LOTD: 1950's Bombshell!

Hey guys,

I am posting this against my better judgement; I believe in showing all kinds of experiments, whether I'm thrilled with the results or not. I went and saw "My Week With Marilyn" a couple of weeks ago, and was really intrigued by Michelle Williams' makeup; they really nailed the Marilyn Monroe look, and I know a lot of that is due to her makeup. So, I went down the Google rabbit hole and read up on Marilyn Monroe's makeup tricks. Most of the websites I consulted (I should have bookmarked them or something! If you're interested, just google it, and I'm sure you'll find plenty of tutorials and tips) all had the same set of information. Apparently, Marilyn Monroe's makeup artist, Whitey Snyder, employed all sorts of tricks to sculpt her face and make it look nicer on film. He highlighted and contoured heavily, re-drew her lips entirely, and perhaps even used a secret combination of wax to build them up. Blue-red lipstick was apparently a must because of the way red showed up on film, and a darker red liner and lipstick on the edge of the lip, and lighter red and gloss in the center made them look extra luscious and curvy. A thin line of gold eyeliner above her dark brown liner apparently helped brighten her eyes, and liner on the bottom lash that mimicked the shadow of her lashes, rather than following the lower lashline, helped contribute to her signature bedroom eyes.

So, I had a few hours to play the other day, and decided to go all out and spackle on the makeup! I didn't mean this to be a literal re-interpretation of Monroe's makeup style, but I thought it would be fun to try out some of these tricks and see what the result was. So, rather than calling this a Marilyn Monroe look, it's just a look inspired by her signature 1950's bombshell persona.

THE GOODS:

I used way too much stuff. I just kept layer and adding on until I decided it was what I wanted.  I know I usually describe how and where I put color when I list it, but I'm not going into detail this time. Let me know if you guys miss this or not; I know some of the color placement is obvious, and other aspects depend on your face shape. However, if you like knowing how I use individual products, I'll be happy to add it back in. Who knows, maybe this will keep me up nights and I'll start doing it again on my own.

Face: Almay Primer, MUFE Face & Body Makeup, Benefit High Beam (around eyes and above eyebrows), Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion in Flash (on cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose), Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in  Pink Frosting, Bobbi Brown concealer (around jaw), MUFE HD concealer (under eyes and on face), NYC loose powder, Benefit Georgia (across cheeks and up to hairline), Benefit Hoola (to contour nose, around the jaw, cheeks, and temples),  Hard Candy Blush in Pin Up (top of cheek, around eye area), Benefit Blush in Coralista (apple of cheek), NARS blush in Douceur (bottom of cheek),

Eyes: NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base, Stila Smudge pot in Kitten (lashline to brows), theBalm Shady Lady eyeshadow in  Devilish Danielle (from lashline through to above the crease), Revlon Matte in Vintage Lace (to help blend), Revlon Matte in  Rich Sable (in crease), UD eyeliner in Stray Dog (bottom lash shading), Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara, Anastasia Eyebrow Gel in Caramel, Prestige Brow Pencil in Light/Medium, Clinique Color Surge eyeshadow in  Sugar Sugar  (to highlight and used wet on highlight of lid), E.L.F. eyeshadow in  Pebble (in crease), Sonia Kashuk eyeshadow in  Leather and Lace (lighter half on lid), Sephora Doe-eyed felt tip liner in black (top lash line), Benefit High Beam (between top and bottom liner on outer corner of eye), Revlon Luxurious Color eyeliner in Antiqued Gold (on top of black liner).

Pink Lip Look: MAC Bombshell lipstick with Hard Candy clear gloss on top (from lip tattoo duo in Barely There).

