The Many Moods of #Eyeliner | 3 Ways to perfectly shape your eyes!

My Love affair of eye liners started when I was really young! Watching my cousins get ready to go out and seeing how beautiful their eyes looked after they applied liner was like magic for me. I remember back when I first started experimenting with makeup, I started out with eye liner. I wasn't allowed to wear anything else, therefore naturally I became an expert on eye liner, the one thing I could wear.

I played with traditional Kajal from India, to Eye Pencils, Kohl Pencils, Eye Smudgers and Liquid Liners. Some were easy to use, and some took a bit of practice. They all offered very different and unique looks.

Today I wanted to share my top 3 ways of wearing eye liner using 3 different liner products. You will see how each one achieves a very unique look and they all result in beautifully enhanced eyes!

1. Waterline & Mascara
2. Winged Liner
3. Smokey Eyeliner/Shadow Effect

1. Waterline & Mascara 
This is a great look that anyone with any skill level can do. All you need is a good pencil liner that is long wearing. This look is placed in the inner part of the bottom lash line. You can layer the colour back and forth until you achieve the desired darkness of the liner.
Product to use: Kohl or a Kajal Pencil Liner in Black

2. Winged Liner 
One of my FAVOURITE looks to do! A full Liquid liner that "wings" at the end of the eye. The look is bold, unique and fun! You can take your wing as short or as big as you like! This look focuses placement on the top of the eye lid, close to the lash line and then extended outwards and up at the end.
Product to use: Liquid Liner with the Pointed Tip or Fine Brush

3. Smokey Eyeliner/Shadow Effect 

This is more dramatic and a super fun look! You can pair the black liner with any eyeshadow colour, the trick is that you need to use a Waterproof Black pencil and you do the application twice, including the waterline. You line the waterline first and then line the lower lash line as close as possible to the lashes. You start at the outer edge and bring it inwards to the middle of the eye. Take a smudger to "smoke" the rest. Then take your shadow and run it along the entire lower lash line and it will continue to smoke the effect. Add the liner a second time to give drama!
Product to use: Waterproof Eye Pencil and any eyeshadow

Liner can be one of the easiest ways to give your eyes a pop! The products available for liners now come in all forms from Pencils, Gels, Powders to Liquid. Pick the product that feels the easiest and go from there. Have fun and try these out yourself! Be sure to comment or share the post if you like these tips!

TUNE IN this week for my reviews of Eyeliner products that I am loving right now!

Beauty Tip | Changing your hair colour? Use these makeup tips to help your hair look amazing!

Photo Courtesy: Google Images/Rihanna

Have you ever noticed when you change your hair, all of sudden when you put your makeup or your fave lipstick, the makeup doesn't look the same, looks either too dramatic or makes you question your hair change?

A common trend, this time of year, is the seasonal summer to fall transition. It appears in fashion, clothes, makeup and hair. Typically, the hair will be the big change that occurs in terms of colour. Deeper hues and rich tones will take over versus the Summer hues of being sun kissed and golden.

This post, I wanted to share the best makeup tips and tones that you can use when you undertake a drastic hair change. Using these tips, will help your hair transtion pop and will help you see what will look best for which ever hair shade you choose! (Side Note: Other than Platinum blonde, personally I have worn my hair in many different hair tones, so I speak from personal experience that when you change hair and adjust your makeup, it helps you love your hair even more!).

Blondes (White or Platinum Tones)

• Eyes: Soft Greys + Dark Liner or Soft Browns
• Cheeks: Soft Pink/Coral Blush
• Lips: Cool Soft Pinks or Bold Red Lip
• Celebrity Inspiration:  Gwen Stefani

Photo Courtesy: Google Images/Gwen Stefani

Dark Blonde

• Eyes: Medium Earthy Brown to Nude Tones
• Cheeks: Bronze or Brick Toned Blush
• Lips: Darker Pinky Nudes
• Celebrity Inspiration: Jennifer Lopez

Photo Courtesy: Google Images/Jennifer Lopez

Brunette

• Eyes: Light Greys, Browns or Taupe
• Cheeks: Coral Pinky Blush
• Lips: Light Mauve or Coral toned lips
• Celebrity Inspiration: Kate Beckinsale

Photo Courtesy: Google Images/Kate Beckinsale

Red (Mahogany, Black and Beyond)

• Eyes: Bolder Cooler Shades on eyes. Darker Smudged Liner
• Cheeks: Cooler Blush mixed with a matte bronzer
• Lips: Blackcurrant, Deep Burgundy and Magenta Tones
• Celebrity Inspiration: Rihanna

Photo Courtesy: Google Images/Rihanna

Be sure to have fun and be daring! Once you change your hair, you will feel confident and these tips above can help you transition your hair and makeup to make the perfect statement!

