{Beauty Tuesday} Happy Holidays! Part 4

I believe that God mercifully granted us this week to relax between the hours spent at the gym bulking up to effectively war against fellow shoppers and the stamina required to translate Uncle Earl's incoherent recollections of the Christmas he spent in Nam. Therefore, I'm going to spend it cozied up in a scarf and quick, painless makeup looks. Think of it as your way to be low-maintenance and still look mighty fine.

{OH, THIS OLD THING?}

You're going to see Hobbit with your family and honestly, the only reason you're getting ready is for the off possibility that you'll meet your soulmate. At the movies. Which is not going to happen. So hours of work aren't necessary. Therefore, forget primers and precision today. The way to master this look is to make it seem a little worn-in and even allowing it to get slightly messy. This is usually taboo, but sometimes exceptions must be made.

Apart from your regular foundation, leave skin bare. With a fluffy shadow blush, blend a warm brown shade from lashline to crease and along the lower lashline, then feather outward to create a seamless gradient between the shadow and your natural skin tone. Dip a dry angled eyeliner brush into dark brown shadow and draw a soft line around the eyes for definition, then smooth out any hard edges with your fluffy brush. Coat upper and lower lashes with volumizing mascara. On the lips, a spot of tinted lip balm is just enough.

{RUSH HOUR}

Here's the scenario: You slept in way too long, woke up thinking you had no priorities, and spent the morning in your jammies and spot treatment perusing Pinterest with a cup of peppermint tea. Sounds lovely, right? Except when you find out your friend is about to leave for Christmas break and you haven't brought him his gift yet! This is stressful. The remedy...

Skip foundation and use a tinted moisturizer or BB cream all over your face. Swipe a pink cream blush on the apples of your cheeks and blend with (clean) fingertips. Dab a tiny amount of highlighter on the inner corners of eyes, then apply an olive-green pencil liner to only the upper lash line (this is less harsh than black and more forgiving of mistakes). Add curling mascara and slick on pink lip gloss as you're dashing out the door.

{PEACHY KEEN}

Adapted from Marc Jacobs' Spring 2013 runway, a glossy eye is intended to smudge and crease throughout the day. High shine keeps it from looking like you've been sleeping in a dirty T-shirt for the past three days straight.

Begin with a shimmery shadow primer. Once it has set, add a layer of goldenrod eye shadow over the entire lid, extending just past the crease and blending down below the eye. In the crease and outer corners, use an orange-peach shade and blend into the gold shadow. With your ring finger, tap a tiny amount of clear lip gloss on top of the shadow to create a satiny sheen. Line upper and lower lashlines with a black pencil and finish with thick black mascara. Leave cheeks and lips bare.

{Beauty Tuesday} Happy Holidays! Part 3

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Bask in the fascination of lights, decorations, candy canes, evergreens, and hope. I'm doing all my gift shopping now to beat the nasty rush, so I need a face that stands out but is also low-key enough to run errands in. 

{THE GREY AREA}
I had a Eureka! moment upon discovering that the key to making a black smoky eye work is having neutralized skin - not too pink, not too yellow. So, use a purple-based concealer for brown undereye circles and a green-based one for reddish blemishes one minute before applying your foundation, then use your regular concealer on top.
You must, must use an eye primer if you want this look to last beyond lunch. Once it has set, apply a moondust-hued shadow (yes, that is the precise term I imagined when using my light grey shade) to the entire length of the lid from lashline to crease. Highlight the inner corner and below the browbone with a shimmery white shadow, then an angled eyeliner brush to line the upper lashes and the crease with black shadow. Blend the black shadow just above the crease and slightly beyond the outer corner of the eyes, then blend it down to the outer third of the lower lashline. Top it off with two coats of black mascara on upper and lower lashes, plus a dab of foundation mixed with clear gloss on the lips.

{THE CLASSICIST}
Lucky for those of us who aren't Taylor Swift, it isn't hard to pull off a bold cherry lip when paired with nautical stripes and a minimalist complexion.
Check out this previous post and follow the steps for perfect lipstick. This time, however, exchange the final coat of lipstick for a slick of candy apple-red gloss. Mmmph. Tasty. Blend a shadow one shade darker than your natural skin tone into the crease of the eyes to add depth to the lid, then line upper lashes with a neutral brown pencil. Heap a plentiful serving of black mascara to the upper lashes only and go flash some cute stranger a grin.

{FROSTBITE}
Whether you're aiming to look like you just walked into the lodge after a good run on the slopes or you rather prefer that sweet honey glow, plenty of rosy blush will do the trick.
Dab and smooth a drop of highlighter above cheekbones and along the bridge of the nose. Use a fluffy angled blush brush to apply a reddish hue to cheeks, focusing color on the apples and feathering back toward the ears. Dust a translucent powder to set your face makeup. Line upper and lower rims with black pencil eyeliner, then smudge it out with your ring finger or a Q-tip. Curl lashes and apply lots of black mascara on the tops and bottoms of upper lashes, then give lower lashes a quick swipe of the same mascara. Finish with clear gloss or balm on the lips.

