Hot or Not Beauty

There is nothing worse than having the carefully applied eye makeup you spent 10 minutes perfecting run the minute you open the door and a blast of hot summer air and/or humidity hits you in the face. Well I think I’ve pretty much found the solution with the gorgeous Aqua Eyes two-in-one eye shadow and liner pencil.
This water proof makeup has real staying power, with the eye shadow and liner including a formulation that ensures this stays put. There are 20 different shades to choose from and the range has classic browns and grays through to vibrant turquoises and hot pinks. The Aqua Eyes is suitable for use in even the most extreme conditions, remaining resistant to water, and hence resistant to rubbing or fading.
Whether you are looking for a stay fast option for a teary occasion, or the perfect solution to summer humidity and the beach, I urge you to give this one a try.

This has to be one of the most talked about Kohl pencils out there. It’s smooth, creamy and comes in a wide variety of colors and finishes and I am bound to have at least one on me in my makeup bag and can whip up a look with just one of these and some creativity.

These are tested and meant for waterline use and here are my favorite colors:

“Smolder”, “Prunella”, “Teddy” and “Fascinating”, I like these Eye Kohls so much that I buy them all, even if I’m not pleased with the result because the color sometimes isn’t flattering (for me).

So, if you like a decent kohl for a decent price, this is your baby, Smolder is considered a staple in makeup. I wish MAC released some more colors.

Continuing our eyeliner discussion for this season in all it’s shape and sizes.

Pencil eyeshadow is one of those iconic makeup items that we see everywhere.

Compared to eyeshadow, pencils have a broad more intense line, have bigger staying powder are more pigmented and exist in various choices in their own formulations.

Personally I prefer softer eyeliner pencils, you can draw bolder striking lines and keeping them sharp or smudge them with a brush for a less defined and smokier look.

My personal favorites are Kohl liners, I like the creamy texture and also I’m a sucker for putting eyeliner on the waterline and they’re formulated and tested for waterline use. The only disadvantage concerning Kohl (also known as Kaja) liners is that most of them tend to migrate if you have oily eyelids and some of them give you the infamous panda or raccoon eyes (basically when sexy smudge becomes messy smudge and you have liner everywhere it’s not supposed to be) and if that happens, stick to a different type of formula and do yourself a big favor.

Here’s my view on my some of the pencils that are part of my regular use:

MAC Eye Kohl - Creamy, very pigmented and safe for waterline use, I have these in multiple colors.

MAC Technakohl - It sort of reminds me of Clinique’s Quickliner for Eyes, it’s less softer than the pencil formula but has bigger staying power and is safe for waterline use.

MAC Powerpoint - This pencil is waterproof, but I think it’s incredibly coarse and harsh on my lids, also although many people put it on their waterline, I’d rather not.

Chanel’s Le Crayon Kohl - Creamy (sometimes a bit too creamy), but it’s the blackest black eye pencil I have, also safe for Waterline use.

Clinique’s Quickliner for Eyes - It’s a staple and what I love about it is the built in smudger on the other side, the only disadvantage is that you can’t take it out too much because it doesn’t retract and you can’t sharpen it. Otherwise there’s always a Real Black one in my pouch.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s - I love the fact that it looks like a regular pen and that it comes with a a stick concealer, however the concealer shade isn’t universal, and I wish the black was more black and less blue.

Pencil eyeliners are great to carry around, a darker shade in your pouch can change your daytime look to night time in a second.

For a blast from the past, check some eyeliner ramblings here.

MAC released recently a new line of eyeshadows, so matte, they’re Matte².

Most people shiver at the thought of blending a matte eyeshadow, but quite honestly it has to be my favorite finish (as I’ve probably said this in the past) since it is incredibly versatile and adds always a touch of class or subdued beauty.

If you don’t have matte eyeshadows in your palettes, I would strongly advise getting two or three neutral shades depending on your skin tone, this way you’ll always be prepared for a more demanding job interview which will allow you to look incredibly polished but not over-the-hill “LOOK AT MY HIGH FROST WHITE EYESHADOW”, that with a nice satin or matte lipstick paired with a soft matte neutral (or a complimentary) blusher can make all the difference and make you stand out.

My favorites in this collection are “Poison Pen”, “Pen ‘N’ Pink”, “Handwritten”, “Fig. 1″, “Copperplate”, “Brown Script”, “Signed, Sealed”, “Graphology”, “Tete-A-Tint” and “Typographic”. Yes, that’s a lot but I love matte and most likely will buy them all, these shades also can create this season’s glamorous smoky look and the convenience of a matte eyeshadow is that if you want to sizzle it up, you can resort to a funky MAC Pigment for that extra shazam or Make Up For Ever’s beautiful Star Powders to completely transform your look.

