Loved it, tried it! My first attempt at recreating a look I love!

Hello, dahlings! A couple of weeks ago, I posted the link to one of my favorite makeup blogs, The Beauty Bybel. Check it out on my new blog roll on the right side of the page. I just added it this week. (I'm starting to get the hang of of this here blogging thingy!) Carli Bel also has an extensive video collection on YouTube, where she demonstrates how to achieve certain makeup looks.  She has inspired me to come up with the segment of my blog entitled: Loved It, Tried It.  Periodically, I will try to recreate looks that I love based on pictures or videos that I see. Hopefully they will not turn out to be like the epic fails on Pinterest. You know the stuff that people try at home because Pinterest makes it look so easy, but instead it looks like this:

 

 

Let's hope I have some better luck.

 

For this week's look, I posted a link to Carli's video below. I know this is more of a look to wear in the fall, with the gold and brown, but I wanted to try it out and see if I could do this.While I did not use all the exact same products that she used, (I made due with some things I already have), I did follow her instructions step by step. I will list the products that I used below, and after that you can see my first video I have ever done, showing you the results.

View Carli's video here.

In order to recreate this look, I used the following items:

Maybelline EyeStudio Quad in Give Me Gold

MAC Eye Shadows from left to right: Black Tied, Bamboo, Nylon

Revlon Photoready Eye Primer and Brightener

Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

Milani Shadow Eyez in Green Safari

Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black

First I primed my eye lid with Revlon's Photoready Eye Primer and Brightener. I sometimes wear this even when I don't wear eyeshadow, because it does brighten up around my eyes and helps hide my dark circles. Just like Carli, I used the Maybelline Eyestudio quad in Give me Gold. I used the gold color all over my lid. Following her steps, in the crease I used MAC's eye shadow in Bamboo. Then I used MAC's eye shadow, Black Tied in the outer "v" crease, instead of the black eye shadow pencil she used. I then used the bronze color from the Maybelline quad in my crease to blend. I then used MAC's Nylon eye shadow to highlight my tear duct and brow bone. I did not add any additional gold sparkle or the fake eye lashes, although I'm a huge fan of eye lashes. I think they really add drama to the eyes and I always wear them for special occasions.  Instead of the green eye shadow, I used Milani's Shadow Eyez pencil in green safari, I drew it on my lower lash line and blended it with an angled brush. Maybelline's Eyestudio Gel Eyeliner was used on my upper lids.

 

My thoughts on the outcome? I have to say, it looks much better in person than it does on my video below. I don't think you really get to see the green on my lower lids, but I think that is because of the lighting - something I'll have to work on for future videos. The look was easy to achieve, and like Carli mentions in her video, more appropriate for a night out. And I definitely need to get some glittery pigments for that extra sparkle. So check it out and let me know what you think!

See my final look here

Inspiration, Tips and Advice

Welcome!  If you are reading this, I thank you for visiting my blog. It has been a rough week for me, but I've been putting together some ideas for this blog and I'm excited to start actually researching some products. This week, I thought I'd share with you where I get my inspiration, the things I can't live without, and some tips on how to get started learning on your own.

A few years ago, I became really interested in learning more about makeup, specifically eye shadow, and how to apply it. Until that time I was buying drug store eye shadows, the ones that come four to a case and following the instructions on the back.  But I wanted to expand my horizons. One day on a trip to Macy's, a light was beckoning me toward it. It looked like this:

Hesitant and intimidated, I let it draw me closer. There were pretty colors everywhere. There were lipsticks and lip glosses and blushes! The eye shadow displays were color coordinated, but each color was sold separately. Wait, what? How do I know which colors to wear? How do I know where to put them on my eyelid? I longed for inspiration, knowledge, and assistance. Then an angel in beautiful, colorful makeup appeared. She didn't know it yet, but like many sales people I encounter, she would be sorry she approached me. I talked her ear off for an hour and a half, trying to suck her dry of her makeup knowledge. It was silly of me to think that I would learn everything in 90 minutes. But she was wonderful and she assisted me in how to pick out eye shadow colors, the proper tools to use and as she applied it on me, she talked me through it, step by step. I bought everything she suggested and I walked away anticipating my next trip.