Product Love | Yves St.Laurent - Full Metal Shadows

Traditional shadows in powder format are great, but Liquid Shadows have been making a big splash this year with Makeup Lovers! They offer ease of use, bold colours and long lasting wear. YSL introduced their liquid shadows called FULL METAL SHADOWS. Let's take a closer look!

 

YSL FULL METAL SHADOWS - SHADES:

1. Grey Splash
2. Eau Dargent
3. Taupe Drop
4. Onde Sable
5. Steamy Coral
6. Pink Cascade
7. Aquatic Copper
8. Dewy Gold
9. Misty Green
10. Wet Blue

SWATCHES:

SHADE DESCRIPTIONS:

1. Grey Splash - Silver toned shimmer
2. Eau Dargent - Pure cool white
3. Taupe Drop - Gorgeous Taupe shade
4. Onde Sable - True Gold Toned Shimmer
5. Steamy Coral - Warm Shimmery Coral
6. Pink Cascade - Warm Light Pink, perfect paired with gold
7. Aquatic Copper - Rich Brown Toned Copper
8. Dewy Gold - Yellow Light Gold
9. Misty Green - Cool Green Tone
10. Wet Blue - Silvery Shimmery Bright Blue

The YSL Full Metal Shadows are very shimmery and look amazing on the lids as well as lined underneath the lash line for a pop of colour. Use them alone, or pair them with other tones for a dramatic look. These are great for anyone that needs a quick shadow look in a pinch. They are long lasting, pigmented and give a great metallic look on the eyes!

Be sure to check them out!

Beauty Talk | #Contour Mania or Overload? - How to navigate this #1 Trend

Image/Makeup:  Kevyn Aucoin - The Book "Making Faces".

"This photo is really an illustration of the contours of the face. The application is exaggerated and not to be taken too literally. It's just to show how highlighting and contouring (when sparingly applied and carefully blended) can add definition to the face...You may never do this for everyday life, but for special occasions or photographs, it can really make a difference." 
- KEVYN AUCOIN

We have all seen the countless images of Contouring. The mass number of before and after pics showing the painted makeup 'maps' on faces. Instructions for the proper placement of light and dark makeup to achieve the perfect contour. The faces almost look like a mask of sorts which is now being referred to as a"contour map". Nonetheless, the after photo is always gorgeous, flawless and the makeup looks like perfection.

I have had a lot of my clients and people ask me about this trend. As much as it's popular it has also deterred clients from trying the trend. Especially if you are a person who has never worn makeup or maybe want to see how it's done, the images and videos can be overwhelming.

For this post, I am going to share the types of contouring and my tips of how you can make this trend wearable and simple, whether it's fierce or everyday!

BIRTH OF CONTOURING - Who and where it's used?

• Photography & Movies | Works well with the Flashing lights of Cameras.
• Celebrity | Typically seen on Instagram and with their respective Makeup Artists
• Drag Makeup | Ideal for stage performance to emphasize facial features against the bright lights

Contouring has become extremely popular via Instagram. The trend was really cultivated and developed by many drag performers who understood that to look fierce on stage, they needed to emphasize their makeup.

It works well for Photography because with the extreme flash effects from cameras, a person's face can end up looking too flat or one dimensional. Therefore this makeup technique helped to emphasize and re-create the dark and light areas on a person's face for the best photos.

WHY DO WE NEED TO CONTOUR?

• To define
• To accentuate facial structure 
• To balance light and dark
• Makeup artist technique which is great for Weddings and Special Occasions

WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE LOOK

Fierce Contour
This effect is achieved with Extreme Highlighting and contouring by using Concealer/Highlighter and Cream Foundation

Time: Half Hour
Best Product To Use: A mix of Liquid Foundation, Cream Concealers, Liquid/Powder Highlighters
Celebrity Inspiration: Kim Kardashian

Image Courtesy: kimkardashian.com

Evening Contour
Medium effect achieved when using a Contour Kit that has all of your go-to shades from light to dark, a blush shade and a highlight shade.

