A la Russe

Дорогие Друзья!! (Dear Friends!!)

Today's special post is dedicated to my family, friends, and fellow beauty lovers from all over the world. A couple of weeks ago I was very lucky to win a makeup giveaway from the awesome Alx of thisisalx.blogspot.com, and thought what better way to show my appreciation than to do a look using all the products. My package was sent from Canada and although we're neighbors, Alx is still one of my international friends. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I'm all about different cultures, languages, etc., so today's look is culture-inspired to celebrate my readers across the globe. Before I tell you what my look is, can you guess from the picture which culture I'm portraying?

 Read more to find out :)

YES, in case I wasn't too obvious, my makeup/style theme for the day is representing the Russian culture. As many of you know, I was born in Russia and came to New York with my parents when I was little, so the Russian culture is my very first culture. I know I may not be the most stereotypically Russian looking girl you've ever seen (see The Eurasian for more info) but keep in mind that Russia is not only huge, but is also home to over 160 different ethnic groups including mine. With that said, on to my maquillage!! (pronounced "ma-ki-yaj", meaning makeup in French and Russian)

This look was created using all the products I won in Alx's Elf Cosmetics giveaway, plus some of my own MAC and NYX glitter. The eyeshadow palette included a really vibrant blue that inspired this Russian makeup look. In my opinion, Russian women wear blue eyeshadow better than anyone, always managing to make it look rich and opulent. I tend to shy away from blue, so I used this concept as an excuse to try something different :))

Here's everything I won and used for this look, excluding my face makeup, glitter, mascara and eyeliner:

• Elf 24 eyeshadow palette--eye shadows used for this look are marked with "M"
• Elf bronzing quad in Warm--perfect for contouring and highlighting
• Elf blush in Mellow Mauve--love this wintry blush color :)
• Elf false eyelashes--extra dramatic and dense
• Elf Powder Brush--I love Elf brushes
• Elf Contouring Brush--ditto
• Elf Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15--been wearing this one every day since I got the package
• Elf eyelash curler--awesome!
• Lancome Juicy Tubes Ultra Shiny lip gloss--Thanks Alx for this extra gift!! I love it :)))

Glitter Used:

• MAC translucent glitter in Reflects Teal--used on the lid on top of the blue eyeshadow
• NYX Candy Glitter Liner in Passion--purple/pink glitter used on the lower lash line

To achieve this look:

1. Prime your eyes with a base or primer. I used NYX white base
2. Using a flat shader brush, apply the bright blue eyeshadow all over your lid and slightly above the crease.
3. Using a contouring brush, apply a navy blue eyeshadow to the outer corner and outer crease of your eye and blend out the edges using a clean fluffy brush.
4. Apply a shimmery pale pink eyeshadow to the inner corner and inner crease of the eye to blend out the blue.
5. Line just the outer wing of your eye with a black liner and smudge some liner under the lower lash line.
6. Apply a darker purple on top of the smudged liner under the lower lash line and a lighter purple eyeshadow to the inner portion.
7. Finish the look with glitter on top of the blue (MAC reflects teal) and glitter liner (NYX passion) on top the purple eye shadows.
8. Add the falsies and some mascara to complete the eye look.

Moi--a la Russe

Wearing my Russian antiquities :)

Special Thanks to Alx for this awesome prize!!! 

bisous,

Maryam Maquillage

♥

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Maryam Maquillage © 2012. www.maryammaquillage.com