Halloween -- The True Galactic Mermaid

A while back, I posted a "Galactic Mermaid" look using the Lorac Pro Palette 2. Honestly, the only thing about that post that was really mermaidy were the nail strips I just so happened to be wearing. However, today I did a look that could truly go either way! This look would be great for either a mermaid or alien costume. So without any further ado, let's get started!

Initially when I did this look, I was definitely aiming for the mermaid idea, hence the starfish hair clip!

Before applying any foundation, I began with the eyes. I laid down a thin layer of the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Milk," using my finger to blend the product out, Then, I took the Makeup Geek shadow in "Sea Mist," and patted this all along the mobile lid. I continued patting the shadow to really help build up the intensity. Then, I took the Makeup Geek shadow in "Envy" and used this color to really deepen the crease. After I was happy with the intensity, I took a clean blending brush to help blend the colors seamlessly, reapplying "Sea Mist" as necessary to keep the color vibrant. Finally, I applied the Makeup Geek shadow in "Rockstar" on the inner third of the lid, as well as the inner corner and the brow highlight.

To add some more variety to the look, I applied the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Shadow Pencil (which is discontinued, but essentially just a chubby stick version of the original Glide-on Liner Pencil) in "Delinquent." I also lined the inner water line with the NYX Slide On Pencil in "Pure White" to give me an innocent, doll-like appearance. 

Since I wasn't exactly going for the "natural" look, I used the Makeup Geek shadow in "Envy" to fill in my brows. This is a very subtle touch, but in the right light, it is noticeable! From here, I just applied a few coats of mascara to both my upper and lower lashes.

For the skin, I applied my foundation as usual. Since I used a blue-green shadow on the lid, I really made sure to brighten up under my eyes with concealer to assure that I didn't give myself a blue-ish tone to my undereyes. From here, I moved on to the rest of the face, which was actually pretty simple. 

For the gems, I used these rhinestones that I bought from Joann Fabrics and Crafts, and applied them where I would normally apply my cheek highlight, using Duo Clear-White Lash Adhesive. Then, I applied these amazing lashes that I found at Walmart (which I seriously wish I could find online), that had these beautiful pearl accents. For my cheeks, instead of applying a traditional blush, I used the Makeup Geek shadow in "Sea Mist" and applied this the way I would a normal blush. Another great thing you could do is use a piece of lace as a stencil to create a scale-like effect on the cheeks, but unfortunately I couldn't find a piece of lace that I was happy with.

Finally, on the lips I applied MAC "Shy Girl," for that natural, nude look. However, if you decide to turn this into an alien look, I would recommend going with something like Kat Von D "Poe" or even something like the Urban Decay liner that you used earlier!

- D. 

Lorac Pro Palette 2 Look #3 - Galactic Mermaid

Okay so the story behind this look is that, when I first did it, I was wearing these awesome nail strips that had like fish scales on them. This look is hardly mermaid inspired, but the combination of the navy and the silver definitely remind me of a spacey kind of look! I also paired this eye look with two different lip colors, depending on what you're feeling. This is my last look of this series, and without a doubt my favorite!

I started out this look the same way as the first two looks in this series, using the Lorac Behind the Scenes Eyeshadow Primer. Then with my Lorac Pro Palette 2, I took the color "Cool Gray" on a blending brush, and blended this through the crease. Then I took "Light Brown" and blending "Cool Gray" out, to make the transition even more seamless. For the lid, I used the color "Navy" on a flat stiff brush, and patted it on the outer third and the inner third of my lid. Be very, very careful with this color. It has a lot of fall out, so be sure to tap off the excess before applying it to the lid, otherwise you'll have color all over your under eye area, and a terrible time attempting to blend the shadow. Don't bother blending out the crease yet. We'll come back to that in a moment. 

To create that three-dimensional look, I took my Mac Fix+ and spritzed my brush before applying "Silver" to the center of the lid. This really helps the color apply vibrantly. Then, I took "Silver" again, dry, and blended in between the "Navy" and "Silver" shadows to create a gradient effect. From here, I took a clean blending brush, and began to buff out crease.

Honestly, the key to this look is patience. You will have to go back in with "Navy" a few times to keep it super intense, and just keep blending. If you seem to be having trouble, go back in with "Cool Gray" and really work it into the crease. This will help everything along. I also took "Light Brown" again when "Cool Gray" became more intense than I wanted, and blended that out as well. I probably spent a good ten minutes just blending and reapplying color till I got the right look! 

Once everything was blended to my liking, I took "Black" on a pencil brush and tapped it into the outer corner, just to add even more depth. I also feathered it into the crease, but made sure not to apply any more than what was already on the brush. 

On the lower lash line, I used "Navy," and stopped at the inner corner. To really brighten up the inner corner and keep the dark colors from closing everything up, I took "Snow" and highlighted the inner corner and blended it upward into the darker shadows. I also took my Milani Liquid Eye Pencil in "Black" and lined my upper and lower waterline, as well as lining my upper lashline before blending it out with a small pencil brush. To clean up the brow highlight, I took my Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in "Nude" and lined under my brows, blending downward so there wouldn't be a harsh line. I then set the nude pencil with the color "Buff."

For my lashes, I used my Ardell 110 Lashes, and since they were on their last legs anyways, I curled them in with my natural lashes and applied both my Maybelline The Mega Plush Mascara and my Maybelline The Rocket Mascara, to really pump up the volume. I also added these two mascaras to my lower lashes.

For my face, I followed the same steps as my face routine post, skipping the cream blush step. I also applied "Banana" from the Anastasia Contour Kit under my eyes to help brighten things up, since the navy blue shadow can tend to enhance any blueness under the eyes.

For my lips, I chose two options: a nude for a more wearable look, and an oxblood color for when you're feeling a little more dangerous. The nude lip is my go to MAC "Shy Girl," and the oxblood color is Lime Crime's Velvetine in "Salem" with their Opaque Lipstick in "Poisonberry" on top. Another great option for a dark lip would be Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in "Black Cherry."

That's it for my Lorac Pro Palette 2 series! I hope this helped inspire you to use this "neutral" palette in more out-of-the-box ways. It is so versatile and can be used for just about anything!

What was your favorite look of the three in this series? 

- D.