FOTD - a bit of mint

As I decided to wear a powdery-pink studded blouse today, I wanted my make-up to match - soft, girly and with a bit of edge. :

• To add to the girly, I went for a lovely mint shade for my eyeshadow (using the good old CS 88 Matte Palette, keep forgetting how great it really is, the finish, the hold, the color payoff!) and a pair of falsies and a white in the waterline for a doll-like finish. 

• Then, to balance it out and add a bit of edge, kept the brows strong and added my signature red lippie - MAC in Ruby Woo! 

The look really is as easy as it sounds, for my foundation I used the usual Bourjouis Healthy Mix (and dabbed a little extra instead of using concealer in the problem areas - around the nose, under-eye, etc. for a very natural yet airbrushed effect) and highlighted my cheekbones, nose and chin with Benefit High Beam.

 

And I think this eyeshadow has started my mint obsession for the spring. What better shade to feel girly and spring-time-ready without being too much? And I am hunting for the perfect mint going out dress for my 21st (which is in exactly a month, not sure how I feel about it yet!) as I am writing this. Keep you updated on my progress, 

Take care,

S

xoxo

P.s. What is your favorite shade this spring?

Brighten up! - FOTD

First of all, I appologize to all my lovely followers for being absent for so long once again, with moving out, working, going on holiday back to Latvia there has not been a lot of free time for me, and if there were a few hours or so, I'd be catching up on all the lost sleep as I am now.

Even with that, I'm feeling full of energy as the longer days and sunshine charge us all up like solar batteries. And as there's color and brightness everywhere, let it shine through your make-up as well.

As much as I'd love to be bronzed and glowing right now more than ever (and I've blogged about it), that's just not for my complexion. If you're a honey-bronzed-beauty, now is the time to return to your sparkling bronzers, gold eyeshadows and coral lipsticks.

For skintones like mine and all the pale beauties, there's still an alternative - subtle neons (no, that is not fiction - just use small amounts of color and blend into a paler pastel) teamed with a bit of bronzer will go a long way.

Top tip - don't think you need to choose a light bronzer if you're pale! They're great for brightening up deeper complexions but not for contouring as they will shop up as orange in contrast with pale skin. Pick a deeper one instead and keep applying it in very sheer layers.
Here, I've used Elizabeth Arden Sun Goddess Bronzing Powder in Deep to contour. For a bit of brightness, add a neon-pink blusher. Again, very sheer.

Keep the eyes simple and pull the look together with a coral pink lippie, you're spring ready!

Hope You are all as excited for the sunshine and all that the s/s season is going to bring us,

S

xoxo

Saturday Night Sparkle

There's something about Saturday night partying I enjoy more than sipping cocktails, dancing my heels off and meeting old - and new - friends - getting ready! And I'm sure a lot of You ladies will agree, it's the picking an outfit and a MU look to match, planning ahead from Monday, that adds all the excitement.

So this is what I wore last night when going for drinks with a friend and one key product I'm absolutely in love with. I know it's been around for a while and I picked it up at IMATS but never really got the chance to test it till now - it's Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Phenomena!

It's like no other product, a cream shadow that actually feels like liquid when blending, very light and sheer yet provides amazing coverage. Incredibly rich with pigment and shimmery particles, a must have when You want some sparkle without going too glitter-crazy!

It does not crease a lot but here's a little trick to make it last all night:

• Over an eyeshadow primer, dab a thin layer of the Liquid Metal and blend slightly outwards
• Apply a sheer layer of a matching eyeshadow - I used the silvery shade from the Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Eyeshadow Quad in Blue Breeze - just dab it accross the lid with Your finger as You don't want too much coverage, it's more about the powder-like layer to set the product in place
• As the cream eyeshadow is very sparkly and sheer, the eyeshadow might take a bit of the mirror-like sparkle away so dab a thin layer over the eyeshadow again. This way, the powder and the layering will keep the product in place yet You will still have the amazing effect. 

So You have a layer of Liquid Metal, eyeshadow and Liquid Metal again!

 

P.s. As You can notice, the pictures are much clearer and the detail is more visible, as I'm the proud owner of a brand new camera! Yay! 

What is Your must-have Saturday night product?

Lots of love,

S

xoxo

Randomness + Modern 50s FOTD

This is so exciting! First of all, bloghop is such a great idea! I've found so many great blogs to follow and I'm drooling over all the products with the great reviews I never knew about, dying to try out all the make-up looks and absolutely amazed by some ladies' great fashion sense! Find out more here

 

Second of all, I've hit more than 100 followers! It is absolutely amazing and I'm so grateful for each and every one of You that keeps checking this blog out, each an inspiration to keep going! I'll possibly be doing a 100 follower giveaway, stay tuned!

And last but not the least, just a random FOTD from yesterday as I was just meeting a friend for drinks. The quality is not that good as they were taken with my blackberry but here it goes:

 Attempting to channel a modern 50s with pale skin, a full brow and a strong lip

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Foundation 

Estee Lauder in Mink on the brows

Soap&Glory Supercat™ Eyeliner pen Carbon Black Extreme

Revlon GrowLuscious Mascara

NYX Loose Pearl Powder in Pearl (over the lid)

Primark falsies (And they're actually my favorite falsies now!)

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Sob

Benefit High Beam

and

Mac Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo

-

Keep coming back as there's more exciting stuff coming up in the next few days, lots of love to all my followers,

S

xoxo

BlogHop#1

Such a lovely idea to find new blogs to follow and let people know about yours.
Find out more here
xoxo
Have fun hopping!