Red Lip Look: Rimmel 1000 Kisses liner in Wine (to re-draw lipline and help shadow the edges of the mouth), MUFE lipstick in Moulin Rouge all over lip, then blotted; Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Really Red around the edges of the lip, NARS Jungle Red in the center of the lip, a bit more of Moulin Rouge applied to brighten the lot. A dab of Clinique Color Surge eyeshadow in Sugar Sugar in the center of the bottom lip, topped with Hard Candy Mouthing Off Sheer Lip Shine in Drama Queen, and a bit of Benefit High Beam along the top of the cupid's bow.

I feel like I pulled a lot of older things out of my collection to do this! I've had that Clinique eyeshadow for more than a few years now...

So. Why don't I think this look was a "success"? All of this layer and contouring might work for film, not so much for real life. And the red lip look was a disaster. I don't like re-drawing my lip line, even though it seems to have been a fairly standard technique in many vintage makeup looks. I'm not sure if my lip line is more topographically significant on my face than most people's or what, but I look like a drag queen. I'm not kidding you. I look like an extra campy drag queen in these photos. I'm beginning to understand why some sort of a top-secret lip wax may have been involved in Marilyn Monroe's signature look; I feel like I could have used a layer of something to help mask my natural lip line. At any rate, I tried to emulate Monroe's signature lip shape by de-emphasizing the cupid's bow, widening the peaks, and rounding the outer edges of my lips.

That being said, I think a toned-down version is great for a classic makeup look; in fact, the next day I did wear a toned down version of this look, which I'll post here for you. I also took pictures with two different lip looks; an ultra- feminine pink lip (in MAC Bombshell, what else?) and the aforementioned bombshell red lip. This is the sort of eye look that is conducive to a bunch of different lip looks; a nude could modernize this face a lot, while all sorts of pinks and reds are great for a 1950's pinup look.

Here's the look!

Pink Bombshell Look!

With flash, so you can see some of the contouring better:

My Pin-Up Eye

The pink lip:

MAC Bombshell with gloss

And here is the look with the heavily contoured red lips. This was a really interesting technique; I might try it again without re-drawing my lip line. I couldn't tell that I'd used 7 lip products to get this result, but my lips really did look much more "3-D" (I know, I know... it's real life, they are 3-D! But you know what I mean...). They looked fuller and more rounded, and not just the shape around the edges; they appeared to come away from my face more in the center, if that makes any sense. Hopefully you'll kind of be able to get the gist from the pictures; click to enlarge them if you are really curious!

1950's Pin-up Makeup!

A bunch of different red lip colors and highlighters

So there you go! My play-day take on a 1950's, Marilyn Monroe inspired bombshell look. I'm not 100% happy with this; I think if I were to do it again, I'd try to make it even more literal, or I'd try to put my own twist on it and just emphasize a couple of the key features that work for me. Keep your eyes peeled for my everyday version of this look that I actually wore out the day after I experimented with this!

Zoya Promotion & My Nail Polish Collection

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to make sure you guys knew about a promotion that Zoya is running that ends tonight at midnight Eastern time; if you make any purchase, you can get a free nail polish from their collection of reds, and free shipping! This means you could basically get two polishes for the price of one, plus free shipping, or get a small size of nail polish remover and a free nail polish with free shipping... Here's the post on Nouveau Cheap, where I found out about this offer; she's got some more details for you. If you haven't tried Zoya's nail polishes, this is a great opportunity to check the company out. Unfortunately, it is my understanding that they don't ship internationally, so you have to be in the US.  I went through my collection and pulled out all of my Zoya polishes to make sure that I don't get doubles of anything. In fact, I haven't even quite convinced myself to place an order, but considering I love red nail polish and I have a list of Zoya polishes I'd like to get, I think I probably should. You might disagree with me after seeing my collection, however...

Yes, that is a cosmetic bag, a shoe box, and a train case full of nail polish. All of my Zoya polishes are lined up to the left of the shoe box; believe it or not, I've managed to never pay full price for any of those! I sent in old nail polish bottles when they were doing their annual earth day promotion, and just had to pay shipping to exchange the old nail polishes for any of their new polishes. The old polishes you send in don't have to be Zoya brand, and can be any size. They do this each year, so I will give you all a heads up if I hear about the promotion beginning!

