Coralberry Cleopatra

Salut mes belles!!

Happy Monday, hope everyone is well :)) Today's post is a quick makeup review and a maquillage du jour using some Bare Minerals, NYX, Sephora and Revlon makeup. This month I'm challenging myself to explore eyeshadows outside of my Urban Decay palettes, just to break my addiction and show some love to other awesome cosmetics. So, here goes:

P. S. my hungry birds necklace is from Anthropologie

Read more for details, pix, reviews & descriptions :)

Unpretty in PINK or "PINK EYE"

Hellloooo Friday!!!

As promised, today's look is Friday appropriate and I came up with it completely spontaneously, just by playing with makeup and trying out my new MAC pigments, courtesy of my mama Sally :)) I decided to go for a pink look, but I didn't want it to be typical--sweet and pretty. Although, pink is one of my favorite colors and happens to look awesome on me, ::pats myself on the back:: I always tend to associate it with the things I don't like about the color. Whenever I think of the color pink, I think of Molly Ringwald in the 80's, and though I absolutely adore the 80's, I'm not much into the idea of 80's prom being fashionable. Then, I think about baby clothes, and how much I hate when moms dress up their little girls in pale baby pink... to me, it's been done and is soooo played out! Props to all you moms out there who go against the grain :) My least favorite association with pink is when it's plastered across girls' derrieres, a la Victoria's Secret sweats. I love those sweats and own about 4 pairs, but I dare NOT wear them to the mall... with uggs. C'mon ladies...

What I do love about pink is when it's done right: 1. Hot pink on tan skin 2. Pink sunsets 3. Edgy "Pink Eye" Makeup. Voila!!!

The look I'm showing today is my version of (un)Pretty in Pink, or simply "Pink Eye"

Enjoy!!!

bisous,

Maryam Maquillage

Merci, NON!!!

THE LOOK: Inspired by none other than my new MAC pigments, this look falls somewhere in between goth and arabic eye makeup--two styles that I absolutely adore. I took this eye look to its maximum, but you certainly don't have to. To make it more wearable, just skip the inner corner wing :)

PRODUCTS USED: 

Face: Laura Mercier mineral foundation primer, Bare Minerals matte foundation in medium bisque, Benefit Hoola Bronzer, MAC mineralize blush in Moon River (discontinued)

Eyes: Lancome Maquicomplet concealer in Medium Bisque, Urban Decay Primer Potion, NYX jumbo eye pencils in Strawberry milk and Rust. MAC pigment in Fuschia, MAC pigment in Pink Venus, Coastal Scents 88 palette (matte colors--burgundy, navy, pink and purple), Clinique cream liner in True Black, NYX glitter liner in Disco Queen, Ardell half lashes

Lips: NYX lipliner in Dolly Pink, Maybelline Lip Polish in Baby Mauve (discontinued)

HOW TO: This look is not for beginners and maybe difficult to recreate, so if you think there are way too many steps to follow, just try out the colors and use your own application technique.

1. Prime lids with primer
2. Apply pink color base on the lid, staying under the crease and extending to a wing.
3. Take a burgundy color base and draw a second wing right above the pink "cutting" the crease. Pencil works best for this.
4. Pack on the shimmery pink over the pink base. I used two colors, with the darker on on the outer corner.
5. Take a matte wine shadow and pack over the burgundy base, concentrating on the outer wing.

6. Take a matte bright purple on a fluffy brush and blend out the harsh edge of the wine color on the outer wing, blending the two colors together.
7. Take a light pink and do the same to the inner portion of the burgundy shadow.
8. With a small brush, apply a matte navy color just to the outer corner of the crease and blend it out.
9. Take a black gel or cream liner on a fine brush and line your upper lash line, winging it out towards the eyebrow.
10. With the remaining color on the brush, line underneath the bottom lash line very lightly.
11. Take a glitter liner and line the inner portion of the bottom lash line, over the previously applied liner and extend the inner wing (optional).
12. Apply your half lashes and you're done!!! I chose half lashes because I didn't want to cover up the detailing on the shadow.

Pair the eye look with some nude lipgloss on the lips, and keep them shiny. Matte nude lips make the mouth look invisible on the skin. SMILE MORE!!! Heavy dramatic makeup like this can make us ladies seem unapproachable at times, and I doubt that any of us really want that lol.