Along with the eyeshadows you have a nice toned-down collection of Liquid Last Liners, but quite honestly I never liked this liquid liner formula and it’s always quite “meh” on my book.

If you’re an eyeliner addict like myself in all shapes and formats go get Urban Decay’s 24/7 travel set.

Although it’s seems pricy at 29 bucks, you get 5 medium sized eyeliner pencils in a cute package allowing you to bring them everywhere and it’s an option if you travel a lot and don’t want to be lugging around palettes of eyeshadow and are able to make different looks with as few accessories possible. Plus the formula allows for it to not budge or crease, so if you’re careful blending them you can use the colors for a subtle look to sophisticated smoky eyes in record time without recurring to 4 different eyeshadows that you blend around, because let’s face it we don’t always have the time.

Plus, if you’re new to Urban Decay’s eyeliners here’s a chance to try out 5 different colors from black, copper, blue, green and purple, allowing you to try a multitude of looks and looking your best at the same time.

You could always follow their suggestion and make it one of those items that you can discreetly leave in your boyfriend’s cabinet for a quick touch up, but unless he never touches it, I doubt that he won’t find them.

Shiseido decided to create its cream eyeliner in two rich colors (black and brown), in a small pot with a small portable angled brush allowing swift eyeliner application with a formula that is sweat and water resistant that can create intense graphic look or smudge it for the sexy smoky eye that is so popular this fall!

After Bobbi Brown’s gel liner, all the makeup companies are coming out with gel/cream formulas for their eyeliners, which for me is a plus since I adore this type of eyeliner formular and definitely prefer upper eyelids lined with it, hopefully in future collections Shiseido will come out with more colors.

They also created two gorgeous quads, one featuring black and three pale shimmering colors, white, pinkish and gold (Lunar Phases) inspired in the moon and the starlit sky and a neutral quad for warmer more rich tones (Desert Winds), I personally love these quads and find them timeless.

Along with the new eyeliners comes a new type of Automatic Lip Crayon that can be used as an all-over color, lip liner with a glossy finish giving your lips a moist look that is durable and comfortable. Lipwise, this Fall brings three new neutral lip glosses of which I am so getting Peach Melba when I’m out in my gloss hunts.

This collection presents itself in a sixties mod kind of a look but (coincidently), all the products can be applied in order to create the Fall’s dominant dark smoky eyes and neutral lips look, which makes it very versatile and those lip products are definitely mine.

Although the main look for the suggests suggests flushed rosy cheeks with Accentuating Color Stick, you definitely notice that the second evokes a sculpted contouring with neutral colors creating depth and luminosity. So, if at first glance they seem to be running away from the smoky trend, if you look more carefully, no they’re not.

After evening out and perfecting your complexion, you have created the canvas for the next stages of makeup application.

Before applying your eyeshadow, apply a primer (like Urban Decay’s Primer Potion) and after it’s completely dry, use a large brush and apply a neutral eyeshadow the color of your skin tone to ensure that whatever colors you use afterwards will not stain.

Favorite eyeshadows:

MAC - Eyeshadow
Chanel - Le Quatre Ombres de Chanel
Shu Uemura

There are no rules regarding whatever eye-makeup should be for these types of occasions. You should consider the time of day and what kind of outfit you will be wearing and leave the more heavy and dramatic looks for evening rather than daytime. However there are no set rules, if you want to wear smoky black and deep red lips by all means do so.

Prefer a more holding eyeliner like a gel eyeliner rather than pencil (if you prefer pencil, then opt for a waterproof one) to assure that it will hold throughout the day.

Bobbi Brown’s Gel Liner
MAC’s Fluidline
MAC’s Powerpoint
Guerlain’s Loose Eye Kohl
Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Cream Liner
Make Up For Ever’s Cake Liner

I prefer waterproof mascara for these occasions, even if you’re not emotional you never know when an unexpected tear might appear, so be ready and bullet-proof.

I recommend one of Helena Rubinstein’s mascaras, they’re my personal favorites and allow all type of desired effects, my Holy Grail is Lash Queen. For a mascara primer, use the Shiseido one without a doubt. If you’re more daring then opt for false lashes.

Do your eyebrows with a dark pigmented matte powder, using brow brush that has hard bristles making sure that you don’t overdue the application to avoid the eyebrows ending up too dark and artificial.

