NARS at the 2014 Met Gala

I love looking at the dresses from the Met Gala. If only I could be a fly on the wall at the actual event!

Two beautiful stars looked fabulous wearing NARS this year. Here are the details from their look....

SARAH JESSICA PARKER

NARS worked with celebrity makeup artist Leslie Lopez to create SJP's look for the Met. "Her makeup look is a modern version of something we'd see from the 1950s," says Lopez. Here are the products she used to achieve this look:

 - Giove Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow (new for summer 2014)

 - Via Veneto Larger Than Life Eyeliner

 - Adelaide Illuminator

SOLANGE KNOWLES

NARS worked with celebrity artist Benjamin Puckey to create Solange's look. After seeing her dress, Benjamin decided that her focus should be her eyes. Here are the products he used:

 - Subra Dual - Intensity Eyeshadow (new for Summer 2014)

 - Siam Matte Multiple

 - Isola Bella Satin Lip Pencil 

MAC Smoky Eye with Gilded Night

Girls night was never complete unless my girlfriend Kelly was there to do the makeup! Kelly is one of my best girlfriends dating back to middle school. Not only is she a great person and friend, but she's also a talented makeup artist! I was so excited to ask her to do a guest post...and even more excited that she said yes! Take it over, Kelly.....

MAC Gilded Night

I’m a MAC girl. I like to use a mix of products but primarily, you’ll find MAC dominating my makeup case. So, naturally, when Angela asked if I would sample MAC’s mineralize eye shadow in GILDED NIGHT, I jumped at the chance. Plus, what woman doesn’t like to be a girly girl and play with makeup? 

Before & After

MAC’s mineralize shadows are two complimentary colors baked together in the same palette—the best of both worlds. GILDED NIGHT—is a sassy duo for a date night or your upcoming holiday party. It’s a sparkling sophisticated mix of black and gold and I love that combination. This summer, I wore an all-black dress and gold jewelry for my brother’s wedding. Hot to trot ladies. 

The look is simple and will take you less than 10 minutes. I started by applying a primer to my eyelids. Next, I applied the gold tone in the mineralize palette using a tapered blending brush—if you don’t have good brushes ladies, invest. Applying makeup with a good brush can make all the difference. After applying the gold, I smoked out the corner of my eye with the charcoal color in the palette. If you’ve never done a smoky eye, there are lots of tutorials on YouTube that can help—the main idea is to start with a small amount of the color and blend, blend, blend, adding slowly more and more until you achieve the darkness that you want. Nobody wants to look like a clown!

After the shadow, I applied, MAC’s Graphblack Technakohl liner. I always put shadow over my liner as well to set it—the powder sets into the kohl making it last longer—especially for those of us with an oilier skin base. Finally, I applied mascara to complete the eyes.

Always do your eyes first before applying your foundation. You don’t want clumps of shadow dust getting stuck in your foundation. After applying my mineral foundation, I finished off the look with some color in my cheeks with MAC’s SWEET AS COCOA, and my favorite MAC gloss, GIRL’S DELIGHT. Now all I need is the date! 
 --Kelly

Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.

Best Eyeshadow Primers

In my opinion, eyeshadow primer is a must when applying makeup. I can't get through a day of work, even in an air conditioned office, without my eyeshadow creasing. Here are my favorite primers that save me from the dreaded crease....

I'm totally obsessed with Lime Crime's Eyeshadow Helper. If you work all day or night, or you're going out for a night out, you're going to want to ensure your makeup stays put, including your eyeshadow. I hate when it creases up! Lime Crime's Eyeshadow Helper works insanely well. I purchased this last summer while in NYC and my eyeshadow didn't move in 100 degree NYC subway heat!

I've had this for about 6 months so far and I still have over half of the product left. A little goes a long way. I only use a small amount on each eyelid, all the way up to my brow bone. Once applied, it dries very quickly in a neutral matte color. I would wear this even when I'm not planning on adding eyeshadow, to give me a more awake look. When I purchased this back in August, the packaging was a little Tiffany blue dome (pictured above). Since then, they changed their packaging into a squeeze tube (left). Although I haven't tried the new packaging, Lime Crime claims it's the same formula and you get 40% more. It retails at $16.99 and it's worth every cent. LimeCrimeMakeup.com

Votre Vu Lingerie Pour Les Yeux is another favorite of mine. I don't use this as a primer if I'm applying shadow, only as a shadow replacement. I use this more for when I'm running out the door somewhere, without time to put on makeup, and I sweep it over my eyes to make me look more awake. It visibly helps minimize lines too (not permanently, just while it's on). I also like using it under my eyes to help conceal my dark circles. I usually use this when I roll out of bed for an early AM workout. It comes in two different shades, light and medium. You can purchase this on VotreVu.com. It retails at $29.


Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion was the first ever primer I tried (thanks for recommending Justine!). It works well as a primer and by itself. Urban Decay has seen such success with this product that they created several other shades, some that even have a pop of color and can be worn alone. The only downside is the packaging. It's hard to tell how much you have left. It would be a crisis to be at the end of the tube and not have primer in the AM (half joking). It retails at $20.

 

What's your favorite eyeshadow primer? I'm always open to trying new ones!

 Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.

Hard Candy line at Walmart

I use to save up babysitting money when I was younger to buy Hard Candy nail polish at Marshall Fields (now Macys). I was too young at the time to appreciate the quality of the nail polish, and was more impressed that each bottle came with a funky, colorful ring.

Now, you can buy this same product, same package and funky, colorful ring, at Walmart. I was lucky enough to try out the Kaleyedascope Eyeshadow in Make Believe, Blush Crush in Honeymoon, Plumping Serum in Girl Next Door and the Just Nails nail polish, pictured, in Mr. Wrong. The line also carries body shimmer, mascara, eye liners, lipstick and more.



The shadows are great. I've only tried them out dry, but apparently they create a more dramatic look when applied wet. The shadow duos come in fun color combinations and retails for $6 at Walmart.com.
I LOVE the blush. It gave a super natural flushed look. It has a swirl of shimmery highlighter in it so I looked dewy, but not too overdone. It reminds me a lot of NARS Orgasm blush, but with softer highlights in it. It retails for $7 at Walmart.com.

The Plumping Serum lipgloss is awesome. No stinging involved in this plumping, just the illusion of fuller lips. The gloss I received is sheer, so I'd like to give this a try in a color that will stand out more. Has a slight minty feel to it, and looks really good over a lipstick. Retails at $6 at Walmart.com.

The nail polish, of course, is classic. All colors are super unique. With a base coat, two color coats and a top coat, this lasted about 4-5 days (while washing dishes w/o gloves) and was easy to touch up in between. The nail polish retails for $5. Don't forget to wear the matching ring :)

Overall I'm super impressed with this line. If you're looking to add a new product to your makeup collection, something new, something funky, start here. I hope more makeup brands follow Hard Candy's steps...a quality line moving to an affordable outlet.


Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.

Eyeshadow Break - Urban Decay Primer Potion

I received a generous sample size of this from Sephora, and a full size one is on my wish list for Valentine's Day. I have oily eyelids, and have always struggled with keeping my eyeshadow on for a full day at work. A little bit of this on each eyelid, each morning, keeps my shadow on throughout the day. It feels like a soft powder once it's on my eyelids. I use it even when I'm not wearing eyeshadow, to give my lids a nice, soft, neutral matte finish. It definitely is a magic potion.