That's how it started for me. When Sephora opened in my area, I was thrilled. MORE MAKEUP! Sephora sells over 200 different brands of beauty products and the sales people are knowledgable. The possibilities are endless. The best part about MAC and Sephora and department store makeup counters is, unlike drug stores, you get to test out the products before you purchase them. Of course the pricing is substantially different, but in some cases, the product quality is better.

Then came Pinterest. Pinterest has ruined my life. I pin everyday.  Their Hair and Beauty board has only made it harder for me to stay away from MAC, Sephora and drug stores. Through Pinterest, I discovered two makeup blogs, Makeup Geek and The Beauty Bybel. These blogs have how-to videos that have since encouraged my makeup obsession. Please check them out, I've included their links below.

Click here for Makeup Geek

Click here for The Beauty Bybel

These stores and sites have taught me some tried and true lessons. I'd like to share some of my basic, general makeup must-haves with you.

There are a few products that I cannot live without when it comes to makeup. Each will be discussed in further detail in upcoming posts, but I want to mention them today because I think they are important. They are:

Primer - for the face and for the eyes. Primer is a cream that goes on your face or eyelids before you put on any foundation or eye shadow. This helps your foundation and eye shadow last longer, no matter the quality of the makeup. I wear face primer every day and I wear eye primer whenever I'm wearing eye shadow.

Makeup brushes - these are essential if you want your makeup to look smooth and natural. There are many different types of brushes for the face and eyes. I have quite a few, but not every type. Brushes help blend your makeup. It is all about blending! Please throw away those eyeshadow sticks that come with the drug store eye shadow and invest in some brushes. MAC and Sephora sell professional brushes, but you can also get them at any drugstore for a reasonable price and they will last if you keep them clean. I will talk about this, also. Stay tuned!

Makeup remover towelettes and eraser sticks - these are great. One rule I have always upheld is to never, ever go to bed without washing off my makeup. The towelettes are wonderful for helping remove heavy makeup and you can use them all over your face. I love Target's brand, they are only $3.64 and I use them everyday. Almay's makeup eraser sticks retail for $4.89 and they are my number one favorite thing. They look like cotton swabs, but they have makeup remover in the stick part of it. You snap off the one end and the liquid drains into the end with the remaining swab. I used these to help erase mistakes with eye shadow, mascara and eye liner, or I use them to take off the tough eyeliner that soap just doesn't get.

Bronzer - what can I say? I'm a Jersey girl. Bronzer gives you a sun-kissed glow and I wear it all year long. If you look like this

then you've used it incorrectly. Bronzer is applied to the places that the sun would naturally hit, your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin.

My advice for anyone interested in upping their makeup routine is to check out the links I posted, there are so many great tips and product recommendations on them. I have purchased some of the products they recommend and I am working on some product reviews for you. So be sure to check back here each week. I also recommend visiting MAC and Sephora and the department stores where there are people there to help answer your questions. Also, know that if you decide to purchase drug store makeup and you don't like it, you can return it. I have done this at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and Target and I have never had a problem.

If you visit the stores and links I provided and are interested in experimenting with new eye shadow colors, but do not want to spend mucho dinero on a few shades, I have the perfect product for you.

 

This 144 piece palette by e.l.f. comes in bold and neutral colors, is $15.00 and is perfect for experimenting! Target and Walgreens sold it over the holiday season but it is available on their website. I actually got it for $7.00 at Walgreens on their Christmas clearance shelf. SCORE!  Makeup Geek has a review on it, also. I suggest using eye primer, it will last longer.

That's it for this week! Did I talk your ear off?  I encourage you to comment, ask questions or give me ideas. Have a great week!