Chocolate Cranberry Cutcrease

Nothing says the holidays like a bold lip and a golden eye! It's been a while since I've used my Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, so I decided to bust it out again and do a fun look that's perfect for any holiday parties you may be attending. This isn't a super bold cut crease, so it's great for people who are still not quite comfortable with going that defined!

Before applying any shadow to the lid, I used my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Milk." I swiped this all over the eyes, stopping at the crease, and made sure to only use a small amount.

Next, I took my Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, and used the shade "Champagne Truffle" (shimmery, pink champagne shade) all over the lid. In reality, you can simply place it on the inner third, because it gets covered up anyway. Next, I took "Creme Brulee," (shimmery, warm golden bronze color) spritzed it with a little bit of MAC Fix+, and patted this on the center of the lid, to get a vibrant, metallic effect. I then took "Milk Chocolate" (matte, light, cool toned brown) and began adding that into the outer corner, to deepen up the look.

To help the next shade blend more easily, I took a mix of "Salted Caramel" (matte warm, camel shade) and "White Chocolate," (matte cream color) and buffed this into the crease. Then, I took "Cherry Cordial" (glittery deep burgundy) on a small pencil brush, and began to place it in the crease. I took this color pretty far in, almost to the inner corner. I felt that this color was too brown, and not enough of the pop of color that I was wanting, so I added in just a bit of the Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher in "Mellow Wine," which brightened it up a lot.

I felt that this look still wasn't dramatic enough, so I took "Dark Chocolate" (matte cool, dark brown) and blended it into the outer corner, really focusing the shadow in the outer corner. For liner, I used my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in "Blackest Black" and drew a very thin line. Then, I took a clean pencil brush and blended the very edge of the liner in the outer corner into the "Dark Chocolate" color in the crease. I also used the gel liner on the lower lashline, fading in toward the center of the lashline, and then blended the color out. To give everything a clean, finished look, I took my L'Oreal HiP Color Truth Eyeliner in "Black" and lined both my upper and lower waterline. Then, of course, I used my Maybelline The Mega Plush Mascara, following it up with the Maybelline The Rocket Mascara.

For my face, I did my foundation and my brows as usual, using my CoverGirl 3-in-1 Foundation on the skin and "Dark Chocolate" in the brows. I also used my Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer under the eyes, and under the brow bone to help highlight and define.

On my cheeks, I went back to the Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher in "Mellow Wine," and really blended it out, because it was a bit harsh and contrasted with the rest of the look. I contoured using "Fawn" from the Anastasia Contour Kit, and used "Banana" to brighten up the undereye area. At this point, I felt like I just looked far too pale and that I really needed to add some color to my face. I added just a hint of theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer on the points of my face that would naturally get sunkissed, to help warm up my face and help me look just a little more alive!

Finally, on the lips, I used Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in "Divine Wine," although this look would also look amazing with a warm, brown nude lip.

I hope your holidays are going well so far! Let me know in the comment below what you would like to see in future posts!

- D.

Face and Nails of the Day -- Dramatic Cut Crease, Vampy Lips, and Nails on Fire.

Happy Monday!

Today, I had the weirdest shift at work, but because of the time that I was scheduled, I had plenty of time to play around with makeup, and today, I came up with this look:

Dramatic makeup is a great way to make any Monday a little less drab. It's always important to remember that if you are going to do a bold lip, neutrals on the eye are important. Neutral eye makeup doesn't have to be synonymous with boring, simple, or "every day." In this look, I used a shimmery taupe and a matte black to create this neutral cut crease.

The key to this look is BLENDING. I wanted to have a sharp edge on the outer corner, to create a cat eye effect, but I also wanted to offset it with a beautiful smokey effect as the shadow neared the brow bone.

For this look, I used my trusty Coastal Scents 252 Ultimate Palette, the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in "Nude", and my favorite translucent powder, Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher.

Using a flat shader brush, I applied the shimmery taupe color all over the lid, careful not to go into the crease. Then, I used a MAC 217 brush to apply my translucent powder in the crease, up to the brow bone. This will help the black color blend a little easier. I then took a small pencil brush and carefully applied the matte black color to the outer corner, as well as through the crease. I created a V shape with this color, on the outer corners of my eyes. That is what creates the cat eye effect. Then, taking my MAC 217 again, I began blending away. 

Quick Tip: Use your face powder on a fluffy blending brush to help blend any harsh lines. Your face powder on a stiffer brush will also act as a bit of an eraser. 

After I finished blending my crease color, I felt that the taupe color was losing vibrancy, so I again took a flat shader brush and reapplied the color to my lid. From here, I used my Milani Liquid Eye Eye Pencil in "01 - Black" and smudged this along my upper lash line, being careful to get in between all the lashes. The great thing about this liner is that you have plenty of time to smudge it out, but once it sets, it has great staying power. I also used this to create a small wing on my outer corner, then blended it into the V shape using a pencil brush. 

If your outer corner V isn't sharp enough, take a makeup wipe and clean up the line!

After I decided I was happy with how it looked,  I used my Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in "Nude" to highlight under the brow bone and in my inner corner. I blended this pencil and then set it with my translucent powder. Then, I topped off my lashes with a few coats of my favorite Maybelline The Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara.

After this, I moved onto the lips. 

I took an angled brush and applied the tiniest amount of the OCC Lip Tar in "NSFW" all over my lips. Then, I wiped off my brush, and took a dark, warm-toned purple and applied this to the corners of my mouth. This added an ombre effect to the lips that add an extra vampy punch. Don't be afraid to be heavy handed with the purple. After I had the corners to my liking, I applied a light coat of the Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir in "Signature Scarlet" to help blend together any harsh lines created between the lip tar and the purple shadow. 

When I finished with the lips, I went back in and applied my foundation and brows. The same routine as usual:  Too Faced Primed and Poreless face primer, L'Oreal True Match Foundation in the shade C2,  Inglot 358 Matte, and my Ardell Brow Sculpting Gel. I also went in under the eyes with the Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer in Very Fair, and used a flat concealer brush to help define the cat eye shape even more. Then I topped it all off with my Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher. 

I used my Inglot 358 Matte shadow as my contour shade, which I ran in the hollows of my cheeks, around the jawline, and on the sides of my nose. Then I used my Morphe 10 Color Blush Palette to create a subtle flush to the cheeks. 

In the pan, this color looks very brown. However, when applied, it creates a beautiful, natural glow.

And, as always, I finished everything off with my Mac Fix+!

Now, onto the nails! 

I've been super into The Hunger Games recently, hence the title "Nails on Fire." But I found this polish at Walmart last night and am completely in love. I only wish the photos could do it justice. It's the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Pro Nail Lacquer in the color "Lava Red." It's just this amazing, almost holographic oxblood shade and I am so, so in love. In certain lights, it appears almost brown, and in others, very purple. But in direct light, it is so beautiful and almost indescribable. I wish I knew how to better describe this polish, because it is to die for. And for a little over $3? A total steal. 

- d.