Cute Makeup Tips

Wow, it's New Year's Eve already! Unfortunately I can't do a lengthy post - gotta get ready and the kiddies to see some friends! Tonight will be a G-rated event for us, but if you're doing something that involves copious amounts of alcohol, loud music and your 4-inch heels here's a hot New Year's Eve look done by my good friend and makeup extraordinaire, Mila Victoria (miss you Melsie!)! Check out her awesome Youtube video for a glittery gold eye.

Since the Makeup Store products are not available in Canada, why not try Canadian company Lit Cosmetics? They have a gazillion colours to choose from including tons of golds in various tones. For instructions on how to apply click here. 

Whatever you're doing have fun and don't drink and drive. Here's to ending 2011 on a high note and starting the new year on an even higher one! Happy New Year's my lovely makeup junkies! 

What's your perfect New Year's Eve look? What's everyone doing?

"Holiday smokey eyes" consists of rich colours in glitzy and shimmery textures. I love metallic finishes and glitter this time of year. Have some fun and bump up a traditional smokey eye with shades of metallic silver, grey, and black with flecks of silver glitter. For those of you who shy away from too much shimmer and glitter, Bobbi Brown has a great palette out this holiday. 

Bobbi Brown Cool Party Eye Palette ($45 USD): Go icy or go sultry, Bobbi's palette will take your day look easily into a nighttime smokey eye. I love gunmetal greys and silvers for a smokey eye. This palette is for cooler skin tones and would look amazing on anyone with fair to medium-dark skin tones. My skin is on the warmer side so I find only the taupe, and the 2 darkest shade really work for me. As long as you mix the darker shades with the lighter ones, warmer skin tones can wear this palette too.

For a sultry smokey eye, start with the darkest shade on the lid. Apply a medium shade to the crease and use the 2 lightest shades as a highlight on the brow bone and the inner corner of the eye. The shadows are long-lasting as well and very well pigmented. 

Gloss d'armani Lip Gloss #101 ($36 CAD): A smokey eye would not be complete without nude lip and a long-wearing one at that. Armani's newest line is a long-wearing gloss that is full of colour. While you're sipping champagne or noshing on some delectable chocolates, you don't want to worry about reapplying your lip colour every hour. When you first apply the gloss, it goes on smooth and non-sticky. But after minutes of applying, the texture starts to feel thicker and a bit tacky. It claims to last for 8 hrs, but it's more like the colour lasts for 6-8 hrs (the drier your lips the longer it lasts I find), and the shine lasts for about 3-5 hours. It's not a liquid lipstick, so as a gloss this is one of the more longer wearing glosses. I really like the angled sponge applicator. It really follows the contours of your lips making the application a breeze. #101 is a nude beige with silver shimmer. It looks gorgeous on the lips especially when paired with a smokey eye. It gives just enough colour so the lips don't look too pale. The shimmer gives good shine and makes the lips appear fuller.

Have you tried these products? 

You may want to skip the mistletoe this year because you'll want to keep these lipsticks on! I adore YSL lipsticks especially the Rouge Pur Couture line (Makeup Junkie Top 5 Lipsticks)! And now they've come out with Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre which is equally as amazing. 

L-R: 

YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Rouge Eros ($30 USD): The original shades have a creamy non-shimmery finish, but Rouge Eros perfect for the holidays, has a subtle shimmery finish to it. This shade brings out more of the cherry undertones on me which I just love. To keep it on longer, apply a lip similar shade or use an invisible liner to prevent bleeding. I prefer it without gloss, but if you want some glossy shine just dab in the center of the lips. 

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre in #110 Fuchsia Symbole ($30 USD): This lipstick has name all over it - literally! The lovely team over at YSL sent me my favourite shade of lipstick - a bright, fuchsia with gold shimmer. I didn't think it was possible but I've fallen even more in love with their new line (and it doesn't hurt that this particular shade has my name on it). It is still well-pigmented but has more slip to it than the original formula. My lips also don't dry out with this lipstick. I especially love the golden undertones and the shimmery finish makes the lips so pretty!

Make these lippies stand out by wearing minimal makeup and keeping the skin looking flawless and radiant. Swipe on a neutral shade on the eyes, define with black liquid liner and tons of mascara. Keep cheeks neutral either with bronze or a pale pink.

Swatches: 

Have you tried these lippies? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Want 'em?

The holiday season is such a fun time for makeup because the packaging is always interesting and beautiful. The colours are sparkling and bold. Holiday parties are a fun time to experiment with some colour! Think outside the typical smokey eye or red lip. Shu Uemura's holiday collection is a great example of how to use some bold yet wearable colours. 

