Get NAKED! - On The Fly

RRRIINNNGG!

A: "Tano, I'm coming over and I need you to do a smokey eye for me."

Me: "Ok, how long do I have?"

A: "I'll be there in 5.. You have 10 mins..."

*joy* 

I'm supposed to pull of a day time smokey look in 10 mins? Are you kidding me?! 

I mulled it over for a minute or two about what goes into a day time smokey look? It's not black, that's for sure! And I'm kinda liking grey these days... So lets go that route.

And guys, believe me, it took less than 10 mins to do her eye makeup and just a few more to put her face together. I found it sooo simple, I had to recreate it on myself. And then I had to share it as well! So here goes.

The Hardware: The Naked Palette, two fluffy brushes, a grey eye pencil, a black eye pencil and your favorite mascara.

 Start out by applying the grey eye liner to half the lid and smudging out the top line like so...

Remember to prep with your favorite primer for a longer lasting look.

 Next, taking on fluffy brush, start at the top with the highlighter. Go in with VIRGIN all over the brow bone, then NAKED in the crease and finally, pick up GUNMETAL and buff that all over the eyelid and blend upwards to the crease.

All the eyeshadows in place.

 Now, the finishing touches. Use your most favorite, most smudgy black eye pencil and run it along the lashline and blend it out. Apply mascara and clean up the fall out and add concealer.

The completed eye.

At this point, I stopped for A and added bronzer and a light pink lipstick and sent her skipping to her event.

After she left, I got to thinking, how could I amp this up further? So I recreated the look on myself and came up with two options:

Option 1: The conventional route.

 I call it "conventional" because a lot of people like to recreate what is on the top lid, on the lower lash line. So again, same black pencil to the waterline and using GUNMETAL again, smudge the black shadow downwards. I took a touch of SIN and put it in the tearduct to make the look jump out a little. Apply mascara and you're good to go.

Option 2: Whimsy.

What's life without a little fun and whimsy? This time I took a dark teal eye pencil, and ran it through my waterline. Then, taking CREEP on a small smudging brush, I buffed it out and added mascara.

A kiss of blue.

 I've always found blues and teals to be the an amazing contrast to brown eyes, making them pop out that little bit more.... But that's just me.

I would wear this with a light bronzer that can almost double as a contour and highlighter (think Smashbox's Soft Focus Baked Fusion) and then rock it with any lipstick! A went with a baby pink. I would go the fuchsia or red or nude route too!

 Then I proceeded to prance around the house looking like that! :p

Check it out! A makeup artists mixing palette!

 I hope this inspired some of you who are too afraid to rock a smokey eye for fear that it will take too long to put together.

Love love!

Get NAKED! - On The Red Carpet

Benny is my usual test dummy for anything I want to try out, makeup wise. I'd put up some of our more unsuccessful tried, but then she may just unfriend me from facebook... And everyone knows you're not real friends unless you're friends on facebook..

Back to my story.

She came over one sunday saying that she wants a paratha, gossip and a makeup artist to get her ready for the Red Carpet event that she had to attend. I had two of those things for her... Paratha and makeup; gossip, she would have to supply.

Unplucked eyebrows and cellphone camera aside, I was pleased as punch with my result... Maybe not too happy with the under eye conclealer but overall, it turned out pretty good!!

On the eyes we have Sidecar, Dark Horse, Naked, Virgin, Sin and Creep. I used the Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil in Zero and Benefit's They're Real Mascara.

One the face, Kryolan FS36 and Chinese, MAC Studio Fix Compact powder, Benefit's Erase Paste, Sleek Makeup Contour Kit in medium (for bronzing and highlighting), Benefit's Coralista and MAC Fix+.

On the lips, Bare Essentuals lip liner in Nude, Rimmel lipstick in Birthday Suit, NYX lipgloss in Smokey Look.

Hair was her doing.

And she looked va-va-voom!!!

Manicure Monday Is Back!

You know what I love? Free time. I found some on my hands today - Gotta love bank holidays!! So I decided to update my blog (much needed!) and do my nails!

Last week, I went and got a nail polish from Color Studio Professional's new HAUTE collection.

Red Devil by Color Studio Professional

The color is called Red Devil but more than red, it's pinkish... Which is fine by my because I've developed this love for obnoxiously pink colors for nails and lips! (won't do eyes and can't do cheeks... Or haven't found the guts to wear it on the cheeks yet...) ANYWAY!!!

I enjoyed the solid color for a day or two.. And then thought, how can I amp this up more? And then I came across this... The best thing ever! Sammy over at the Nailasaurus has the easiest technique for gradient nails.

Of course I had to try it.

So I took this and this..

Red Devil and Manhattan by Color Studio Professional

And did this..

GRADIENT!

Voila! Apologies for the lack of clean up and the henna residue, but I was sooooo excited!

Word to the cautious: It is VERY messy and you gotta work super fast!

Please try this, and post back your picture links. I've just tried this combination but I'd love to see what you come up with.. Or different techniques even?

Lotsa love!!!

Off topic...

Have you guys heard of this band called Boyce Avenue? No? Click on the link and listen to the covers they have done.. I don't think I've voluntarily played any other song other than what they have done in this past week! Personal recommendations:

1. Say - Cover of John Mayer
2. Half of my Heart - Cover of John Mayer
3. Superman - Cover of Five For Fighting
4. Everything You Want - Cover of Vertical Horizon
5. What Makes You Beautiful - Cover of One Direction ( I must add that the original irritated me to death! This is like a whole different song altogether!)

Cheers!