Only consider contouring if it’s an afternoon/evening wedding, contouring in the daytime looks extremely artificial and you’ll be drawing attention to areas that you would prefer to keep minimized. You can add a touch of bronzer to the areas where the sun naturally hits your face, but avoid orange pigmented ones or those with too much glitter.

Unless your skin is dry/normal (allowing the use of a cream blush), opt for pressed or loose powder blush, applying it with a light hand to ensure a careful and controlled application (invest in a good blush brush as well) and while a bit of shimmer is perfectly acceptable avoid colors with too much glittery look to them, a softer, more formal look is quite often preferred and photographs a lot better.

Where blushes are concerned, my preferences go to MAC, Chanel and NARS.

There are no definite rules where lips are concerned, try to keep lip-lining as natural as possible and fill in your lips with your liner so you won’t end up with lined lips and nothing else underneath, keep your liner as closest to your lipstick color as possible and usually a creamier lip liner is easier to apply and blend. To avoid harsh lines, blend the liner with your lip brush.

My favorites are Chanel’s Le Crayon Levres and MAC’s Cremestick liner.

Add a touch of gloss for a pouty lip or lay it on for a more lacquered vinyl-ish look with:

Lancome’s Juicy Tubes
MAC’s Tinted Lipglass
Chanel’s Glossimer
Yves Saint-Laurent’s Le Touche de Brilliance
Dior’s Gloss Show
NARS‘ Lip Lacquer

After looking your most gorgeous, the next article will focus on what to bring in your purse to always look your freshest.

MAC’s Smoke Signals is now in stores, yet another collection focusing on smoky eyes, sultry look, nude lips, washed out blush, yada yada bidi bam, bidi boom.

Like in my latest reviews concerning smoky eyes centered collections, it sort of gets hard to generate hype concerning the same look as interpreted by a different cosmetics brand.

First we have two different quads, one towards gray, blue and solid matte black (Gentle Fume Eyes), while the other swirls towards the smoky warm neutrals (Smoke Signals). Where taste is concerned, my eye is immediately caught by the warm/neutral quad, but it’s a matter of personal taste as I find these to be two quads that I definitely would buy (I’ll get least Smoke Signals at least).

Lips are nude and bare, moist (most in Lustre finishes) in creamy seductive beiges just waiting to be complimented by a touch of Tinted Lipglass.

The New MAC Kohls are introduced as Kohl Power Eye Pencils, this new type of pencil was created to provide a deeper color hold and still allowing blending or smudging for that gorgeous smoked effect. Both Orpheus and Raven IMMEDIATELY seduced me (as I’m an eyeliner junkie) and I’ll be getting them to add to my collection (this will promise a review on this liner later on)

The new blushes are (consistent with the overall trend) quite subdued and neutral resulting in a sculpted face that grants an even more alluring aura to the face. Definitely the cotton candy pink blush is on hiatus and the femme fatalle sharpens her claws. Emote is by far my favorite, as I tend to prefer matte blushes for smoky looks.

Smoke signals repromotes also two gorgeous pigments and the creamy nocturnelle nail lacquer, so if you want to get your hands on Dark Soul pigment, now is your chance.

Indeed, the smoke gets in your eyes.

Thanks to celebrities like Jared Leto, Ewan McGregor, Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt, a man wearing eyeliner doesn’t seem so silly anymore, more and more mentalities are changing every day.

Of course this doesn’t mean that a lawyer shows up in court with smoldering black smoky eyes, even if things are changing, they do take its time.

However for more relaxed environments, a night out or when opportunity presents itself, what are the options does he have for a Pirates of the Caribbean-ish look?

In my opinion, if you’re starting out wearing eyeliner, go with a Kohl liner, MAC’s Eye Kohl offers a wide array of colors and “Smolder” is just one of the most beautiful black liners ever, incredibly creamy and easy to apply (and safe to wear on your waterline), Technakohl (also from MAC) is also a good option and a has more lasting power.

Chanel’s Le Crayon Kohl is incredibly creamy and incredibly pigmented, however their creamy substance tends to make it migrate a lot when exposed to hot and humid environments.

Guerlain’s Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl is a bit trickier to apply and as a bit of shimmer, however the black and indigo colors are beautiful and very wearable.

Practice Thanks to celebrities like Jared Leto, Ewan McGregor, Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt, a man wearing eyeliner doesn’t seem so silly anymore, more and more mentalities are changing every day.

Of course this doesn’t mean that a lawyer shows up in court with smoldering black smoky eyes, even if things are changing, they do take its time.

However for more relaxed environments, a night out or when opportunity presents itself, what are the options does he have for a Pirates of the Caribbean-ish look?

