Fables in Fashion

I think we all know how amazing some of the Illamasqua makeup campaigns are, ever since I first saw their Valentine promotional images I knew I wanted to try it one day. I think I managed to get close, but the job wasn’t quite as refined and neat as the pros. Still, each attempt is another step towards becoming a better artist

I painted and cut the nails myself, and completely painted over my rose (same one used in my Alone tutorial). These were not every day friendly nails mind you, I’m pretty sure I accidently poked / scratched / stabbed myself more than I’d like to admit!

The irony that despite this look being inspired by Illamasqua, I haven’t used a single Illamasqua product, I know the irony only just hit me after filming. Unfortunately Illamasqua can prove pricy so I don’t own that many, but their products are truly amazing

Either way, hope you enjoy the look!

MAC Pro Longwear SPF 10 Foundation – NC20
Prestige Eyeliner – White
MAC Full Coverage Foundation – White
e.l.f High Definition Powder
NYX Eyeshadow – Brown
NYX Eyeshadow – Red Bean Pie
MAC Fluidline – Blacktrack
Savvy by DB Luxury Liner – Shimmering Slate
Lancome Hypnose Mascara – Black *
Stila Kajal Eye Liner – Topaz
Canmake Highlighter – 01
DUO Eyelash Glue
Innoxa Sheer Blush – Rose *
Savvy by DB Lipliner – Poppy
Revlon Colorburst Lipstick – True Red
Dior Addict Plastic Gloss – 854

Products marked with a * were sent for consideration

Pros:

• Perfect neutral / natural shades
• Lovely pigmentation
• Comes with a handy mirror
• Very slim size, perfect for travel

Cons:

• None I can really think of?

Price: $32US / $65AU

Rating:

Where: Sephora or Mecca Cosmetia

This palette comes from Stila’s Limited Edition Garden Bliss Set, I decided to just review the palette, given to me that is the defining item. I’d be happy to review the mascara and lip gloss in another review another time, but those particular items are not limited edition and so is not as time sensitive as this

Unlike many of the other Stila palettes, this time the blush is in powder form rather than cream, making it a little less versatile than the holiday palettes since you can’t use it on your lips.

Those features aside, this palette is a delight, especially if you have a lighter skin tone. The four shadows are perfect neutrals for lid, highlighter and crease, and the blush colour is the perfect pink for a subtle flush on the cheeks The powders apply like a dream and the pigmentation is just right!

All in all, definitely give this palette a whirl if you can! The collection is limited edition, so get it while you still can

This season’s Shu Uemura‘s Spring 2011 catalogue had a highly inspiring makeup cover, it was tropical, it was fresh and best of all it was blue! So I knew I had to give this look a go~ I was initially a bit concerned because when I first swatched the colours for the first time they were not at all pigmented :/ But after I applied some primer, that all changed! Hope you enjoy the look

Face
MAC Prep + Prime – Base Visage
MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 Foundation – NC20
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural – Light Medium
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer – Beige
Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Loose Powder – Pale Yellow
Canmake Highlighter – 01
Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder – Light

Eyes
e.l.f Eyelid Primer – Sheer
Shu Uemura Morphorium Blue Palette *
Coastal Scents 78 Eye Shadow & Blush Combo Palette
MAC Fluidline Non-Conformist
Stila Kajal Eye Liner – Topaz
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil – Pure Gold
DUO Lash Glue – Dark Tone
False Lashes
Coastal Scents – Brow Tones
Maybelline Falsies Volume Express – Very Black
Shu Uemura – Lash Curler
Maybelline Brow Styling Gel – Clear

Lips
MAC Lipstick – Angel
Christian Dior Gloss Levres – Smoothie Peche

_{Items marked * were sent to me for consideration.}

Face
Prepare face as usual, and then using a bronzing powder, start contouring your face, apply it to the sides of your forehead, under your cheek bows, sides of your nose and below the jaw line. Take a candy pink blush and apply to the apples of your cheeks. Then take a shimmery highlighter and place on your forehead, cheek bones, bridge of your nose, cupids bow and chin.

Eyes
Prime your lids with a skin tone primer, then apply a shimmery yellow powder to your brows. Take a shimmery lime green shadow and apply generously to the crease so it covers part of the lid and brow bone. Next take a rich shimmery ocean blue shadow and apply to your lids, extending to the crease. Take a dark matte purple and apply to the inner 1/3 of your eyes and outer 1/3. Make sure to blend any harsh lines between all the colours, but do not over blend. We want the colours to look like they are fading into one another, not mixing them.

Take a matte pink colour and apply to the inner corner of your eyes and 1/3 of your lash line. Take the same blue and apply to the outer 2/3 of your lower lash line, then apply a thinner line of purple over the blue.

Take a purple gel liner and line your upper lash line. Curl your lashes and apply two coats of mascara. Line your waterline with a peach coloured eyeliner pencil.

Next take a pair of false eye lashes, and cut out about 3/4 of a cm. Two for your upper lash line, and two for your lower, these should be smaller than the previous two. Coat the false lashes for your upper lash line in the purple gel liner, and then coat the lower false lashes with a gold cream eye shadow. Wait for the lashes to dry, and then apply to your lash line with eye lash glue.

Fill in your brows with a dark brown powder, and define with a clear brow gel.

Lips
Apply a candy pink lipstick, then dab a touch of gloss to the centre of your bottom lips, press your lips towards to transfer and even out the shine.

Holiday palettes how I love thee! This is just a swatch / fun photo post, I have nothing much to say for the quality since I haven’t actually used them (though from what I can tell the shadows seem nice!).

I don’t think I even plan to use the colour wheel and might end up keeping it purely to decorate my desk or even hang on the wall in my masive future wardrobe (everyone is allowed to dream ) It’s along the same lines as my LV girls who buy the scarfs to frame as “paintings” on their walls. Something I would certainly do if found a scarf I would enjoy as wall decoration. It’s all art at the end of the day and we can enjoy it in whatever way we want

I ordered these babies online, so the colour wheel set me back only $38US and the star like palette $18US! Crazy cheap, thank you weak American dollar <3

Swatches from the Stila colour star below, I found them to be soft, silky and quite pigmented! I will most likely use the colour star and save the colour wheel as wall decoration Enjoy~

So I bought these little nail stickers whilst I was in Japan earlier this year. Whilst I am a total nail polish addict, I don’t do fake nails. This is mostly since I’m a pianist, I need short neat nails at all times. But it was too cute not to buy, and a few months later I bought myself a small collection of nails to paint and this was the result! I love love the way these look, so girly! But I was pretty much an inelegant mess as I tried to set up my camera and later on remove my makeup. (Surprised I didn’t end up taking out my own eye)

Whilst I’m on the topic of inelegant messes, glitter how I love/hate you. I think this is just an area of makeup I’ll need to keep working on. A fine balance between the amount of glitter vs the amount of adhesive, plus method of application. Ah yes, a fine art indeed.

Products used:

Face
MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage
MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF15 Foundation NC20
MAC Select Sheer / Loose NC15
MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF30+ NC20

Cheeks
NARS Blush Orgasm
NARS Bronzer Laguna

Eyes
Coastal Scents Glitter Powder Pinky
MAC Glitter Silver
NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil Milk
NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil Hot Pink
MAC Technakohl Liner Eye-Liner Kajal Graphblack
Covergirl Lash Blast Very Black
Coastal Scents 88 Matte Palette
MAC Pigment Vanilla

Lips
MAC Lady Gaga
Stila Rose Pinky
NARS Orgasm Lipgloss