How to SaturYAY: Eyeliner application (1: Basic liner) **PIC HEAVY**

Morning Guys and Dolls!

A simple liner look, to begin with. 

It's been a wee while since I did a pictorial (or indeed any post at all) and one of the most common requests I have is around eye make-up. Given the quantity of eye make-up I tend to wear I thought I'd split this into two series - the first eyeliner and then eye shadow. I decided to do liner first because, with the addition of just some red lippy that's much more of a standalone look than shadow alone, so for the next three posts we'll learn a different liner look, perhaps with some shadow inspiration thrown in when the mood strikes!

I'm going to cover three basic looks, which with some Googling you will easily be able to deviate from to cover off lots of different variations.

Blogmas 2014: #6 Tip of the day - lower lash line eyeliner

Happy weekend!

While I am a chronic eyeliner addict, I do like to experiment with the ways I wear it and formulas I wear. Recently I have been wearing my lower eyeliner only part of the way across my eye rather than entirely around the eye and have been asked how to get a subtle finish on this, rather than looking like a bad clown!

End result - using Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 palette 

The trick I find is to make sure you've not applied the eyeliner, before blending, to the entire area that you want to see it in. Rather, I apply the eyeliner a half to two thirds of the way along where I want it to end up and then blend out - see above for the finished look and below for where I actually applied the eyeliner.

Blogmas 2014: #5 White eyeliner (something different)

Wakey, wakey rise and shine!

Obviously, as with Mr Bing Crosby we're all dreaming of a white Christmas here in the UK. In reality it might actually involve some damp, drizzle and perhaps some wind. So if Mother Nature won't oblige, perhaps Illamasqua can help us out.

DSLR with flash, artificial light.

I bought Precision Ink in Scribe a little while ago but haven't actually use it for much other than filling in the "gap" on a double wing look with black mascara.  It seemed like this time of year might then be appropriate to try something a little new and specifically white!

Getting started series #5 Eyeliner

Hieeeeee Beauty Addicts (and Enthusiasts!)

Now we're onto one of my most favourite-est ever make-up topics. If in doubt, slap some black lines around your eyes must be a secret life mantra for me…not necessarily something which will sit well with just anyone ;)

The full spectrum of my eyeliner
based life choices - winged,
wannabe drag queen and subtle
summer natural vibe.

Much like eyebrows, eyeliner (in conjunction with mascara….next up!) is crucial in really framing your face, emphasising your peepers and giving the illusion of lovely, long lashes that you can bat at the nearest Mr Darcy a-like to your heart's content. Or just so that when you check yourself out in unexpected reflective surfaces you don't suddenly want to yelp and hide yourself under a rock mid-afternoon (we all do it, right…don't we…?)

For those dipping a toe in the make-up water I'd suggest that colour and formulation are going to be really important. A cream / matte grey or brown will feel a lot more wearable than the black to which we make-up mavens are automatically drawn. At least as you start to venture out during daylight hours with lines around your eyes. Additionally, pencil is usually an easy start - I've listed the various formulations in order of ease of use and you can link back to my smoked out liner look for placement ideas.

- Pencil - to get a good line you'll want a relatively soft pencil so you don't have to drag your lids to get decent colour pay-off. If in doubt, apply little dots and use a sponge tipped smudger to blend them out. Pencils now come in gel and kohl formula options, I've included recs for both:

Kohl - MAC's teddy is fairly iconic and friendly to all, otherwise I like Rimmel, L'Oreal or Illamasqua.
Gel - these are softer pencils, with a more intense pay off. I like Avon, Rimmel or Sleek (not strictly gel). MAC Powerpoint pencils are a great option if you want to play with some glittery shades.

- Powder - you can either buy a powder liner (try No7 or Smashbox) or just use an eyeshadow over a lightly blended pencil line. Easy smokey liner look.

- Gel - although the pot plus brush is intimidating to look at, it's surprisingly easy to work with. Bobbi Brown, MAC and Illamasqua all do versions but I also love L'Oreal's on the High Street - longer lasting than Maybelline's offering in my experience. High Street has more limited colour selections.

- Liquid - the hardest formulation to work with (marginally better in one of the felt tip formats) so not one for beginners. Great for the pin-up '50s look with red lips - but achievable with gel if you've not got a steady hand. Illamasqua's precision ink is lovely but if you want to stick to classic colours save pennies and opt for L'Oreal's Superliner. Eyeko do a nice felt-tippy version - but the High Street is awash with those at the moment so have a play.

Lots of love 'til next time kitty cats

xx Josephine xx

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How to: smokey eyes

Happy weekend Beauty Addicts!

One thing a lot of my friends ask me about is eye make-up application. While my make-up addiction is fairly well rounded, it has to be said that eyeshadow is a personal favourite - love to play up the peepers!

In any case, when you're starting out it can seem quite intimidating to slick on the dark shadow, black liner and three layers of mascara so I thought it would be useful to set out how I apply the shadow first and then suggest some colours / products depending on your eye colour and your colour confidence.

I don't have a dupe list at the minute but what I would say is that there is an increasing tendency for drugstore products to really up their game in terms of performance so do have a play when you're out and about in the shops to see what you like (and what's within budget).

Placement styles for a smokey eye

1) Liner focused (e.g. Mila Kunis' day look)

For Mila's look I always think of a dewy, subtle wash of colour with a really sultry smoked-out liner that surrounds the eye, including waterline (inner rim of eye for newbies).

2) Classic / full-on (e.g. Kirsten Stewart / Mila's evening look)

Here I'm envisaging a look which has a block colour - probably black or chocolate brown - which is applied full across the lid and then blended up and out to increase the impact of the eyes. Depending on your preference you might keep it quite precise in the application, or make it look a bit "lived in" for extra rocker chic.

3) Colour incorporation (I bow down to you, Katy Perry)

I love an alternative to a classic smokey eye which you can achieve really easily by using a colour rather than the classic black / chocolate. My personal favourites are green and purple, but a navy is also awesome and quite a modern take.

First up is the most natural of the lot, so take a peep, have a play and just enjoy yourself - makeup should always be fun!!

Love and hugs

Josephine

xx

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