from the inner corners of your brows.


This is an additional step that is great for nights out and for when you know you are going to be photographed. Taking your white liner, trace a line under your arch.


Taking my chosen highlighter ("Bootycall") I have blended this line downwards for a more natural appearance. This makes your arch really prominent. This is your finished look!


Voila!
Hope you enjoyed reading!


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24 November 2013

FOTD #6: Deer Make up




There's really no explanation as to why I decided to make myself up as a deer last night, it really just happened!
In saying that, it's a creative alternative to dressing up as "Sexy Santa" or an elf for the fancy dress Christmas party, which is why I have included a tutorial! Most of the make up I used was just cheap stuff as I don't like using my good make up for this kind of thing. I recommend the same to anyone who attempts this.

What you need :
❤ your regular shade of bronzer
❤ black facepaint
❤ white face paint
❤ white eyeshadow
❤ brown eyeshadow
❤ black eyeshadow
❤ brown eyebrow pencil
❤ black liquid liner
❤ white pencil eyeliner
❤ a set of wing-like lashes (cut a third off each eyelash)
❤ a set of long lashes

Brushes
❤ tapered blush brush
❤ small, soft fluffy angled brush
❤ small stiff angled brush
❤ small fluffly blending brush
❤ dome brush
❤ large fluffy brush



Using your white facepaint, apply it all over your lid and up to you eyebrows. Continue to bring it down beneath your eye. The emphasis here is on creating a round shape with your facepaint. When you have achieved your desired shape, set the facepaint with white eyeshadow.


Use your liquid eyeliner to draw a line down each side of your nose, and outline your nostrils.


Connect the parallel lines using your black liquid liner. This creates our nose shape. Using a small, soft angled brush and brown eyeshadow, draw a contour line right under your cheekbone.


Sticking with your angled brush, drag the eyeshadow up and out, so that it is spread up to your temples. This is the outline of the deer's head. 


Use your bronzer and a small sized tapered blush brush to blend your bronzer into the brown contour line. Continue to apply the bronzer onto your outer cheeks, temples and into the hairline on your forehead. With a brown eyebrow pencil connect your eyebrows to the black line that runs down your nose. Your eyebrows should be rounded. If some of your natural eyebrow shows through (ruining the rounded look), conceal it with more white facepaint (don't forget to set the facepaint with white eyeshadow).


Taking your angled brush (which should have left-overs from the brown eyeshadow), drag the brush along the hairline of your temples. Blend this with your bronzer. Again taking your eyebrow pencil, draw a V on your forehead. This should be drawn above and between your eyebrows, as shown in the photo. You then  blend this out using your bronzer. Using a fluffy dome brush, apply white eyeshadow between your black nose lines. Drag this eyeshadow up over your eyebrows but beneath the V. Blend this into your temples using bronzer. 


Back to the black liquid eyeliner, start to draw a cut crease. Begin this line about a 1.5cm before the inner corners of your eyes (on the bridge of your nose). When the line reaches the outer part of your eye, you should do a slight flick up, as illustrated in the photo. Line your eyes normally by drawing a thin line close to your eyelashes.Using a fluffy blending brush, apply dark brown eyeshadow along the bridge of your nose. Blend it up into the corners of your eyes, and then blend it outwards onto your cheeks using your bronzer . 


Using a small angled brush and black eyeshadow, outline the circular shape of white facepaint below your eye. Connect this line to your black liquid line.


In this photo I have painted my lips with white facepaint, and used white eyeshadow over my chin and around my nose/lips area. I have also applied bronzer along my jawline.


Taking your eyebrow pencil again, draw a thick horizontal line on your nose, below the curved line. With your white eyeliner pencil, fill in the space between the brown pencil line and black liquid line. Now its time to use your black facepaint. Using a flat brush, pat it on the tip of your nose and blend it upwards into the brown line. Continue to paint the tip of your nose, under your nose and around your nostrils, keeping withing the liquid lines.



For the nose shape, you can draw an outline first with your black liquid liner or draw it freehand with the black facepaint. I chose to do this freehand. To begin, draw a line from your nostrils downwards (basically outlining your laughter lines). Outline two semi-circles as shown in the picture. Connect these lines with a wide U-shaped line. Fill in between the lines with your black facepaint. For more definition, use your white eyeliner pencil to outline the white semi-circles (which are nostrils).