S

Glowing, dewy and young - ready for spring!

I know most of us are slowly getting fed up with the cold and dark weather and are looking forward to wearing pastels without having to panic about every passing car that might cover that new, gorgeous powder pink blazer or bright green pencil skirt with splashes of not-so-pretty mud (although tobacco is coming back in fashion as the new neutral) as we're trying to inject our everyday looks with as much "springtime" and as little layers as we can. 

The exact same goes for make-up - easy and soft is the way to go. Deep reds and ruby lipsticks are being replaced with just-there bitten berries, a bit of cream blusher instead of the strong contour and choosing the lighter, shimmery family of colors in your favorite eyeshadow pallete. The whole spring make-up look to go for can be summarized as "young, fresh and glowing".

• The no1 trend to go for if you want an instant boost of "careless and romantic" (and that has actually been around for a while, turning more "careless" each season) is a soft yet strong, bushy brow. Frames Your eyes without overpowering the look and adding more structure to any face shape. Add a rounded arch and ditch the geometric brow. Keep them well groomed to avoid looking too heavy and tired (opposite of what we're going for!) and keep in place using a brow gel like MUA Academy Mascara in Shade 1. Brush the hairs in different directions before coming through to create a softer line.
• Skin - go for a soft, illuminating foundation that will bounce the light off all the imperfections but will not look to heavy or thick in any light (and the first sunshine of spring is not the most flattering one if You're not prepared). I am absolutely in love and obessed with NYX HD Photogenic Foundation The light-diffusing ingredients will make You look flawless and the formula gives the perfect amount of coverage without over-powering Your natural beauty and glow. My trick is to buff it in with a bronzer brush for a light, airbrushed effect or apply with fingers using a dabbing motion over the cheeks, nose and forehead for a more natural look. Must-have! Don't powder, if Your complexion is too oily, use a mattifying primer underneath instead!
• 
• To inject some color, use a cream blusher with a bit of light reflecting particles for that dewy look rather than the usual blusher+highlighter combo. My new favorite is Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Sob (Cool candy pink, dewy finish). Go for Dixie if You have warm undertones instead. Dab it on the apples of Your cheeks and go for an 80's curve if You're daring - taking it up to the browbone for an instant lift and brightness. Don't be scared as the blusher is the perfect combination of "pigmented" and "sheer"!
• Last but not least - lashes. Same as the brows, it's about creating a smoky halo that frames the eyes. If using falsies, go for bushy and natural ones (Good old Eylure Naturalities collection will give You the perfect range of options), if You are keeping it more natural, go for a dark brown mascara with a lifting effect to hold an eye-widening curve! Lancome Hypnôse Drama in 02 - Excessive brown will be the perfect finishing touch!

 

 

 

Hope this will inject a bit of sunshine in the overwhelming gray all around us and scares away the last of the winter blues,

dreaming of springtime and sending lots of love,

S xxxxxx

All I want for Christmas.. is a fuller pout?

One week till Christmas! I've been so busy I didn't even notice my favorite time of the year approaching so fast!
It is the time when all world falls in love, as Sinatra once said, and You can't help but get that warm fuzzy feeling inside, full of joy and gratefulness. Atleast that's what Christmas is like for me.

It is not only the most wonderful time of the year, it is also the most glamorous time of the year for us, ladies, as well. All these parties coming up, a reason to wear dress and heels around the house, wear eyeshadow as sparkly and red lipstick as deep as we like just because it's Christmas.
So, talking about red lipstick - it makes us feel extra special, has that undeniable feeling of glamour and makes it look like we've all got lips like Beyonce's. How to make the most and create a fuller pout?

• My latest favorite is the MAC 'Ruby Woo' lipstick. A long-lasting, matte finish that doesn't dry the lips and applies very evenly for a powdery matte lipstick. Do use a lipbalm or chapstick first so it locks in the moisture, then apply 2 or 3 layers for the desired effect. The stunning ruby red with blue and pink undertones will bring the ultimate brightening effect to cool skintones like mine and will be an instant teeth whitener (and after a few glasses of mulled wine, we'll all need it).
• Before the lippie, outline Your lips with a nude lipliner. I used Jemma Kidd Lip Line Duo - I know the red is tempting, but for a more natural effect, use Neutral. Go slightly outside Your lipline as after the lipstick application, if there is a little bit peeking through, it'll look like it's still Your real lipline rather than a drawn-on one.
• Go over the lipliner with a flat lipbrush and small amounts of lippie on it - make it sheer and gradual. See how natural it looks? Now noone's gonna be able to tell where Your real lip ends and the liner starts!
• Fill in with the lippie of Your choice straight from the tube and finish off with a sparkly lipgloss for a maximum 3D effect. The matte texture, if You used Ruby Woo just like me, will make the lip last through the night and all You will have to reapply every once in a while is the gloss! Now party away, my darlings!

So, during the Christmas week, i'm going to spoil myself, wear sparkly make-up during the day, slick on a red lippie whenever I feel like doing it (which is pretty much every day) and spend as much time on my hair in the morning as I want to. It is the most festive week of the year anyway, isn't it? So invite all the other wonderful ladies who are reading this to do the same. Be as festive and glamorous as You want, treat yourself for Christmas! x

Lots of love,

S

xoxo