Category: eyes

Eyeliner tips with Dior Beauty Waterproof Eyeliner and Diorshow Iconic Mascara

I’ve received so many requests lately for the perfect lined eye tutorial.  I am working on a video, but wanted to give you guys some tips I learned in the meantime.  I was at a Dior event at Neiman Marcus recently, and their artist introduced me to some real headache-savers when trying to create a great lined eye.

The Dior Beauty Waterproof Crayon Eyeliner Pencil is packaged as a pencil.  I adore this as there is nothing better for me than an old fashion sharpening.  But past that, this is no ordinary pencil.  The consistency is a creamy gel with none of that dryness you find with a waterproof formula.  The reason waterproof is important here, is the first step to the lined eye is application on the inside of the lashes.  The only thing that will really stay is something that can withstand the natural wetness of your eye.   I never use the blending brush on the other end, although I supposed it is nice to have.  The included sharpener definitely is the one that works best for the pencil.

So your first step is to rim the entire eye with Dior Beauty Waterproof Crayon Eyeliner Pencil. On the inside of your upper lashes, place the pencil at the base of the lashes and stroke the eyeliner on each lash moving away from the eye.   On the inside of the bottom lashes, edge the pencil along the very base of the lashes from corner to corner.  Connect the bottom and top line at the very outer corner of your eye.  This is an easy way to get a good, even line without irritating the eye.  Blinking will also help blend the two lines.  You can stop here if you want a neat, daytime tight-line look.

Next, make a line on your bottom lash line, just below your lashes. Don’t worry about getting it perfect.  When using Dior Pencil, it will do the work for you.   This is where you establish your wing.  Using the exact angle at the end of your bottom lash line, just extend slightly towards the brow.  I like to make my wing approximately fourth of an inch.

Line your top outer lash line, again just along the lashes but this time along the outer edge.  Connect the top line with the end of the wing you created with your bottom lash line.   Keep the line fairly thin on the inner half of your eyes while very slightly increasing thickness to meet the end of the wing.  The great thing about this liner, it is works wonderful with all three tasks and will last throughout the evening.

Of course, we can’t forget mascara.  Dior’s Diorshow Iconic Mascara blew me away.  It is a great fit for my lashes.  It creates the perfect curve and adds tremendous length.  It isn’t as thick and clumpy as others, so my lashes still look individual in their volume.

I’m all for being adventurous in color, but for this look nothing but Diorshow Iconic Mascara in Noir and Dior Beauty Waterproof Crayon Eyeliner Pencil Trinidad Black would do the line justice.

 

 

 

Friday Finds

This week I was reunited with some old favorites and discovered new gems.  Here’s a taste of some of the highlights in honor of the weekend.

1.  Butter London – Limited Edition 3 Free Lacquer in Bluey (in lamplight looks like a holiday evergreen)

2.  W3LL People Cosmetics (more to come on them in the near future – local Austin company)

3.  Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural Mascara (a natural mascara that actually works for $10.99)

4.  Solar Rx Cosmetic Moisturizer Sunblock (uses simple natural ingredients to get maximum physical protection)

Yves Saint Laurent Eye Brighten Trick

As we enter the swinging holiday season, I am prepping for late nights finishing up work before vacation (okay, and maybe some holiday festivities and cocktails).  Sadly, this leaves me with puffy, tired looking eyes.  So I know my new found trick is going to be put to good use in the next couple of months.

I already had the requisite pen of Touche Eclat on my vanity (every makeup junkie does).  But it is even better mixed with a pea size amount of Yves Saint Laurent Temps Majeur Eye.  Temps Majeur Eye has luminescence, so it does double duty as part of my makeup routine.  On its own, it brightens the eye (while battling dark circles, puffiness and fine lines).   With the highlighting power of Touche Eclat, your get that extra radiance.   I like to also add a swipe of Touche Eclat down my nose and right under my brows.   I have fair to medium skin and use No. 2 Luminous Ivory.   Well rested, festive look all in all!

 

Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eye Liner

I am madly crushing on the classic look with a nod to retro style for makeup these days.  And no one does classic like Laura Mercier.  One of my old favorites is the Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eye Liner in Black Ebony.  I spray some Shu Uemura Depsea Water Facial Mist in Bergamot on the Laura Mercier Flat Eyeliner Brush.  Some recommend working the liner into a paste, but I prefer swiping the brush in the cake to get more of a gel.  Instead of drawing the liner across the lash base, tuck the brush into the lash roots.  I usually start on the top side of lashes, but you can also line the underneath of the root.  Move the brush along the lash line, tucking at each stop.  The final product is subtle, but defining.  For a little more drama, reapply.  This also makes the line a little more solid.

If you use Laura Mercier Eye Colour, you can pop out the liner and keep everything together in a three or six-well custom compact for a customized color palette.

Avon Eyeliners

Watching a makeup tutorial the other day, I was blown away by the Avon eyeliners, particularly for application right in the lash line.  I had to try them out for myself.  I test-drove the MVPs of their extensive liner lineup – Extra Lasting liner and glimmersticks.

Extra Lasting is a classic liquid liner.  For the full inky line, it requires two swipes.  But I actually find this preferable.  You are able to correct and customize the line.  After a minute or two of drying time, this liner is NOT budging.  You absolutely get the promised 12 hours of wear. In fact, this rivals the staying-power of any liner I’ve tried, no matter the price point.  It took quite the scrubbing with eye makeup remover to get this swatch off my hand.  Extra Lasting liquid liner is $9.

Glimmersticks are a retractable, self-sharpening pencils.  They don’t have the staying power of the liquid liner, but are pretty impresive for a pencil.  These are perfect for a smudged eye line and dramatic lashes.  These are now on sale for $2.99 – perfect excuse to pick up all five colors.

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow 4.0 The Truth

I am back on the Bare Escentuals bandwagon! Bare Escentuals’ new bareMinerals READY™ Eyeshadow 4.0 is bringing me back to a brand I thought I had grown out of 10 years ago.  I haven’t used Bare Escentuals since my San Francisco days when I had a store just down the street from my apartment.  I loved their mineral makeup, especially for my early-20s skin, but once my skin moved into its drier stage, I started experimenting with other brands.  Thanks initially to a really catchy song on the commercial, bareMinerals The Truth Eyeshadow Quad gained a place on my vanity,

The Truth quad is a subtle, neutral palette.  The shades, Serendipitous, Magnetism, Fate, and Apropos, are a graduated range of taupe that would do well on a wide range of complexions.  I have been laddering the shades from lash line to brow, darkest to lightest.  Blending the adjacent shades, you can achieve this really natural looking, smokey eye.  The shades are a perfect balance between matte and iridescence, making it perfect for day time wear.

The powders have a smooth, creamy texture, powdered with SeaNutritive Mineral™ Complex.  This stuff, oddly, contains cold-pressed borage oil, caffeine and cucumber.  I never thought I would get excited about “borage oil” but, along with these other antioxidants, it can depuff the eye area.  So the creamy powder can actually make your eyes look revitalized from the inside out!