Taking the angled brush I used with dark brown eyeshadow, I further traced my laughter lines and outlined the ovular white patch around my chin, lips and nose area. I linked my contour lines (on my cheeks) to this outline and used the dark brown eyeshadow all under my chin. With my brown eyebrow pencil, I drew an upside down smile on my lips. Taking my bronzer and a small blending brush, I connected my lips to the brown line under my chin.


Here I have applied fake eyelashes to my top lashes. The lashes I used are winged, outward facing lashes. I cut a third off the set so that the lashes were just applied to the outer corners of my eyes.


I went on to apply my large lashes underneath my eyes, along the drawn on black line. Following this, I am FINITO!



Is this something you would try? 

If so, leave a link of your own blog post so I can see!

All comments are appreciated and feel free to follow me on GFC, Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and all that jazz!



18 November 2013

OOTD #11 & FOTD #5


Rainy college days make it hard to dress nice and keep warm. For some reason, maxi skirts are always associated with Summer which never made sense to me because I would absolutely melt if I had to wear a long skirt in the heat! For me, they're better suited for winter. They can be made warmer with a pair of tights underneath (which is what I did). This skirt, from Catch or alternatively NoPolka.com, is high-waisted so I paired it with this pale blue and pink jumper from Primark/Penneys. Tucking the jumper into the high waist means I retain the illusion of a waist and I am still kept warm. Perf! My shoes are plimsoll flatforms (plimsolls with a thick double sole) so that adds a bit of height and keeps the skirt looking casual. The ear cuff is a sale purchase from River Island that slots around your ear, perfect for anyone who doesn't have their ears pierced.

Jumper: Primark/Penneys, €11
Skirt: Catch/NoPolka.com,€12
Plimsoll Creepers: Barratts, €12
Shoulder Bag: Ebay, €19
Peace Necklace: Primark/Penneys, €2
Ear Cuff: River Island, €1.50

Aaaand now for my make up...
(The pic is from before I did my hair and got dressed!)

I find that sometimes eyeliner really irritates my eyes and makes them dry and itchy. As an alternative I've started using Blackout from Urban Decay's Naked2 palette. Today, I used Verve as a base all over the lid.  then blended that out with Suspect. I then did a cut crease using Snakebite, which again was blended out with Suspect. After all this I used an angled brush to pat Blackout along my lashes. I made a thick line which I then completely smudged with a smudge brush. I smudged it right out to each corner of my eye.

Face:  
Foundation: MAC Pro-Longwear Foundation NC15
Concealer: Catrice Camouflage Cream
Powder: Max Factor loose powder, translucent 
Blusher: from Benefit's "I'm Glam Therefore I Am"

Eyes:
Eyelids: Urban Decay Naked2 (Verve, Suspect, Snakebite, Blackout)
Eyebrows: Essence Brow Pencil, 02 brown
Lashes: Topshop Waterproof Mascara

Lips:
Lipstick: From an Inglot palette, dark berry shade (no name provided)



Illa J- Sounds Like Love

 Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave comments and links to your own OOTD's and FOTD's!



7 November 2013

FOTD #4: Halloween in Berlin as a Mexican Sugar Skull

Ok so I'm a few days late ...but I thought I may as well get this post in before everyone starts with the Christmas tutorials!


I'm sure by now you've seen my Evil Clown Makeup tutorial that I did on my boyfriend for Halloween (no? Have a look here!). Buuut I never got round to posting my own Halloween make up! Unfortunately it is not as good because I had to do it in a hotel room in Berlin with only half my make up, had never practiced it before and had no wi-fi to look at other Mexican Sugar Skulls for inspiration. Seeing as I only found out what they were this year and had to work from memory, I think I didn't do too bad a job!

If enough people want a tutorial I'll be happy to post one :)
For now though, here's a few snaps!



It was a simple enough tutorial, white facepaint, black outlines and a few half flowers. I outlined my eyes in glitter and covered my brows with facepaint. I also added cracks on the cheeks to make it a cracked skull.

What do you think?
Have any of you created this look, or something similar?
Leave links below so I can see please!