Obviously, I have plenty of nail polish... Luckily, it's the sort of thing that never "spoils". I've had a couple dry out to the point where I don't know if I can save them, but that is unusual. If you buy nail polish thinner, you can restore old polishes as good as new. I know a lot of people will tell you to add nail polish remover, but if you want your polishes to last, don't do that! Nail polishes thicken up when a chemical in them evaporates. Nail polish thinner is composed of that chemical, and so it restores them to their original state. Nail polish remover, on the other hand, breaks down nail polish. This will thin it, but in the long run, it will also destroy it. It's worth investing in a nail polish thinner if you have a large and aging collection; it's very inexpensive at beauty supply stores, and you generally only need a few drops to get a bottle as good as new!

So, are you guys nail polish fanatics? I can't get enough; a fun shade on my nails can make my day, and getting a new nail polish is a relatively inexpensive "splurge" that I get stupid-excited over. I don't know if you can tell from the photograph, but about half of my nail polish collection are drug-store brands like Revlon, L'Oreal, and Sally Hansen. I have some China Glaze, some Zoya, some Essie, and some OPI polishes as well, but very few really high-end brands. There just isn't enough of a difference to me in formula to convince me to spring for an $18 bottle of polish if I can get a similar color for $8, or even $3. Have you guys found a difference in quality between price brackets? I have very bad nails to begin with, so everything chips on me after just a couple of days, but I know some people find a few brands that really wear like iron on them.

 I love nail polish talk! I'm going to try to remember to take photos of my manicures more often and share them with you guys. My favorite shades are vampy burgundies, classic red creams, gunmetal metallics, smoky purples, and glittery pinks and reds. Lately, I've been trying to branch out and find more demure nudes for busy weeks when I can't touch up my nails every other day. I've never been big into neons or green and blue nail polishes, although I do have a few. That being said, I am a big fan of pale blue and turquoise polishes! What are your favorite brands and shades of nail polish? Do you tend to keep polish on your nails? Mine are too weak to go without, and the whites of my nails are uneven and ugly from years of breaking, so I hate wearing clear and very sheer polish.

Prestige: My Biggest Lashes!

I may have found my HG mascara. Exciting, right!? Mascara is one of those things that for some people is a no brainer; they buy a drugstore favorite and love it as much as any higher-end mascara they've ever tried, or can't tell the difference. I have always been envious of those people! I don't know if it's a difference in body chemistry or the natural state of my lashes, but I have bad luck with popular formulas. The Maybelline and Cover Girl stand-bys have never worked for me; they get clumpy or flaky or they just don't make my lashes look volumized or longer. DiorShow is beautiful on, but (aside from the obvious issue: the cost) it flakes on me! Benefit Bad Gal was a long-time favorite, but after awhile I realized it wasn't giving me lashes that were as impressive as I wanted. I tried one of the Sephora sets that had 15 or so trial-sized mascaras in it, and fell in love with Fresh Supernova mascara. It's still a favorite of mine; it gives me lightweight, soft lashes that are defined, but more natural looking than I prefer. L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes gives me gorgeous, dramatic lashes, but it flakes when it's new, and my lashes are pretty crispy with it. Likewise, Lancome Hypnose, a favorite from years ago, didn't do it for me once I returned to try it out again.  I've been bouncing around between formulas for quite awhile, unable to find one that had it all.