Preparing a fancy-looking dinner doesn't have to be painstaking. Here's how to achieve delectable and good-for-you in one superior meal.

{Lemon-Herb Baked Chicken}
1. Marinate 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a Ziploc baggie containing 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/4 tsp each of black pepper, garlic salt, crushed basil leaves, and onion powder for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Place chicken breast on a greased cookie sheet and pop it in the oven for 50 minutes. Halfway through cooking, re-douse the chicken in lemon juice.
4. When it's finished, [cautiously] season to taste. You might add a few fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of coarse ground black pepper and sea salt.
5. Serve chicken atop a bed of whole-wheat angel hair pasta cooked al dente (follow directions on pasta box) with a drizzle of olive oil.

{The Good Kind of Steamed Broccoli}
1. First of all, you have to understand that I have never opted to eat cooked broccoli. I love raw broccoli, but mushy vegetables are simply not on my list of palatable objects. My mother taught me how to just barely steam veggies, and now I pine for this dish.
2. Rinse 1 bunch of broccoli and break into smaller florets.
3. Using a saucepan (preferably with a steamer, but either way is typically okay), bring 1 inch of water to a boil.
4. Add broccoli and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Broccoli will be done when you can pierce it with a fork. Test after 4 minutes to ensure you don't overcook the broccoli.
5. Drain broccoli. Toss immediately with small amounts of olive oil, garlic salt, and black pepper, then top with shredded cheese while broccoli is still hot.

{Varietous Green Salad}
1. I just discovered that varietous is a colloquial.
2. Slice or tear up a couple romaine lettuce leaves.
3. Toss in any or all of the following: chopped baby carrots, broccoli slaw, diced apples, alfalfa sprouts, diced tomatoes or avocados, halved grapes, olives, grated Parmesan cheese, red onions, or bell peppers.
4. Add a tablespoon of light vinaigrette dressing to the mix.

Happy bargaining!

{Beauty Tuesday} Good Grades

I was a little skeptical of my ability to pull off this look, but the process was bewilderingly manageable. The colors are up to you; just make sure they're able to blend without turning muddy. Here's how to throw together a tri-tone gradient eyeliner:

{MATERIALS}

BareMinerals Prime Time Eyelid Primer

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Electric (a metallic turquoise)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Sabbath (matte navy) and Zero (smoky grey)

{PROPER USE}

Pat a neutral eyelid primer all over the lid. This creates an
even base and helps keep your look in place.

Using your lightest shade, draw a medium-width line from the
inner corner to the center of the lid. 

With the middle shade, overlap the first shade slightly and then draw
a slightly thicker line down to the outer edge of the lid. Also use this
shade to fill in the upper and lower water lines, which are right next to
the eye itself.

With your darkest shade, overlap the middle shade and then draw a small
wing past the outer corner of the eye, directing the tip toward the top
of your ear. Fill in any blank spots to create a smooth line, then use
your fingertip to blend each color's edges together. Finish up with
a coat of black mascara (try BareMinerals Flawless Definition
Volumizing Mascara) and try to not be as sleepy as I was today.

Happy grading!

{Beauty Tuesday} Smoke Screen

       Good afternoon! Okay, I know it's not Tuesday. I was going to post this yesterday, but there were a few delays that caused me to wait until today to finish up. This idea came to me as I was getting ready yesterday morning, and I thought I'd share.

       I used to be a big fan of smoky eyes, using the look as a daily staple. And then I realized I was doing it all wrong and decided my face is too pink for such things (that is possible) and cut them out of my routine altogether. Just recently, I've figured out that if I use the right shades, I can get 'em to work even for me. So, here are a few ideas for different skin tones.

{FAIR}

If your face is pale to medium-light and even-toned, you can pull off the classic grey smoky eye. I did Brittnie's makeup for Senior Ball this year, and she definitely rocked it. As with every look, make sure you balance it out. If you're wearing a bright lipstick, go easy on the eyes; a smoky eye requires nude or clear gloss.

{UNEVEN}

If you've got sensitive, splotchy, or freckly skin (like me), you know that a lot of makeup looks can be very hard to suit to your complexion. I have found that iridescent beiges and deep browns generally work nicely together to frame my blue eyes. The key is to look for a slightly shimmery formula and blend your hues.

{MEDIUM}

If your face is medium-tan to olive, look for soft plum shades to play up your warm coloring. Don't forget to add a highlighter on the browbone and inner corner of your eyes. Mookie let me experiment on her. Can you believe those eyelashes?!

{DEEP}

If your face is dark olive to deep cocoa, go for bolder shades like turquoise and navy to draw attention to your eyes. The cool tones in Tatayana's skin were complemented by pretty bright blue. Always start with a good shadow primer as your base before anything else! This amplifies pigmentation and makes shadow last longer.

 

P.S. Mookie's eyeshadow made me think of the greatest song ever, Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze. My dad raised me on this stuff, so you should probably listen. We all need a little metal in our diets.

Happy shading!