Monthly Archives: December 2016

Bronze eyes and bright lips = Full holiday glam 

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Bronze eyes and red lips are a classic holiday party look.

It’s the holiday season, and that means it’s time to go full glam. Today, we’re going all out with a look that’s definitely not for everyday wear: Its party time, ladies! This look has special occasion written all over it, and it’s just the thing for a festive Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve celebration. Pour yourself a glass of champagne and let’s get started … But first, my usual provisos:

  1. You don’t have to rush out to buy the exact items I used! Dig through your makeup drawers for similar products that will work just as well without causing penury.
  2. Prep your face. You want a smooth, serene canvas for perfect makeup application. That means clean, exfoliated, moisturized and primed skin.

OK, let’s get glam!

Foundation: Fiona Styles Matte Finish Foundation Concentrate. (This is a foundation I began using last week and have been pleased with. It evens out skin flaws and imperfections and is sold at Ulta. Other foundations I like include Josie Maran Vibrancy, Urban Decay All Nighter and Make Up For Ever Ultra HD.)

Undereye Concealer: Judith August Orange Masking Creme, Maybelline Age Rewind. (The Judith August Orange Masking Cream is peachy/orange and I use it to hide blue circles where my skin is thinner at the inner corners of my eyes. I apply it first and then top it off with the more moisturizing Maybelline Age Rewind.)

Undereye Powder: Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder. (Powder can be aging on older skin. I only use powder to set my concealer — and I use a light hand. The Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder adds extra lightness to the undereye area and isn’t drying.)
Eyes:

  1. I mixed Pat McGrath Labs’ Bronze Pigment with Mehron Mixing Liquid and applied two coats on the mobile lid up to the crease. The pigment and mixing liquid are sold at Sephora as part of a set. Other options include silver and gold, and they’re gorgeous!
  2. I applied a medium brown matte shadow to my crease as a transition shade. I used the medium brown from Tarte’s Poppy Picnic Palette, but any medium brown will do.
  3. Next, I used Benefit High Brow to highlight my brow bone. Any light-colored shadow will do, but just use a touch — a little goes a long way — and make sure not to use a metallic shadow.
  4. I used Dior black kohl liner in my upper and lower waterlines. Again, any long-wearing liner will suffice.
  5. No eyeliner today, but I did apply false lashes — Red Cherry Wispies. DO NOT wait until the night of a big event to apply false lashes for the first time. It takes a bit of practice. If you’ve never applied them, opt instead for extra coats of your favorite mascara. I swear by a combination of two Benefit mascaras. After curling my lashes, I first apply Roller Lash and then finish with They’re Real

Blush: Milani Baked Powder Blush in Bella Rosa.

Lipstick: I’m wearing on of my favorite  reds, MAC Red, but go with a red that suits your particular skin tone. If you have thin lips, you might want to choose a pretty rose or nude shade, as very dark or bright shades can make lips look thinner.

Bronzer: Laura Geller Moroccan Bronze, but skip this step if your cheeks have started to hollow naturally. I am older, but still have full cheeks.
Highlight: ColourPop Super Shock Cheek in Monster
That’s it! You’re ready join in the holiday fun, knowing you look your glowing best. Here’s a toast to 2017!

Shining eyes and red, red lips: The classic holiday face 

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Christmas is just a few days away and New Year’s Eve is right around the corner. If you’re looking for a special look with glamour and sparkle, I have one for you. Nothing says winter celebration like shimmer, shine and dark red lips (perfect for under the mistletoe). I’ll give you the details on the products I used, but remember: You don’t have to rush out to buy the exact items! Dig through your makeup drawers for similar products that will work just as well without breaking the bank.

Before you begin to apply makeup, be sure to start with a clean, moisturized face. And don’t forget to apply a good eye cream. I’ve been using the new Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream from It Cosmetics under my makeup. I don’t have a serious problem with wrinkles, except for fine lines under and at the corners of my eyes that show up when I let those areas get dry. The It Cosmetics cream is very moisturizing and brightening. Also, make sure to exfoliate so your skin isn’t flaky. You want a perfectly smooth canvas for your foundation.

