The Makeup || Casual Summer Evening Makeup

On these hot nights my standard evening makeup look which consists of winged eyeliner and a bright lip can look a bit too overdone. A much more appropriate look is a natural looking lip and a bit of smudgy eyeliner. I've constantly been wearing this look for all low key events, and I even wore it on New Years Eve and on my birthday. 

I start of by priming my face with the Nude By Nature Mineral Airbrush Primer and I contour using the MAC Select Coverup Concealer in NW40 with the Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Contour brush. The Bourjois Happy Light Foundation in shade 51 is stippled across my face using the Real Techniques Stippling brush. The MAC Studio Finish Concealer is then used for concealing. A hint of blush and shimmery highlighter, MAC Pink Swoon and MAC Soft and Gentle respectfully, is then applied to my cheeks. A dusting of the Jurlique Citrus Silk Finishing Powder finishes everything of nicely. 

Eyes are next, and I start by filling in my brows with the MAC Eyebrows in Lingering. I take the Real Techniques Duo Fibre eyeshadow brush and swirl it around in the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. I build this up quite heavily to make quite a smokey effect. Once all the edges are blended out I take an eyeliner pencil, namely the MAC Technakohl Liner in Graphblack and smudge it across the upper lash line. Next I take the same eyeliner and line both my water line and my tight line. I smudge a little into my lower lash line to get a super smokey look. I finish up with by curling my eyelashes with the Shu Uemura eyelash curlers and lashings of the Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara.
Finally lips, because I have gone for such a strong eye look, I need a subtle lip to balance everything out. My choice of late is the YSL Glossy Stain in 107, Naughty Mauve. This is the most amazing lip colour, it's nude based but it has a purple shimmer through it. It's impossible to describe with out it sounding gross. Simply put, it's the perfect nude for my lips, with out looking too brown and boring. 

X Suzy

The Makeup || Evening Base

Yesterday at Uni I was writing an evening makeup post (shhhhh, don’t tell!).  When I hit the second page of a word document, I knew that no one wanted to read a makeup essay. So I have decided to break it up into two sections: base, and eyes and lips. Today I bring you the base component of my evening makeup ritual.

I start off with a clean face. Next I smother on some of the Nude by Nature Undercover Airbrush Primer. This is my primer of choice because it’s natural and non-toxic. My theory behind it is that this will provide a barrier for my skin and all the nasties in my makeup won’t be absorbed. Well I hope so.

Contouring follows, and I like to use the MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in NW40 for this. I take a flat foundation brush and draw two lines down the hollows of my cheeks. Two lines are also drawn either side of my nose for a bit of slimming. Then I take the L’Oreal Magique Lumi highlighting pen and draw a line down the centre of my nose, in-between the two contouring lines. The brow bone, cupids bow and the tops of the cheek bones are also highlighted. At this point, I have some pretty scary looking lines drawn all over my face.

In order to blend these contouring lines out, I need my base. At the moment, I am currently using my “customisable” tinted moisturiser.  I take a dollop of the Grown Organic Alchemist Matte Moisturiser and a dollop of the MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer in NW20. I usually use about half as much of the concealer, but that of course depends on the condition of my skin. I then take a big buffing brush and buff the tinted moisturiser into my skin and blend out the contouring. Start where there is the least amount of contouring, as the brush will get a bit dirty from buffing out the contouring – you don’t want NW40 ending up on your NW20 forehead.

We’re almost done, I promise. Next I take my Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 and conceal any pimples. I also might need some extra concealing under the eyes, which I use the Magique Lumi to conceal. I then take some of the MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle and apply this shimmery highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones. Finally, I dust some of the Jurlique Citrus Silk Finishing Powder through my T-Zone to set it all.

Phew! For a girl who likes her makeup to look natural, that is one extensive base routine. Stay tuned for my evening eye and lip makeup coming soon!

X Suzy