Let’s take a moment to breath in this bright piece of art, shall we; because once again, Maybelline has proven that they really know what they are doing when designing their mascara. First there was Great Lash and it’s iconic green/pink tube that can be recognized from miles away, then the idea behind Lash Stiletto was genius (a sexy high heel), and now The Colossal with it’s bright yellow and purple packaging… of course I fell for it!
But Maybelline mascaras will always have a special place in my heart. When I was just started out makeup, Maybelline was my go-to store. I believe my first favorite mascara was by Maybelline, think it was Lash Expansion (?), and I am still to this day mourning its death. Unfortunately, Colossal will not be one of those favorites.
First, I have to speak about The Colossal. The Colossal is available worldwide, but in Asia it has been renamed The Magnum. From what I gather, they renamed it to The Magnum and then made the brush slightly smaller, but the product formula is the exact same. Because I’m in Asia I will have to review The Magnum, and asked my best friend in London to review The Colossal.
So here’s her review in three words: “Don’t like it.”
[read more…]
After meeting with my extended family (sans makeup) the other day; instead of a polite hello, my cousin greeted me with an earth-shattering: “HOLY EYE CIRCLES! Are you an insomniac?”
After giving him the finger (I kid. Maybe.) I talked with my other female cousin, his sister, about dark eye circles and what we do about them. I’ve been lucky to find some gems (Benefit’s Boi-ing concealer is freaking fantastic and Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer is not bad either), but I know many suffer from extreme dark eye circles. (And judging from my cousin’s reaction, so do I.) Instead of simply applying concealer and hoping for the best, I decided to source out any other tips and tricks to hiding those pesky things.
I found myself at a tip Bobbi Brown wrote about in her book, Bobbi Brown Living Beauty
, where she talks about “serious dark eye circles”. I wrote sometime back how there are no real ‘cures’ out there, and Bobbi Brown confirms this: “There are no products on the market that actually lighten under-eye darkness. At best, eye cream can hydrate the eye area and give it a fresher look.” Phew. Glad to know that I know what I’m talking about (at least where this blog is concerned!)
I’ve found that the best way to brighten extremely dark under eye circles (circles that have a greenish or purplish tinge to them) is to start with a pink- or peach-toned corrector, then layer on the yellow-toned concealer. The pink or peach shade may work alone sometimes, but mostly you’ll need to layer it.
For problem dark circles keep the focus on the upper part of your eyes. Many women with extreme under-eye darkness also have dark eye-lids, so lighten the area with light (white or bone) shadow. Don’t line the lower lash line or apply mascara to lower lashes. A pop of bright pastel pink or peach blush on the apples of your cheeks will also steer your eye away from the dark circles.
Thanks, Bobbi! I’ve always loved her beauty books and devoured them when I first got into makeup, but I’ll have to re-read some of them as I have the memory of a goldfish. This beauty tip seems logical though, so I’ll be trying it out sometime.
What do you think of Bobbi’s tips? Will you be trying this method out? :)
Soft, pretty pastel colors might be a tad cliche for spring … but who cares! Versace held their Spring 2010 collection some time back and I couldn’t help but notice the models wearing some beeeautiful lilac eyes.
What’s even better: as you can see, this color suits all hair colors and all eye colors. The trick for trying on purple is to try a lighter color, such as lilac or lavender – deep, darker purples, if not done properly tends to look like a bruised eye.
To my redhead readers… can you say BOMBSHELL?! Promise me you’ll try this look out – I think the your hair color and these eyes would look amazing.
The brightness of the lilac against the full lashes, and natural face is so simple and beautiful. So how do you get this look? Very simple:
[read more…]
One of the best thing’s you can do while shopping for new colors; be it foundation, blush or eyeshadow, is to remove yourself from the harsh lights of the store, and go out and inspect the color in the natural sunlight. (Striking a dramatic pose like the model above is optional.)
I learnt this tip the hard way. One day before class I stopped over at Bobbi Brown counter (the joys of having your uni next to a shopping mall!) to look for a neutral, taupe eyeshadow. I asked to try one on and immediately bought it, ’cause it looked so good. However, while in the bathroom mid-class, I noticed the true color: it looked like someone flicked mud across my eyelids, and then punched me for that extra purple hue. All the while my friends didn’t say one word in class, probably enjoying my mishap like some kind of sick joke!
