Heavy Metals

Source: 3.bp.blogspot

When you're taking your look from daytime to evening glam, a good way to do it this season is to go with metal eyelids. The smoky look of last year is taking a back-seat to the shimmer and shine of metallic eye-shadow.
The shiny look is easier to achieve than you would think, and if you're shy about going all out, there are several ways to wear the look.

* A simple way to ease into the look is to start using silver eye-shadow as a base to your usual make up. Sweep from lash line to brow ridge, and then layer and blend your regular colours on top, for added depth and definition.

* When you're ready to let some metal show, add a streak of copper, bronze, or gold across your crease, and slightly above it, to add some pop to your regular colours.

* For a quick pick-me-up that's hot day or night, just use a shiny metallic eyeliner. Silver works well with cooler colours like green or blue, gold is perfect for warmer shades of purple and red. Draw a shiny line above your regular dark liner, and you're ready to rock it.

* If you're going for the smoky winged eyeliner, you can use metallic shadow as an accent. There are two ways to do this. You could sandwich a thin shiny line in silver or gold between the parallel 'wings' (the top one taking a leap from the edge of the upper lid, the bottom one following suit like this). Or, if you're sporting thicker, more Amy Winehouse-esque wings, draw a metallic V around the inner corner of your eye.

* Some people are too attached to their smoky eye look to part with it just yet. For them, we suggest updating the look by layering on some purple or bronze shades to create a sexy, colourful look.

* When the latest installment of the Twilight series hits the theatres, you can be sure that all things vampire will make a resurgence. You can incorporate the shadowed-eyes look into your metal eyes in some easy steps. Start with a darker cream shadow base of black or dark brown (we prefer the latter) and then lighten by layering with a lighter shade of blue or grey that goes in a lightening gradient towards the brow, and along the lower lashes. Can we say Rrawrr?

* Our favourite metallic eye look however, can be achieved in three steps. Start with a dark liner - we recommend dark brown or plum - smudge, and then sweep bronze shadow over the the lids. Finish by dotting your inner eye corner with a splash of gold.

Products to look for
(Source: Sephora.com)


- Dior 5-colour Designer All-in-one palette in Smoky Design
- Buxom Waterproof Smoky Eye Stick in Ice Pick
- Make-up Forever Smoky Lash in Smoky Lash

Winging it

With retro-themed shows like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire racking up some serious ratings, and Hollywood turning to history for inspiration, it's safe to say that period is the new vampire. That means that in the fashion world, retro is back, in a way it has never been before. We're seeing a revival of vintage styles, and old-school Hollywood glam in make-up. The winged eyeliner or 'cat eye' is one such timeless look that's enjoying a resurgence in popularity this season.

The winged liner basically consists of a line drawn across the eyelid, that extends beyond the natural lash-line and ends in an upward tilt. You can either have a single 'wing' taking flight from your eyelid, or have a second, parallel line going under your eye. In both cases, the effect is to make the eyes look larger and dreamier at once.


How to achieve this look:


* Practice makes perfect. It's hard to get it right at one go, so invest in a lot of cotton swabs, which minimize the mess.

* Draw finer lines. That means sharpening your pencil, or getting a thinner brush, depending on which tools you use. Try sticking as close to your lashes as possible, without actually lining the inner rims of your eyelids (doing so will make your eyes look smaller and beadier). Try leaving no skin showing between line and lash.

* Draw two lines. A single line is hard to achieve, and doesn't always flatter your eyes. Instead, start with an 'under liner' in a gold or similarly light colour, and draw a prominent wing that starts at the corner of your eye and extends upwards until it is slanting towards your brow. Then, when you have achieved the desired shape, using your dark liner (black is default, but dark browns and plums look even better), colour over the lighter liner.

* Gel > Solid > Liquid. Liquid liner is hard to be accurate with, even if you're not drawing wings. It tries quickly, smudges easy, and is hell to remove. Solids are a lot better; you can achieve greater control with them, especially if you're prone to making mistakes. Gel liners marry the utility of the pencil with the precision of liquid liners and allow for more comfortable applications.  Laura Mercier also has a superb cake liner that is applied with a teardrop shaped brush.

* Get rid of excess. Wipe down your brush or pencil, to prevent smudges caused by excess make-up.

* And finally, a bright idea: amp up the winged look by using pencil or cream in jewel tones.

Products to watch out for:
(Source: Sephora.com)

- Stila Stay All Day waterproof liquid liner in Alloy
- Smashbox Jetset waterproof liner in Midnight Black
- Guerlain Terracotta kohl kajal in 01 Black Frida

Paint it Red

The bright orange lips of spring have darkened to red, and with all things vintage being very much in vogue again, the vixen red lips are all the rage.

Photo: Alexandra S. http://fav.me/d1voihg

The red lipstick is a powerful tool in a woman's make-up arsenal. It is a look that signifies old-school glamour, boldness, passion, and sexiness all wrapped in one kissable pout. This is one reason why a lot of woman are shy about using it.

Whereas traditionally 'red lipstick' meant a blood red colour, modern cosmetology has given us a whole spectrum of shades to choose from, so now there's a red for everyone.

For fair skin

Red looks striking against fair skin. If you've got cooler (pinkish) skin tones, avoid the pinkish reds, and opt for the orangey or black-red shades to counteract the ruddiness of your complexion. Conversely, if you have a yellowish skin tone, go for the really reddish reds. Avoid too pale pinks and orange tones, because they make your skin look pale and colourless.

For medium skin tones

Wheatish and duskier skin tones really open up under a variety of red shades. You can go from cherry red and fuschia to burgundy and maroon. What you do want to avoid are orange shades that look washed out against your skin.

For darker skin

If you're dark, but not bordering on black, you want to go for browner shades of red, such as brick red, or fuschia. Avoid pale pinks and oranges because they're too much of a contrast. For very dark skin, however, avoid the deep brownish reds, because it looks awful. Very dark skin, like very fair skin, provides an excellent canvas for bright, bold colours, which the mid-ranges find difficult to pull off.

Tips for the prettiest lips

* As is the case with any make-up, use a primer. Lipstick primers hold the colour in place. If you don't happen to have some handy, use a lip balm, and pat off the excess with a tissue paper.

* Lip liners are currently passe, so use a lip brush, your fingers, or the stick direct to apply the colour, dab away the excess, and you're good to go. The look is natural, and playful.

*Layer a transparent glossy coat for a wet look. If gloss isn't available, petroleum jelly does the job just as well.

*Tone down a too-rich shade of red by applying a coat of bronze or golden lip colour and blending like crazy. You can even recycle your bronzers and metallic eyeshadow by dusting them lightly over your too-red lipstick and blending to create unique colours.

* Balance a red pout with minimal make-up, and let your lips become the focal point of your face. Too much going on in terms of eye make-up, red lipsticks, etc can overwhelm your face.

Trending goodies for the season:

* Sephora Collection 01 Always Red cream lip-stain

* Urban Decay Super-saturated High Gloss lip-colour in Fbomb

* Make-up Forever Rouge Artist Intense #8

(Source: Sephora.com)

If you're trying out red lips for the first time, and aren't yet comfortable with going all the way, you can experiment with lip-stains and tinted balms to give you that sheer coverage. Laura Mercier's Truly Red Creme lip colour and Sexy Lips sheer lip colour are both great buys. If you want an environmentally friendly option that moisturizes your lips, grab yourself a tin of 'It Started with a Kiss' by Lush. It smells great!

On a final note, keep your lips exfoliated and moisturized, to get the most of your lip colour. Pucker up!