The world will smile back :D

I likes to make faces :/

Pretty in Pink (= me in high school

My Thursday's Green

Salut my lovelies :)))

I just finished creating a fabulous look for you all, but I'm thinking it's gonna have to wait till tomorrow, since it's more appropriate for a Friday... ooh-la-laaa :)) Today's look is an oldie but a goody and I think a lot of you will find this how-to useful and easy to recreate. My Thursday is Green, for the color of the rain forest... also for jealousy (at times) and for dolla billz (most of the time ;)... however you relate to green, don't fear it but face it head on. Green eyeshadow is a good way to start adding some greenery to your life lol and happens to compliment all eye colors, not just my typical brown. So, for the blue, hazel and green eyed beauties out there, this entry is for YOU!!! The two looks I chose to show are extremely wearable with one of them being more appropriate for daytime and the other for night-time. Hope you all enjoy. Please vote in my poll, and if you want to see pictures of the celebrities mentioned, go to my entry The Nail House and click on the pix to enlarge.

bisous,

Maryam Maquillage

Green with Envy?

THE LOOK: This eye look would be a perfect match for blue or gray eyes because of the gray/blue tone of the green shadow that I used. Cool greens bring out the blue in gray eyes and make blue eyes even bluer. 

FACE: For this daytime look, I used earth tones on the face and lips and accented the lids with a rich emerald green shadow. I used my typical face routine: Bare Minerals matte foundation in golden medium mixed with warmth (BM bronzer). I used a second bronzer, Benefit Hoola on the backs of my cheekbones, temples and hairline to add some dimension and contouring to the face. Because the shadow is so cool, I counter-balanced it by adding a warm pinkish blush to the apples of my cheeks.

Tip: When contouring the face, make sure the Bronzer you're using is matte. Shimmery bronzers are supposed to be used as highlighters, on the foreground of the face (to fake a tan) and will make your contouring look extremely fake. Benefit's Hoola bronzer is matte and makes an excellent choice for contouring. 

EYES: First, I primed my lids with Urban Decay primer potion, as always. My next preliminary step was to add a color base of an oily consistency to help the eyeshadow stick easier. I used NYX jumbo pencil in Horse Radish. NYX jumbo eye pencils are amazing, they double as bases and can be worn alone... if you put them on correctly, they will not smudge all day. I even turned my mom on to them!!! I smudged out the pencil with my finger, took a flat shader brush and started packing on the green shadow all over my lid and above the crease, leaving the inner corner bare. Then, I took a grayish brown color on a dome-shaped fluffy brush and applied the color right over the edge of that green using windshield wiper motions and blending the colors together just at the edge.

Tip: When applying a contouring shadow, try to concentrate the color on the outer corner. This will give the eye a nice lift, making it look more exotic.

I finished the eye look by lining the outer portions of the top and bottom lash lines with a black pencil liner and adding 2 coats of mascara to the lashes. On the lips, I'm wearing NYX lipliner in soft brown all over the lip.

#2--EVENING LOOK: For this look, I did an Arabic eye interpretation, and btw Green in also the color of Islam, so it's only appropriate :))) In these photos, I'm extremely tan (see the hair being lighter than my skin), so this maybe a look for individuals of medium to dark complexions. Also, this look is perfect for green and hazel eyes, regardless of your skin tone.

EYES: For the eyes, I used the colors from the Urban Decay Ammo Palette, one of my favorite palettes out there. After priming the lids, (as one always should before applying shadow :) I took the color Mildew (a beautiful golden olive) and applied it to the center of my lid with a flat brush. Next, I took a black pencil liner (Urban Decay 24/7 in Zero) and lined the outer portion of my top lid, winging it out slightly. Taking a smudge brush and the color Oil Slick (velvety black with small glitter) I used it to smudge out the liner, and to fill in the outer corner of the eye. I kept the black shadow


parallel to the outer wing, creating a diamond shape. Next, I took a clean dome-shaped brush and used it to blend out the harsh edge of the black and green. The next step is optional, but I think it makes for a better transition, so go ahead and try it with me. With a dome brush, take a matte color that is close to your skin tone (I think I used Benefit's Hoola bronzer b/c of my tan) and apply it right above the green and black using wind-shield wiper motions. For the highlight and the inner corner, I used Polyester Bride from the palette (a shimmery white color with small glitters) and applied it with a small pencil brush for precision. I finished by applying two coats of mascara to the top and bottom lashes.

Tip: For an extra 'pop', take a beige or peach color and apply it to the waterline of the eye. This will make the eye dramatically wider and more awake.

Tip: To make the eye stand out even more, take a black gel or liquid liner and add a wing (just a wing--no liner across the lid) to the outer corner, tracing the outer edge of the eyeshadow. This step is super easy and takes 2 seconds, b/c all you have to do is trace :))

On my lips, I'm wearing NYX dolly pink lipliner and on my nails is Mattése nail enamel in Ballroom Blue.

Super Tan and Green... 

GREEN for my mask

GREEN FOR 'SAVE THE TREES'!!!