What exactly was I looking for in a mascara? I wanted one that would lengthen, define, and volumize without flaking, clumping, or getting crunchy. I was also hoping to find one at a drugstore price-point; I know a lot of people say it's something you shouldn't have to spend department store prices on, even though in the past I'd had better luck with pricier formulas. Finally, I have somewhat sensitive eyes, and a lot of drugstore mascaras would make me feel like I perpetually had something in my eye. I read a rave review of Prestige My Biggest Lashes mascara on Nouveau Cheap's blog and decided to give it a shot. Prestige isn't a brand I'd paid much attention to, but I had recently bought an eyebrow pencil from them on a whim that I loved, so I thought I'd go for it.  G. (the blogger behind Nouveau Cheap) seemed to have the same concerns regarding mascara that I did, which made me really think that this was a mascara worth trying out if she loved it. Lo and behold, it's amazing! I think it's very comparable to Fresh's Supernova mascara, or Clinique's High Impact mascara with just a hint more drama. It might not be false-eyelashes amazing, but it's everything I want and need in a mascara. Although I probably should figure out how to use false eyelashes one of these days!

You can find Prestige at Rite-Aid and Bed Bath & Beyond; I got my tube of mascara at Rite-Aid, but realized it was about a dollar cheaper at Bed Bath & Beyond. Oh well, live and learn! It comes with .46 ounces of product, and you should be able to find it for right around $6, depending on where you purchase it. I bought mine in Very Black, and it gives me soft, defined lashes that are lengthened and volumized. They also have formulas specifically for lengthening and darkening lashes; if I get bored with My Biggest Lashes, I might try layering their formulas for an even more dramatic look! The brush is pretty big, and it has fibrous bristles (as opposed to a rubber wand), which I like. I always poke myself in the eye with rubberized wands, and I don't think they tend to give the most dramatic effect on my lashes. The brush itself is pretty big, on par with Benefit's Bad Gal.

Here are some pictures of the tube and the brush!

Prestige My Biggest Lashes

Very Black! 

My Biggest Lashes' brush

Here are some after eye makeup, before mascara photos: 

And here I am after applying My Biggest Lashes:

Here are some other posts in which I've used Prestige My Biggest Lashes, if you'd like to see how it looks from different angles, or on different days when I may have applied it slightly differently:

You can see more Before Mascara and After Mascara here: http://bowerofblisse.blogspot.com/2012/01/urban-decay-book-of-shadows-vol-iii.html

And here are more photographs of this mascara, applied more heavily on the lower lashes as well http://bowerofblisse.blogspot.com/2012/01/lotd-bette-davis-eyes.html

Finally, if you want to see more photographs of my lashes without mascara, you can see some here: http://bowerofblisse.blogspot.com/2012/02/loreal-infallible-never-fail-makeup.html

Summary:  I really love this mascara! The price is right, and it has all the features I was looking for; it doesn't clump or flake, it leaves my lashes soft, not crispy, and it gives me volumized, lengthened, and defined lashes! If you're on the hunt for a new mascara, I'd really urge you to give this one a try. Even if you aren't looking for a new mascara, but you think you were going to be buying expensive mascara for the rest of your life, this might be a good one to check out! Like I said, I find it pretty comparable to Fresh's Supernova Mascara and Clinique's High Impact mascara formulas. That being said, different mascaras work for different people, so if your mascara concerns are significantly different from mine (or if your body chemistry/ before mascara lashes are significantly different!) you may have very different results. Luckily, lots of drugstores will let you return beauty products that don't work for you; if this is a concern, research return policies before you buy!

Have you guys found a HG mascara, or do you find yourself bouncing around between formulas? What do you look for in a perfect mascara?

Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad in Addictive

I have been really curious to try the new Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quads... I don't know about you guys, but I've been trying to spend less on makeup, and aside from just reducing the amount of makeup I buy, I've also been trying to find drugstore alternatives to higher-end products. In the last couple of years, it seems like a lot of drugstore brands have been releasing improved formulas that really compete with high-end brands, and I've been really very pleasantly surprised! We've seen great eyeshadows from Wet n Wild, amazing mascara from Prestige, some really decent foundation formulas, great cream blushes from Maybelline, amazing matte lipsticks from Revlon, amazing sheer lip butters from Revlon, wonderful glosses and lipsticks from Boots No. 7 and their collaboration with Poppy King, and (I hear; I have yet to try them!) great eyeliners from Milani, among others. I had high expectations for Revlon's reformulated Colorstay eyeshadow quads!

