PRETTY faces: Cat Eye...Bright Lip  


the infamous cat eye. it's the vintage makeup look that is making a comeback. we've seen it in music videos & red carpets...and now it's being worn on the streets. so i decided that i would try something different. not sure how i'm feeling about it just yet. to be honest i kinda just wanted to see if my hand was steady enough to do. surprisingly, i got it right on the first try. i went rather conservative with it since i was headed to work, but imagine if i made it more dramatic, i'd have fallen in love with it.

i've also been trying out new shades of lipstick. i've always shied away from bright lippies, but in recent months i've purchased quite a few. i actually really like the way this lip turned out.


Products Used...

Eyes
Upper Lashline - Sephora Liquid Liner in Black
Mascara - DiorShow Iconic Mascara in Rich Black

Face
Concealer - YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch #3
Foundation - Revlon ColorStay in Toast (#370)
Set - MAC MSF in Sunny By Nature
Cheek - MAC MSF in So Ceylon
Lip - MAC l/s in Chatterbox, MAC l/s in Lickable



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PRETTY faces: GaGa for Pink - Viva Glam GaGa  

a lot of people have been debating whether or not Viva GaGa is a pink that women of color can pull off. so i figured i'd post a fotd on how i made this look work for me. for sure, Viva Cyndi is the more universally flattering color, but if you're like me and love your pink lippies....Viva GaGa was hard to resist.

it's definitely a cool, blue pink. but with a little lipliner and/or lipgloss this color can definitely be transformed into a beautiful lipstick for women of color. i discovered that the way to make this color work for WOC is not to pile it on. if you do more than 2 coats, it will look too bubblegum pink. it'll also draw attention to the lines in your lips....NOT SEXY.

but, if you do 1-2 coat(s) max and top it off with a gloss (in the pics above i used NARS Ophelia), it looks really pretty. 

if you don't have NARS Ophelia, try a lipliner, like MAC Cork or Viva Glam SE lipgloss.

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PRETTY faces: MAC Very Violet, Straw Harvest & Hot Hot Hot  



i hate that the picture of my full face didn't come out better. the color of my lipgloss is soooo off! i hate that!!!! i need to play around some more with the settings on my camera or start taking my pics outside. 

anyhoo, for this look i used a few of the individual eyeshadows from MAC's Spring Colour Forecast Collection. can you believe i'm still getting around to using a lot of the things i purchased with this collection??? the size of this collection was RIDICULOUS! but so far i've loved everything i bought...no regrets. 

P.S. if you're wondering what i did with my hair...i took my sew-in out and had my hair blow-dried & flat-ironed. yes, i'm still natural, but it was definitely time for a trim.

Products Used...

Eyes
Lid - MAC e/s in Very Violet, MAC e/s in Straw Harvest in the crease, MAC e/s in Hot Hot Hot in the crease and outer V
Brow Highlight - MAC e/s in Nanogold
Upper Lashline - Sephora Liquid Liner in Black
Mascara - DiorShow Iconic Mascara in Rich Black

Face
Concealer - YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch #3
Foundation - Revlon ColorStay in Toast (#370)
Set - MAC MSF Natural in Deep Dark
Cheek - MAC Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom
Lip - NARS l/g in Boogie Nights

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PRETTY faces: Blast from the Past - Lil Kim...Malibu Barbie  

i did this look almost a year ago on my old blog. my inspiration for this look came from the CD cover for Lil Kim's album "Notorious K.I.M". i used my MAC Heatherette Trio 1 for this look. Looking back on it now, the only thing this need was false lashes, but since i was headed work couldn't go all the way Malibu Barbie.


 

Products Used
Eyes:
Primer - Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Lid - MAC e/s in Mood Ring, MAC e/s in Cloudburst in Outer V, MAC e/s in Texture in the crease
Brow Highlight - MAC e/s in Hoppin'
Lower Lashline - MAC e/s in Mood Ring on inner-half, MAC e/s in Cloudburst on outer-half
Mascara - Maybelline Colossal Volum Express in Classic Black

Face:
Foundation - MUFE Mat+ #65, Tarte Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess
Cheek - Mac Mineralize Blush in Love Thing
Lips - MAC l/s in Chatterbox





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I Adore: MAC 130 Short Duo Fiber Brush  

 
this beauty made it's debut last week with MAC's new Mineralize SPF 15 Foundation. i passed on getting the foundation, although i've heard nothing but great things about it. but, as a oily girl, mineralize foundation and my skin don't go well together. i always end up lookin' a hot, greasy mess. but, the 130 brush seemed to be the brush that i've been looking for to help me achieve flawless foundation.

i've owned the larger version of this brush, the #187 for years, but i never liked the way it worked with my liquid foundation. i always felt like i lacked control over the brush. there was something about it's size that never really made it "right" for stippling foundation. so, i've been using it for blush, and using my 109 brush for my foundation. which was great, until last week, when i picked this brush up.

with the new 130 brush, MAC got it right! the bristles of this brush are short and dense, making it easy to control, stipple and blend. added bonus: no shedding....i repeat....no shedding!!!! i've been using this brush for a week now and haven't experienced the infamous shedding that occurs with the skunk brushes.

i highly recommend it....go out and get you one!

this brush retails at MAC for $38.


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PRETTY faces: MAC Spring Colour 4 Forecast Collection  

at first i wasn't gonna get this palette. quite frankly, at first glance i wasn't impressed and it wasn't on my radar at all. but everyone on the interwebz kept saying not to underestimate the beauty of this palette, that these colors could not be dup'd. so i decided to look at it again, but this time i  swatched the colors. i have to admit...this palette of neutrals is different. and really, can you ever have too many neutrals? really?


this quad of gold and bronzes is pure heaven. i cannot stress enough how much i love, love, love frosts and veluxe pearls...they apply like buttah and blend easily!


the colors in this palette include:

  • Manila Paper - a shimmery, light gold
  • Flip - a warm, light bronze (REPROMOTE)
  • Aztec Brick - a copper brown
  • Creole Beauty - a dark, chocolate brown 
To recreate this look....
Primer - Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Lid - Creole Beauty
Crease - Flip & Aztec Brick
Brow Highlight - Manila Paper
Upper Lashline - Sephora Liquid Liner in Brown
Mascara - DiorShow Iconic Mascara in Noir

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New York Fashion Week: MAC at A/W 2010 Diane Von Furstenberg  

MAC makeup artist James Kaliardos strikes again! this time at the Diane Von Furstenberg A/W 2010 runway show:






THE LOOK
"pulled from Studio 54, 70’s winged eye, sexy, iridescent – like a goddess” James Kaliardos

 EYES 
Pro Creme Liner in Black – applied to the eye area, eyelid to brow bone
Corn Flower Pro Pigment – brushed out from the inner eye corner on the upper lash line using a MAC 213 Brush 
Steel Blue Pro Pigment – brushed out from the inner eye corner on the lower lash line using a MAC 213 Brush 
3D Silver Pro Glitter – layered over the pigment in the inner corner of the eye 
Zoom Lash Mascara in Zoomblack – copiously applied to the lash 
Eye Kohl in Smolder – to line the lower inner rim of the eye
SKIN
Studio Sculpt Foundation – applied to the entire face, for natural yet flawless skin 
Moisture Cover Concealer – applied where needed 
Sculpting Powder in Sculpt & Shaping Powder in Lightsweep – lightly brushed along the cheekbones and temple area 
Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder – swept across the skin to set the foundation for matte face 
LIP 
Lip Erase in Dim – applied to the lip
images courtesy of The Fashion Spot

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