Mint and purple eyeshadow tutorial

Mint is a popular color this year, and purple, well it's ALWAYS a popular color for me, at least.  I decided to mix the two and see what it looked like.

Products used:
MAC Newly Minted shadow
MAC Digit shadow
MAC Vibrant Grape shadow
Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Graffiti
L'Oreal False Fiber Mascara
MAC Pink Plaid lipstick
MAC right image cremesheen lipgloss

1.  Start by putting an eye primer all over your eyelids and up to the brow in a thin layer.  Then spread Digit (or any light purple shadow) across your eyelid.

2.  Use a small tipped brush to put darker purple in the inner corner (aka inner V) of your eyes.

3.  Next use a crease brush to sweep the same purple shadow into the crease of your eye.

4.  For the outer V of your eye, use the mint shadow.  It may look odd at first, but once you blend the colors it will look gorgeous.

5.  Use a large fluffy eye brush to blend the colors.

6.  Line the upper eye and lower lid with a green mint pencil and smudge the line, if desired.

7.  Coat the under side and top side of the upper lashes with mascara.  If you don't like clumps, comb them out with a mascara comb

8.  Add lipstick in a pale pink (I used a matte pink) and add gloss.

The finished look

Orange for the extrovert

I recently wrote a tutorial about wearing tangerine colors in your make-up without looking too extremely colorful.  This post is more my style - the medium level of color on eyes and lips for someone who doesn't mind being noticed.  (Then there's the avant garde runway version which I might try later just for fun.)
This tutorial has more shadows and more pigmented color on the eyes to match the bold orange lip.  I honestly don't think it's "out there", I just think it's fun.  Try it and decide for yourself.

Products used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Deluxe shadow in Sting
MAC eye shadow in Orange
MAC Fluidline in Brassy
Stila eye shadow in Moonlight
L'Oreal False Fiber mascara
Make up for ever lipstick #201
MAC lip gelee in Orange

This is the finished eye, the goal that each step works toward.  It starts with putting primer on your eyelid.

1.  After the primer dries, brush on your base coat of pink shadow, sweeping it across the lid and extending it out past the corner of your eye. I use a fluffy brush to pick up & distribute the shadow as much as possible.

2.  Add the orange shadow in the inner corner of your eye, then continue brushing it into the crease.  I like using a "crease brush" made especially for this area.  Laura Mercier has great ones.

3.   After putting on your eye brow shadow or pencil, run a spooly brush through them to remove excess powder and brush them into shape.

 4.  For liquid or gel eye liners, a bent tip brush works superbly.  I got mine from ELF Cosmetics, so you don't have to spend a fortune on one.  SOOO worth spending on, though - I love it.  I used MAC's Fluidline gel eye liner in Brassy to line my lids with gold.

5.  Of course, mascara is a must.  There are a lot of good mascaras these days, but I've been a fan of L'Oreal's Voluminous line for years, so that's what I use.

6.  This photo is an almost finished eye.  Can you tell what's missing?

7.  Mascara on the bottom lashes, of course!  It gives my eyes a little more definition.

This is almost the finished look - I just needed to blend the shadows a little bit more and take off any smudges, etc.

Here's the finished eye, shadows blended, etc.

And here are a few photos of the finished look.  The first just have orange lipstick on, then there are some with lipstick and orange gloss (which I think looks better). Also notice the difference the clothes make.  If you're afraid to go overboard with orange, you can wear black and/or grey.  Or, if you don't mind going overboard like me, throw on a shirt with orange in it and a big pink scarf for a super colorful fun look.

Make up for ever orange lipstick, no gloss

lipstick with orange gloss

shirt - H & M (from 2008)

aqua eyes eye shadow tutorial

This is a pretty simple look to apply, since there are only 3 eye shadows involved.  It is a bright color, but if you work in a mostly casual environment (or better yet, a creative one) this is a good look for day.  And it's perfect for spring.

Products used:
Urban Decay primer potion
Maybelline pink petal pearl eye shadow
Cover Girl turquoise tempest eye shadow
Stila moonlight shadow
Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Graffiti
L'Oreal False fiber voluminous mascara
MAC's Creme de la Femme lipstick

I started by putting Urban Decay's primer on each lid.  Then I covered the center of each eye lid with my pinkish-peach shadow.

 I put the aqua shadow in the crease, and a little on each corner of my eye

Next I put a highlighting color under my eyebrow's arch

Then I blended the shadows

I used an Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil in Graffiti to line the upper and lower eye

Then I curled my lashes with a Shu Uemura curler and then got my mascara

L'Oreal's False fiber mascara

I put mascara on each side of my upper lashes.  I put it close to the base of the lash and wiggle it a little bit as I move it toward the end of the lashes

Then I used the edge of the wand to brush mascara on the lower lashes.  If you want to you can use a comb to comb through any clumps once the mascara dries.

Then I put on my foundation, concealer, and lipstick and I was ready to go.

Kudos to Vogue for their "healthy model" pact

Vogue International has made a pact to use models without eating disorders, and ones who are over the age of 16.  I particularly like #5 on their list, which I think is a big problem in the fashion industry.  It used to be that a size 8 was the standard sample size, but I've read that now it is much smaller.  This emphasis on smaller sizes being the "norm" can encourage girls and women to use unhealthy methods to try to get or stay thin.  Especially with access to worldwide media images, the ideal of what a woman should look like is a constant barrage to anyone with a TV, computer, smartphone, or even magazines.
Here are Vogues 6 statements that form their "pact",  courtesy of a press release from Condé Nast International.

1. We will not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder. We will work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image.

2. We will ask agents not to knowingly send us underage girls and casting directors to check IDs when casting shoots, shows and campaigns.

3. We will help to structure mentoring programmes where more mature models are able to give advice and guidance to younger girls, and we will help to raise industry-wide awareness through education, as has been integral to the Council of Fashion Designers of America Health Initiative.

4. We will encourage producers to create healthy backstage working conditions, including healthy food options and a respect for privacy. We will encourage casting agents not to keep models unreasonably late.

5. We encourage designers to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models.

6. We will be ambassadors for the message of healthy body image.