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Makeup Monday, Inspired by Nature: Ocean Eyes

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Rosanna Leave a comment

Water… sparkly turquoise, deep navy, alluring azure, even shades of blue-gray and greens. These are all cool, summery colors that evoke a feeling of calm and tranquility.

But when it comes to makeup? I don’t know about you, but when I think of blue eyeshadow, I usually think Mimi or chalky 1960’s. Not exactly the most flattering or chic looks out there, no doubt.

But bright blue eyeshadow can actually be done in a very modern, fresh, and non-cartoonish way. The key is to pair it with sophisticated neutrals, allowing the blue to be a “pop” of color set against a background of mellow grays or browns.

I love the way blues play off of browns, so I’m going to base today’s look on bronze and turquoise… like driftwood on a Caribbean sea.

You’ll need:

Start off with freshly cleansed and moisturized skin; your makeup will go on smoother and last longer!

We’re going to start off by building our “backdrop” for the lovely blue… grab your Champagne Pearl shadow and the small all-over brush, and stamp that color up underneath your brows. Take Silver Snow Base and dab it into your inner corners, and extend it just a little on your lower lash line, brightening up your inner corners and creating contrast for the colors to come.

Next, using the same brush (wipe it off on a clean towel between colors!), grab up some Chestnut Brown, and stamp it across your lids, from crease to lash line. Deepen your crease with Twinkle Wood eyeshadow applied with the Angled Crease Brush.

Using the small all-over brush, dip just the end (not the flat part- stand it on end) into the Twinkle Wood and follow your lower lash line to about 1/4 of the way in to your inner corner, creating a soft bronzey glow under your eye.

Now that you have your lovely backdrop, let’s add the fun! Grab your (clean!) Small All-Over Brush and dip the tip of it into your Maui Blue and start dabbing it on the outer corner of your crease, working inward. Blend well, adding more blue as you go. Continue the blue around the corner and under your lower lash line as well, meeting up where you left off with Silver Snow Base.

Set it all off with a line of Deep Brown, either dry and smoky, or wet and dramatic. Pair with a light, clear blush and natural lips. Don’t forget to contour and highlight for a beachy glow!

Now go hit the Maui waves! Or at least grab a cold drink and pretend you can hear the seagulls…

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Makeup Monday, Inspired by Nature: Forsythia Eyes

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Rosanna Leave a comment

forsythia eyes nature-inspired makeup tutorial from BeeyoutifulSkin.com

Starting today, I’m going to do a series of eye looks that are inspired by the colors all around us in nature. Rich earth tones, shimmering blues, sunny yellows, glowing greens, and of course all the exploding pinks, oranges, and purples of flowers. Let’s explore how to borrow these hues from the earth and use them to highlight our own natural beauty!

Earlier this year I got to thinking about using “nature colors” to spice up my makeup routine, and my mind immediately went to forsythias. They are one of my all-time favorite flowers: not only are they a pure, bright yellow, they also are almost always the first sign of spring in the desert regions where I grew up. Their sunny petals make a stark contrast with all the soggy brown and gray around them. In my mind, seeing my first forsythia bloom is better than seeing a robin!

Now, yellow might seem like a strange color to wear on your eyes, and while it is unexpected, it can be incredibly flattering to all eye colors, and it looks sophisticated and intentional if done right. Since it is a bright color, I’m going to use rich browns to balance it out, which is appropriate since forsythia flowers happen to bloom on brown, leafless branches.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Products you’ll need:

Champagne Pearl for the brow highlight
Chestnut Brown eyeshadow for the crease
Pure Gold eyeshadow
Rich Earth eyeshadow to deepen the crease
Deep Brown eyeshadow for eyeliner
Small All-Over Eyeshadow Brush
Angled Crease Brush
Eyeliner Brush

First, cleanse and moisturize your face. I like to work on my eyes first before applying my face makeup (foundation, concealer, blush, etc.), because if any eyeshadow happens to sift down onto my face as I’m working, it’s a lot easier to wipe it off bare skin than to try to preserve my newly-applied foundation.

Start with Champagne Pearl on the Small All-Over Eyeshadow Brush and stamp the shadow up underneath your brows and into the inner corner of your eyes. Wipe off the brush a few times on a soft cloth to get most of the Champagne Pearl off.

For the crease, use Chestnut Brown and our Angled Crease Brush. Working from the outer corner inward, lightly apply Chestnut Brown, keeping the outer corner darker, and getting lighter as you work inward.

Now for the yellow! Again using the Small All-Over Eyeshadow Brush and a stamping motion, apply Pure Gold over your lid, from the crease down to the lash line, and from the inner corner to the outer corner (the part that actually covers your eyeball when your eyes are closed). If you’d like a soft yellow, apply Pure Gold dry. If you’d like a more dramatic, vivid yellow, you can “foil” the shadow by moistening your brush with a little water and applying the shadow damp.

Deepen your crease by using a bit of Rich Earth on your Angled Crease Brush, just in the outer corners. This will really make your yellow pop! Be sure to blend well.

Lastly, use Deep Brown and our Eyeliner Brush to set off the shadows perfectly with a deep brown liner. You can either do a softer dry liner, or a more defined liquid liner by dampening the Eyeliner Brush and applying Deep Brown as a liquid liner. (Give winged eyeliner a try!)