Time: 15 Mins.
Best Product To Use: Contour Kits i.e. Anastasia Beverly Hills or BH Cosmetics
Celebrity Inspiration: Jennifer Lopez

   Image Courtesy: google.com/images

Everyday Contour
Light and wearable version for Daytime. Using the natural bone structure as a guide on placement and then using a soft light Bronzer to define and adding a soft wash of blush on top. The idea is to create the shadow into the hollow of the cheek, which is right under the fullest part of your cheek.

Time: 5 Mins. or less
Best Product To Use: Giorgio Armani Bronzer or Matte Toned Bronzer/Blush
Celebrity Inspiration: Mila Kunis

Image Courtesy: google.com

Hopefully this post and the tips above can help any of those who are trying to figure out how to navigate and use this makeup trend. I do feel that there is so much emphasis on the extreme versions of contouring but it can definitely be achieved with fewer products so it's easy, simple and beautiful. At the end of the day, do whatever works for you, whether it be extreme to light.

Lifestyle | My Day-Off #Movie Lists

I am a movie lover! Other than severe Horror, I pretty much will watch anything! I do have certain movies that I love watching on Repeat, obviously not in the same day but more so whenever the opportunity to relax presents itself, these are the films that are my go-to's!

I have broken this category into specific sections or genres. Check out my list below:

Image courtesy: Google.com

Movies from Novels:

1. Memoirs of a Geisha

2. The Other Boleyn Girl

3. Gone Girl

Image courtesy: Google.com

Xmas Movies:

1. A Christmas Story

2. Elf

3. The Family Stone

Image courtesy: Google.com

Laugh my Bum off Movies:

1. Tropic Thunder

2. Dodgeball

3. A Night at the Roxbury

Image courtesy: Google.com

Business Movies:

1. Boiler Room

2. The Wolf of Wall Street

3. The Social Network

Image courtesy: Google.com

Rom-Com's and Female Lead Role:

1. Sex & the City 1&2

2. Legally Blonde 1

3. Devil Wears Prada

Action/Thriller:

1. Bad Boys 2

2. Fast and the Furious

3. Man on Fire

All of these movies are great to watch! Now I did leave out a very special genre which is the 80's! I intentionally did this because those movies deserve a blog post of their own! 

Product Love | Dove Style+Care Flexible Hold Hairspray

I have had a love/hate relationship with hairspray. It's either too sticky or too strong and leaves the hair stiff or it just didn't give me the type of hold I wanted. If I wear my hair curled, waved or straight I need a hair spray with a light hold to help the look last all day.

My Product Love right now is for:  Dove Style+Care - Flexible Hairspray!

I love that I can do the following:

• Wave with a wand - Keeps the wave natural and helps to hold it longer
• Bouncy Curls - Allows me to prep the hair before I curl to keep the curl defined
• Textured Look - I can add a bit of texture to the hair and can still put my fingers through it

It has a light scent which is perfect so it doesn't over power you when you want to spray the EFF out of it! I also like that I can finger style my hair and create the look I want. The best part is that it's a great working spray for teasing the hair or for prepping the hair before any heat styling tool!

I picked up this baby at Walmart on SALE, so be sure to check it out! It's the perfect product for Beachy waves!

Beauty Look | Sexy Hot Pink/Purple Lips!

Lipsticks are such a hot makeup product right now!! We are so lucky that Makeup companies have created versatile lip products that allow us to have access to so many unique colours, tones and finishes. Whether you want bold lips or a soft finish or just want something daring, you can have it all!

Back in the 90's, I had to constantly mix colours or layer colours together to create the vividness or shade I wanted. Old habits die hard, but you can still create unique tones and finishes when you layer a lighter lip gloss with a different shade of lips. Add a liner and you can really transform the lips all together.

So here are the three products I used to create this STUNNING lip look:

1. Beautique Defining Lip Pencil in WINE
2. Cover Girl Lip Perfection Lipstick in DIVINE #330
3. MAC Lipglass in PERKY

The steps to achieve this look were pretty simple. I lined and filled the lips with the liner, layered on the lipstick on top and finished with the gloss on the bottom lip, focusing the application on the centre of the bottom of the lips. Such a hot shade for Spring/Summer 2015!