In my opinion, if you’re starting out wearing eyeliner, go with a Kohl liner, MAC’s Eye Kohl offers a wide array of colors and “Smolder” is just one of the most beautiful black liners ever, incredibly creamy and easy to apply (and safe to wear on your waterline), Technakohl (also from MAC) is also a good option and a has more lasting power.

Chanel’s Le Crayon Kohl is incredibly creamy and incredibly pigmented, however their creamy substance tends to make it migrate a lot when exposed to hot and humid environments.

Guerlain’s Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl is a bit trickier to apply and as a bit of shimmer, however the black and indigo colors are beautiful and very wearable.

Do try it out, for a sexier and more mysterious you.

Being still in August, one thinks that it’s still time to look shimmery, bronzed and glistening with sun, the Fall look is looming in fashion magazines everywhere, so, here go a few tips for this years overall Fall options.

Superb polished skin finished with powder, matte is in.

Defined eyeliner application, preferably liquid eyeliner.

Bold, well defined lips as well as full and bold brows.

Highlighters continue highly popular, applied along the nose bridge, over cheekbones and everywhere you would like to enhance areas of your face.

Softer cheek colors in shades that slightly evoke a healthy flush, pinks, peaches and light tones for a hint of healthy glow, but never emulating a Summer complexion or exaggeration.

Smoky eyes and bewitching gazes are also a part of the season (considering by my recent reviews, well duh) and one of MAC’s Fall lineups will include the ever so classic contrast dark eyes/soft lips or vice versa.

Frankly, I am more of a Fall/Winter person than a Summer one, I like the look of polished skin, well groomed lips and most choices that are in this season’s look. One thing is for sure, sweet and girly as well as “just-woke-up-with-makeup-on-from-last-night” are definite no-nos, this season calls for being polished and picture perfect, no matter how casual you are.

Enjoy the Fall, I know I will.

Bold eyes and bold brows are in for this season like I have commented in earlier postings as well as bolder eyeliner with a definite wing to it.

Loved it or hated it, no one stayed indifferent to McQueen’s Egyptian themed collection inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s “Cleopatra” and done with MAC products, one thing led to another and MAC and McQueen are collaborating to launch MAC’s Fall extravaganza.

Although the runway makeup theme was done with MAC Pro like paint sticks for those intense colors in shades of teal, soft blue, and lime green and now feature three limited edition eyeshadows (Haunting, Nile and Pagan) all with Veluxe Pearl finish and three matching paint pots (Otherworldly, Electro Sky and Pharaoh), contrasting with the bold eye color choices, the lipsticks and lip glosses are neutral and subdued, matching a nearly blush free face and a matte foundation finish.

The biggest novelty in this collection are the new Kohl Power, rich eyeliners with pearly finishes of gold and green were designed to enhance what was already an industry staple (I love MAC Eye Kohl pencils) and prolong wear and color intensity.

For me, it’s a collection that I wait for anxiously for i love McQueen’s bold dramatic style and am quite fond of daring eyeliner design. Also, I really enjoy kohl products so I’m wondering if MAC will present us with a cheaper alternative to Guerlain’s, even without the added glamor of the small amulet like vial.

This collection will be presented in retro style black packaging featuring the MAC logo and Alexander McQueen’s signature in gold.

YES! It seems that the non-smoky eye wearers will have more than one option for this fall’s collection with Armani Beauty.

Inspired by Armani leather accessories and clothes rich in feel and texture, this collection once again is synonymous with luxury.

Eyeshadows tend to go for pink, violet and ashwood tones for lid, crease and browbone with a beige shimmery highlighter that if applied to the inner corner of your eyes adds a pop that makes you look awake (for lack of a better expression).

Armani also released an eyeliner in calligraphy pen format, resembling YSL’s eyeliner pen, whose brush allows you to dot line your lash area for subtle enhancement or a very dramatic and bolder eyeliner in this water based formula (which ensures a less aggressive makeup removal).

Lips are also bold and dramatically, highly defined with lipliner with strong, darker colors and with a pinch of gloss for the usual sexy pout.

Honestly, I love this look. It’s sexy without resorting to smoky eyes (again) and adds a sense of luxury and almost decadence to the overall look. I also love pink eyeshadow and the hues selected for this eye mania palette and the fact that it has a faux snakeskin finish makes it even more glamorous.

There isn’t a big emphasis on blush and cheek definition whereas a paler softer canvas is preferred to emphasize eyes and lips.

Smashbox has put up its Fall collection online and presents what seems to be the consensual trend for the coming season, smoky eyes.