This season Shu Uemura teamed up with internationally renowned film director, War Kong Wai, to create some exciting eye palettes and lip shades. The palettes also feature a cool hologram! While the blue palette was gorgeous, I was immediately drawn to the purple palette. It features 4 shadows, 1 highlighter, and 1 cream blush that can also be used on the lips. The colour payoff is fantastic as usual and you have the option of creating many different looks. If you want something more subtle, use the gold across the lid and apply the cream blush a little heavier on the cheeks and lips. A purple smokey eye will definitely take the original version up a notch. This is definitely a palette to have fun with!

Have you tried Shu Uemura's holiday collection? Love it? Hate it? Want it?

Available at Holt Renfrew locations across Canada. 

I love being me, but I'd like to be her for at least a day. She's the "it" girl everyone wants to know at all the parties. 

If you want her look, you'll need to get your hands on Chanel's very luxe holiday collection. You can't get anymore glamorous than shimmering golds and ruby reds together.

Chanel Glossimer in Sparkle D'Or ($36 CAD): Chanel Glossimers are in my top 5 for glosses. One day I shall do a post of my favourite glosses to wear and to work with! This is definitely a splurge item, but because I use them for work I consider it an investment (I say to myself as I take out my wallet to pay). My stash is slowly growing. I love a lot of different glosses, but the Glossimers give such a dazzling shimmer to the lips it's unlike a lot of the other glosses I own. These are my go-to bridal glosses and just about every bride I've used them on has fallen in love. Sparkle D'Or (not pictured above) is the perfect shimmering gold gloss lovely on its own or added to the center of a red lip or just about any colour.

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss in Triomphal ($32 USD): With the amount of champagne you'll be drinking this holiday, you'll want something that's long-lasting. Not for the faint of heart, these long-wearing liquid lipsticks are richly pigmented with lots of gorgeous shine. The first night I wore this out, I made the mistake of wearing a lip balm and a gloss over top. I wore no lip liner, which was a bad move because it ended up bleeding and feathering. The next time I wore it, I blotted my lips after I applied my balm and used a lip liner first. It didn't budge for hours. Triomphal is stunning and looks more ruby red on me which I love. Looks beautiful with a baby pink cheek and shimmer on the cheekbones.

Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour in Famous (LE, $32 USD): Appropriately titled, 'Famous' will get you noticed. The texture is really moisturizing and applied more like a gloss but with lots of pigment. I was pleasantly surprised because I thought it would look a lot heavier, but it's definitely wearable for day. It has a hint of shimmer which adds nice dimension to the lips. I'm totally in love with the packaging and is so Chanel. The black and gold combination is becoming a slight obsession of mine. The click-open case is wildly entertaining. I sat for minutes popping it open. I wouldn't say this is long-wearing, but it lasts for 4 hrs or so. I didn't find I needed a lip liner with this, but it didn't feather or bleed either even with lip balm. 

Chanel Eye Shadow Duo in Noir/Ivoire ($42 USD): An easy duo for a quick smokey eye. Noir/Ivoire is a classic palette of black-brown and ivory-gold. Creating a smokey eye with this was effortless. Use Ivoire as your base and highlight and apply Noir on the lid. Done! If you want a more classic look that puts the focus on your lips, use Ivoire all over the lid and dampen an angled brush and line your eyes with Noir. The textures go on very smoothly and are nicely pigmented. However, I found I had to layer the shadows over a long-wearing cream base to prevent it from fading. While it is a nice palette that could be considered a staple, this is definitely a splurge item. There are other brands that are much cheaper and have long-wearing shadows.

Chanel Highlighting Powder (LE, $72 USD): The holidays just isn't the same without a magical dusting of shimmer. This ivory mixed with pink and mother-of-pearl finish is a gorgeous highlighter. The design alone will appeal to us Chanel collectors, but even I think it's a little absurd to pay this much for a highlighter. Again, it is Chanel and as much as I love the brand I can't even justify it. But if you have the money or feel like splurging, well be my guest but I'd pass on this one from the collection.

Chanel Le Vernis in Rouge Carat ($25 USD): Red is such a classic shade, but you'll love this festive version. Rouge Carat is a sparkling ruby red with gold shimmer. I love Chanel polishes so I'm willing to splurge on their must-have shades.

Swatches: 

Have you tried Chanel's holiday collection? Do you have any favourites or is this a pass?