Maryam Maquillage: "Tropical Fruit" Exotic Makeup

Monday, September 2, 2013

"Tropical Fruit" Exotic Makeup

Hello my darlings and Happy Labor Day! I'm back from my adventurous Southeast Asian vacation and I'm full of inspiration, motivation and new ideas. I've missed blogging terribly and I've missed you all even more! As much as I would've loved to have blogged on location, my itinerary was jam-packed with activities and I simply couldn't find the time (nor the readily available internet access); plus, I desperately needed a break and decided it was my time to escape. Hence, my blog took a stand-still for almost a month (Yikes! but y'all forgive me, right? ;) and I'm excited to return today on a brighter note, a fresher breath, and a more rejuvenated outlook on beauty and life. I've taken home a ton of memories and musings and today's makeup post is based off some of my favorite recollections.

Shall we?

Today's Makeup Inspiration: Tropical Fruits of Southeast Asia

One of my most enjoyable moments from the Philippines and Thailand was tasting the food, particularly the native fruits. I had already been familiar with some of the more popular tropical fruits like papaya, mango, dragon fruit, and coconut, but even these seemed new because they tasted a thousand times better in the their native climate. I've also had quite a few firsts and became practically addicted to native Southeast Asian fruits like rambutan (sweet lychee-like fruit covered in colorful, spiky skin), mangosteen (sweet cluster-like juicy fruit protected by a hard, plum colored shell), and santol (sweet and sour cluster-like fruit in a potato colored shell), as well as lanzones, guyabano, jack fruit, green mangos, Asian bananas (they are different from the Western ones) and many more.

I seriously don't know how I ever lived without these fruits and how I'll ever go back to living without them lol... I miss them already, so today's makeup is inspired by the bright color combos and unique seedy textures of these tasty Southeast Asian fruits. I'm focusing on magenta and purple (as seen on the skins of rambutan and mangosteen), bright yellow and fresh green (bananas, coconuts, etc.) and bright orange (mangoes and papayas). I'm also incorporating a few of the application techniques I noticed while browsing through Asian magazines and observing street-styles in Thailand.

Asian Makeup Trends:

Fuller Eyebrows -- as seen in Malaysian Fashion Magazines
Bold Eye Makeup -- as seen in Filipino and Thai billboards
Reverse Ombré Lips -- as seen in Japanese Fashion Magazines and also on Thai lady-boy performers

Products Used & How-To:

BROWS: I used my new favorite brow pencil with spoolie to fill in, shape and define my brows.

SkinFood Black Bean Eyebrow Pencil in 3 Black Brown from Pretty & Cute (an online boutique that specializes in Asian Cosmetics and skin care)

Next, I highlighted the brow bone with a matte neutral highlighter to sharpen the brow.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duality in Camille / Sand

EYES:

I primed the entire lid area and applied a thin layer of white sticky base on top.

Primer: Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper
Sticky Base: NYX Eye Shadow Base, White

Next, I applied Totally Fetch eyeshadow (bright pink) all over movable lid and past the crease using a flat brush. I mixed Miss Sparkles (sparkly black) and Badass (metallic slate purple) to create a plummy purple for the outer crease and "V" and applied the shade with a pointed crease brush. To blend out any harsh lines, I used Dainty (matte pale pink) and Charming (plummy brown), and added a bit of frosty shadow - Ringleader to the inner corner.

Eyeshadow Palette: Too Faced Pretty Rebel

I added a bright sparkly top coat to the inner corner of the eye and followed by loose yellow glitter.

Eyeshadow Top Coat: Too Faced Glitter Glaze in Goldie Rocks
Loose Glitter: Coloured Raine Cosmetic Glitter Star Gazers in Sunny Girl

Next, I used bright green and orange liquid liners to line the inner halves of the top and bottom lash lines, respectively. I also used the green liner to color the bottom lashes.

Liquid Liners: Lime Crime uniliners in Citreuse (green) and 6th Element (orange)

To intensify the eye, I used a black felt tip liner to line close to the top lash line and extend the outer wing. I also added a few whimsical dots at the outer crease and lower lash line to mimic the dragonfruit and papaya seeds.

Felt Tip Liner: Lancome Artliner Precision Point Liner in Noir

To complete the look, I curled my lashes, applied one coat of mascara and added a pair of long, natural-looking lashes topped with another coat of mascara.

Lancome Le Curler Aqua (best lash curler ever, works wonders on falsies too)
Mascara: Tarte lights, camera, lashes 4-in-1 mascara in Black
Falsies: D.U.P. Eyelashes #911 Japanese style lashes from Pretty & Cute

SKIN: My skin is airbrushed using Dinair Airbrush Foundation in Nutmeg

HAIR: I'm wearing 22" Malaysian Human Hair clip-in Extensions (color: 4) from BK Unique Hair

10% Coupon Code: MARYAMNYC

LIPS: For the final touch, I went for a reverse ombré lip look (bright in the center, nude in the outer) as seen in Japanese fashion mags. This technique makes the lips appear smaller, so it's great for those of you who have larger mouths and shy away from the traditional ombré that enlarges the lips. Since my lips are already on the small side, this is a new look for me, and I'm embracing it as part of my "Asian Beauty Trends" experience. I am however wearing a plumper :))