Maryam Maquillage: If I were a Prom Queen in 2012

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

If I were a Prom Queen in 2012

Salut mes belles!! Today's post is my second prom installment for the season, featuring a look I'd most likely wear to my own prom, if I were to attend this year. I got such great feedback for my first look (see here), that I thought I'd create a second using a few of my IMATS goodies from coveted makeup brands like NYX, Velour Lashes and OCC.

Read on for pix, tips & deets, plus reviews and how-to's!

THE LOOK: Part Pin-up, Part Arabian Princess, this maquillage is both timeless and eye-catching. The main focus of the makeup is the punchy coral mouth and luscious long mink lashes, supported by a neutral mini smokey eye / cat-eye liner combo. This prom look is completed with long, cascading curls (I used clip-in extensions, see review here) and large pearl earrings. This makeup and hair look would complement any bright, pastel or sorbet colored prom dress, especially yellow (my favorite color) and peach / apricot.

GET THE LOOK (Products Used):

Face:

Dinair custom airbrush foundation (review here)
Dinair airbrush blush color Bronze Rose
Dinair concealer in Light Beige

Eyes:

Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper
Urban Decay Naked Palette

Buck -- crease
Naked -- blend
Hustle -- outer "V" / lower lash line

MAC mineralized blush in Moon River (discontinued, similar here) -- lid / highlight
Urban Decay All-Nighter Spray-- to set Moon River
Clinique cream liner in True Black
NYX candy glitter liner in Red-- inner lower lash line
Velour Lashes mink false lashes in T Dot Oooh! -- representing Toronto, the hometown of the ladies behind the brand.

Lips:

OCC Lip Tar in Grandma-- a true vintage coral. A little bead of this product goes a long way, it is highly pigmented and potent. Why "Grandma" though?

The Stars of the Look:

Velour Lashes Upper Lashes in T Dot Oooh

Not only are these babies 100% authentic mink (and 100% approved by the Russian in me), but they are also 100% cruelty-free!! The fur is brushed from live mink and sterilized to ensure safe non-allergenic usage. These lashes feel incredible when worn, they are light-weight and feel comfortable all day long. Considering the size of these falsies, it's quite incredible that they feel so natural on the eye -- no wonder mink lashes are a celeb favorite!!
Velour Lashes come in a variety of upper and lower lash styles. The T Dot Oooh called out to me because of the fuller inner part and longer winged outer part. After learning from the Velour girls (Mabel & Angela) that the name of the style represented their hometown, I was touched and had to show some New-Yawker love to the T Dot Oooh-ers :)))
Mink lashes promise to last 25 wears with proper care and I've worn my T Dot Oooh's twice so far: once for this post and also for a bday surprise for my bf -- the day these lashes actually saved my makeup. I was running super late on everything and didn't have time to create a dramatic look, so without thinking I crudely applied some crease shadow and glued these on for a complete look. These lashes possess a serious WOW factor and dress up the eye like no other lashes I've tried. Va-va-voom!

2. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Grandma-- described as a true classic coral

These lip tars (not containing actual tar) are a nouveau cult favorite. The colors are bright, bold, and unmistakable -- there are no dupes for these in the cosmetics world. I'd say I pretty much love everything about this product, from the quality to the quantity to the packaging. The only iffy thing is the name of this particular shade... Grandma? I mean, I know my Grandma is a hottie, but I wouldn't want to wear her lipstick lol...

3. NYX Candy Glitter Liner in Red-- tinted red gel with iridescent green / red glitter

I love NYX candy glitter liners, they are absolutely the best for your buck. I've never seen Red in the store, so I'm glad I snatched it up at the IMATS. It was definitely worth my 2 dollaz :D TIP: Adding a touch of red to the inner corner of the eye helps to visually eliminate the red in your eye whites, making the eyes brighter and more awake looking. Learned this awesome Marilyn Monroe trick from Kandee Johnson!!

Popping Eyes versus Poppy Lips! Who's winning?

GET THE LOOK (How To -- Eyes):

Prime your eyes from the lashes to the brows using a primer like Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper or Urban Decay Primer Potion.
Using a fluffy dome shaped brush and windshield wiper motions, apply a soft brown shadow (Buck) to your crease and outer corner. For this look, I was inspired by the Arabic eye shape, so I lifted the shape of the outer corner slightly towards the eyebrow using small circular motions.
Clean off the same brush and blend out the top edge of Buck with a lighter shade (Naked) using the same technique.
Apply a muted purple (Hustle) to the outer "V" and lower lash line, stopping half way in.
Using a flat shader brush and some setting spray (UD--All Nighter) apply a frosty eyeshadow or highlighter to the entire lid, concentrating the pigment on the center. Spray directly onto the brush and apply the color using painting strokes while wet.
Apply the same color under the brow arch and blend it down with Naked. You may want to repeat step 3 in case the shimmery highlight erases some of the Naked.
Line the top lash line using a cream or gel liner on a fine brush and extend the outer wing.
Line the inner potion of the lower lash line with glitter liner (NYX -- Red) and apply your falsies.

OCC LIP TAR How To: Line your lips with a matching or neutral lip liner. Squeeze out a tiny bead of product and apply to your bottom lip first, press your lips together and fill in the top lip. The result: perfect, matte, long-lasting lip color!