Luckily I was able to go back and change the horrendous color, but still – moral of the story? Go in the daylight and check out your color first. (Oh, and a hand held mirror in your bag at all times is probably a good idea, too!) Colors look great in the store (I guess that’s the point), but in real life? Not always.
Do you do this while shopping for new makeup colors? If not, I highly recommend it, you wouldn’t believe how different colors can look in the sunlight. :)
With all this talk of fairytales (from Alice in Wonderland, er, everywhere, to Snow White illustrated cleansers…) I’m beginning to 1) get nostalgic about my younger days of watching every Disney movie obsessively, and 2) realize I’m getting old and not liking it. I want to daydream about fairy-tales, castles and far-away lands forever!
For my fellow fairytale-loving readers, here’s something that would delight your inner child: Urban Decay’s Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows eyeshadow palette. (Say it really fast!)
And though it’s just another thing on the market to hype the amazing movie, this product warrants just as much excitement.
The set includes 16 eyeshadows, a mini version of their popular Primer Potion and two mini eyeliners. With eyeshadow names like Jaberwocky, Eat Me Drink Me, Mad Hatter and Muchness, this just may be the maddest makeup around – in a good way, of course. All the best people are mad, remember?
I personally haven’t tried any Urban Decay products yet, but at this point I don’t really mind – how cute would this look on your dresser?!
Is anyone else lemming this product? It seems really expensive (US$52, I believe) but you are getting a lot of product, so it just may be worth it… What do you think? Or if anyone has it already, let us all know how it is! :)
If there’s one makeup trick every beauty fool should know, it’s that the “natural” look actually takes just as many products as a “normal” look, but it takes twice the time! It’s all about careful blending and making everything appear like it was God-given, so it’s quite a routine!
And though I like to preach about having fun with makeup and adding color to your look, sometimes, the occasion calls for a more neutral looking face. Here are some tips on getting the natural (except not really…) no-makeup look.
- Step 1: Start off with a great base.
For great makeup, you need a solid base – everything goes well when there is a proper foundation, no? Keep it light though, a tinted moisturizer (this tinted moisturizer is amazing) and some concealer on your problem areas (dark circles, zits, etc) should do the trick. Skip the loose powder on this one (or keep it VERY light if you really need it), because the whole point is to look dewy and fresh.
Remember to blend everything well, so there are no obvious lines and areas that look like there are two parts. And we must never see that your foundation ends at your jawline, no, no, no! Blend until all the makeup disappears into your skin, so it looks like even, flawless skin.
Next is to apply some more color to your skin so you don’t look too washed out – I’m talking about blush. Again, keep this color light. A light pink or peach that gives you enough color (but not like you’re wearing anything) is enough.
Gently sweep it across your cheeks, up to your cheekbones and stop. Take a step back from your mirror and make sure it looks light, as if you’re blushing naturally.
If you’ve applied too much blush, take some tissue paper across your palm, and gently wipe off the excess. (NARS Orgasm, the famous blush to mimic that certain glow, may be a good option, as it suits all skin tones.)
[read more…]
It’s the number one makeup no no: matching your makeup with your outfit, especially matching your eyeshadow to your outfit. However, I can’t help but think your eye makeup colors matching your dress looks really, really nice when done properly. What do you think? It pulls the whole look together, no?
Jessica Alba sported this makeup “sin” at the premiere of her latest movie, Valentine’s Day, and I have to say I really like this look. (And that dress. I would kill for that dress and those shoes! Damn you Alba, why you so hot?) Instead of the makeup looking too matchy-matchy and over the top (the reason why it’s “forbidden” in the first place), I think it compliments her eye color perfectly as well. (Brown eyed beauties, take note – green looks amazing on you!)
I’ve done it before, with green as well – I did a khaki green smokey eye and I was wearing a green dress, and I didn’t think it looked too awful at all, so personally, I say this makeup no-no is a big yes-yes! in my book.
Let me know what you think – should we debunk this makeup myth that matching your makeup and your outfit is a sin? What do you think of this makeup “sin”? Do you coordinate your makeup and your outfit as well?
Hello and welcome! I'm Renee and I created this site to combine my love for writing, the web, and of course all things beautiful. ;) You can find out more 