It’s kind of hard to sound extremely excited about yet another makeup line that pumps the smoky eyes look after reviewing it a few times now and (although I’m one of it’s fervent enthusiasts) it’s very hard to remain excited as if it was fresh and new.

However, there are a few differences in the Smashbox line and I’d rather emphasize those to give you some other options before you decide what shall be your look for the upcoming Fall.

Complexion wise, all bets are on extremely polished complexions with an obvious foundation feel to them. That’s right girls, Summer is over and falls brings out glamor and sophistication to a highly polished, contoured complexion. Smashbox opts on the other hand for a glamorous bronzy look with a new shade of blush that can be used to warm up your complexion, contour or make your cheeks pop in “Ecstasy” (Limited edition), they also opted for less full eyebrows like most makeup lines.

My personal favorite is the lipstick, the limited edition Decadence Photo Finish Lip Luxe offers a tube of nude lipstick on one side and scrumptious nude gloss on the other for the most exquisite sexy lips. If you don’t like nude lippies, opt for their new Decadence Lip Enhancing Gloss in “Vixen” in a deep berry shade. However, this set brings nothing extraordinary if you think of Yves Saint-Laurent’s beautiful lip twins that offers a multitude of satin lipstick/gloss choices.

Eyeshadow wise, there’s nothing new, the trios offer a graphite/slate or copper/brown choice to smoke up your gaze complementing it with Smashbox’s gel liner.

Last, but certainly not least is a set of seven brushes that offers two limited edition brushes (one buffer brush for perfectly blended face powders, foundations, bronzers and mineral products and an angled blush brush for an expert contouring and face definition) which is slightly pricey, but a wonderful way to start your brush collection, including eyeliner, foundation, brow and two eyeshadow brushes that will start you on the best way for exquisite makeup.

So, if you’re still not picturing a smoky decadent you, Smashbox decides to join in the peer pressure.

Yet another fall collection that hops on the smoky eye bandwagon, although it’s an incredible popular eye makeup technique that never truly goes out of style since it’s worshiped by many followers, Clinique left its squeaky clean look for a sultry, sexier, apparently sexy will be this Thanksgiving look.

Although Clinique suggest a slightly dramatic change of overall look there isn’t a dramatically different (pardon the pun) change to its makeup product lineup.

They have however launched the color surge trios, a three-colored eyeshadow palette of coordinating colors to create the looks suggested with this season overall look and two of them are limited edition.

While glancing at the look in question I wasn’t too thrilled. There’s something about the eye makeup that doesn’t thrill me at all, maybe it’s all that contrast or the colors or finish, or maybe I’m just being picky, but I don’t like it all that much.

The skin appears luminous with a matte finish, with a sophisticated medium coverage foundation with definite emphasis on contouring and cheek definition. The lips are layered with creamy lipstick and topped off with luscious gloss. Also, notice on how the brows are defined but full and intense.

This year is a splurge fest for all of us addicted to smoky eyes and intense colors and while they may take the Sun’s happy rays for the upcoming season it’s as if we are changed from daytime to evening wear as the seasons shift.

I am a huge eyeliner addict, specially in kohl variety being a sort of collection that I have, buying all brands kohl eyeliners. I like the texture and feel and specially the finish.

So far, my personal favorites were Chanel’s Le Crayon Kohl and MAC’s Eye Kohl, the former for it’s creamy texture and color intensity and the later for it’s wide array of color selection.

However, in one of my recent shopping sprees, I decided that it was about time I tried Guerlain’s Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl, yes I admit that the fact that it comes in a pretty package was the first thing that caught my attention, but I guess they need to catch our attention with something and they catch a lot more flies with honey than vinegar.

I was skeptic though, the packaging (albeit gorgeous) didn’t seem at all practical, while I wondered whether you applied the kohl powder with a brush and what sort of consistency it would have, how well it would adhere, etc etc etc.

However, the lid of the package comes equipped with an ultra-fine tip applicator that picks up the necessary amount of powder to swiftly smoke your eye giving a sexy and luxurious finish. Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl has a slightly iridescent shimmer to it that enhances the pupil even more without making it look too glittery and the color remains intense.

In 4 different colors, blue, teal, black, brown and pearly white, Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl is guaranteed to revolutionize the way you apply your kohl eyeliner, specially on the waterline and due to its incredible pigment concentration and formula allows it to last far more that other kohl eyeliners.

However, it is a bit pricey so for those who don’t like to spend over $16 on an eyeliner, Guerlain usually retails for double that amount, however, if you’re an eyeliner addict like me and enjoy a glamorous smoky eye, give it a chance.