OK, once you’ve done your skin-prep work, start your makeup routine by applying a primer. It will help your foundation go on smoothly and stay on longer. I alternate between several, but right now I’m using a Korean primer sold at Sephora called J. One Jelly Pack. It feels sticky at first, but then dries down to feel sort of smoothing and moisturizing.   Here, in order, are the other products I used to create my holiday look:

Foundation: Fiona Styles Matte Finish Foundation Concentrate. (This is a foundation I’ve just started using. So far, so good. It seems to even out skin flaws and imperfections — and that’s important at my age. It’s sold at Ulta.)
Concealer: Judith August Orange Masking Creme, Maybelline Age Rewind. (The Judith August Orange Masking Cream is — yes — peachy/orange and it’s great for concealing  deeper blue circles where skin is thinner at the corners of the eyes. I apply it first and then top it off with the more moisturizing Maybelline Age Rewind.)

Undereye Powder: Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder. (Powder can be aging on older skin. I only use powder to set my concealer — and I use a light hand. The Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder adds extra lightness to the undereye area.)

Eyes:

  • I used the cream portion of Tom Ford’s Cream and Powder Eye Color in Naked Bronze from my mobile lid up to slightly above the crease. The darkest concentration of color should be on the mobile lid, getting gradually lighter until it fades out above the crease. Products similar to Tom Ford’s Naked Bronze are MAC’ s Paint Pot in Indianwood and Maybelline Color Tattoo in And On Bronze.
  • Next, I used my fingertip to press Urban Decay Space Cowboy glitter shadow onto only the mobile lid.
  • I used Benefit High Brow to highlight my brow bone. Any light-colored shadow will do, but just use a touch — a little goes a long way — and make sure not to use a metallic shadow.
  • I lined my upper and lower eyelids with a Urban Decay Heavy Metal Gitter Eyeliner in Midnight Cowboy. Again, don’t go ham. A light touch will suffice.
  • For my eyelashes, I swear by a combination of two Benefit mascaras. After curling my lashes, I first apply Roller Lash and then finish with They’re Real.

Blush: It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombré Blush in Je ne Sais Quoi.

Lipstick: Huda Beauty Matte Liquid Lipstick in Famous. (Again, your favorite deep red or burgundy will do. If you have thin lips, you might want to choose a pretty pink shade, as very dark shades can make lips look thinner.)

Contour: Maybelline Master Contour. (If you are older and your cheeks have started to naturally hollow, skip this step.)

Bronzer: Too Faced Baked Luminous Bronzer in Sweet Tea.

Highlight: Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter Powder in Peach Lights (sold at Ulta in the “drugstore” section).

That’s it! You’re mistletoe-ready! Here’s hoping your holidays are happy, warm and beautiful.

Confessions of a sunglasses junkie

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Looking for a quick way to jazz up an outfit? Reach for a great pair for of sunglasses!

I have to confess that I’m somewhat of a sunglasses addict. I have pairs stashed in drawers and nooks throughout my house and car. And we’re not talking ZZ Top “Cheap Sunglasses.” I get the good stuff, and I usually persuade my dear husband to add to my collection on special occasions. I prefer sunglasses to rings and other baubles and consider them “jewelry for the face.”

When did my sunglasses habit begin? At Myrtle Beach, circa 1992. We took a family trip to the shore and the combination of light-sensitive eyes, contact lenses and inexpensive, non-polarized shades led to months of pain. You’ve heard the term “snow blind?” Well, I was “sand blind.” Somehow the sun’s reflection off the sand burned my eyes. It hurt just to keep my eyes open in the weakest of light for months on end. I was under a doctor’s care and on steroids and all sorts of other medication until my vision normalized. Since then, it’s been all sunglasses, all the time. (Side benefit: My dermatologist says my dedication to tinted eyewear cuts down on wrinkles, as it reduces squinting. She advises women never to go into the sun — even if it’s just to check the mailbox — without sunglasses.)

Right now, I’m contemplating what pair of sunglasses will be on my list for Santa. In the meantime, I’m enjoying my most recent scores: a jazzy, Hollywood-glam pair of Kate Spades that I picked up while post-Thanksgiving outlet shopping with my mom and sister and an ultra-elegant Versace pair that is a souvenir from a girls’ trip — coincidentally to Myrtle Beach — with college friends. In fact, here’s a photo of three of us modeling our finds. That’s Jeannean on the left in Versaces, me in the center, and Jill in Michael Kors.