 I've been reaching for subtle mattes and neutral shades a lot lately, and putting more color on cheeks and lips. Unfortunately, I don't actually have very many subtle eyeshadow colors, so I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a couple of shadows to round out my collection. All of my nudes are glittery or very shimmery, and most of my brown shadows are versions of gold or copper. So, when Rite-Aid had all Revlon eye products on sale for $40% off awhile back, and I had a coupon for a couple of bucks off one of the new Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quads,  I picked out Addictive to try. It looked like it would be the most practical set of colors for what I needed to round out my collection. According to Rite Aid's website, these are regularly priced at $7.49, but if you do a little bit of comparison shopping or don't mind waiting, you can catch these on sale or find a coupon. I think I ended up spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $3.50 on mine by stacking a coupon with a sale. These contain .16 ounces of product, divided up between the four shades. I should point out that not all of the colors have equal amounts of product; some of the pans are smaller than the others, which is annoying if the bigger colors are your least favorite, and the smaller ones are the shades you'll use the most!

So, do these eyeshadows live up to Revlon's hype? They're supposed to stay put for 16 hours without creasing, smudging, or fading, be non-irritating, and deliver rich, velvety color. Well... not quite. I didn't even attempt to wear these on my eyes without primer, since swatching them dry with a finger proved they were seriously lacking in the pigment department, so I can't speak to how long they stay without creasing or fading without primer. However, I can say that without primer, they barely show up. With primer, you can get medium pigmentation, and they'll stay put with minimal fading through at least a normal 8-10 hour day.The texture of these shadows is a bit hard and dry (as opposed to richly pigmented, blendable powder shadows that tend to be creamy and velvety). I found that applying them with the foam applicators they came with or with a finger was the best way to get opaque color, but this still wasn't an impressive product. I don't hate it, and I've been using it on and off combined with other shadows, but I'm not going to be picking up any more of these anytime soon. Maybe if I saw another palette getting rave reviews from multiple bloggers, but not based on my experience with Addictive.

Take a look:

Revlon Colorstay eyeshadow; Addictive

 Here's the back, with a diagram of how to use the shades in a look; I did not follow this with mine. Whoops.

The back label! Click to enlarge if you'd like to read the text. 

 And here are the shades themselves; as per the diagram above, 1 is a creamy custard matte with GLITTER (I know, that took me by surprise, too); 2 is a kind of wheat-ish beige with small silver glitter; 3 is a slightly duochromatic greige with a satin finish; and finally, 4 is a a warm matte brown.

Revlon Colorstay in Addictive

 And swatches! Wait, what happened to 1....? The glitter all fell out, and the shade itself is too sheer and light to show up. I swatched these heavily, dry, with my finger; left to right they are 2,1,3, and 1. You can't really see 1...

Left to Right: 4, 2, 3, 1 

 And here I am wearing the eyeshadow quad; I have 2 from lashline up through and slightly above the crease, 3 on the lid, 4 on the outer corner and into the crease, and 1 on the inner corner and under the brow bone. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion as a base under these eyeshadows. I am also wearing Prestige's My Biggest Lashes mascara in Black, and Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Stray Dog.

Wearing Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad in Addictive on my eyes 

Look with Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow in Addictive

Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad; Addictive

Summary: This is a mediocre eyeshadow formula. If you want a soft neutral brown and beige look, this is a fast and easy way to get a coordinating eye look with very little fuss. However, the pigmentation in these is seriously lacking; I am wearing the colors as dark as they'll get when layered dry. That being said, I don't hate this palette; it's an easy and soft look, just not what I was expecting from a product called "Colorstay" that promises it won't fade for 16 hours. I could see this palette being a nice, inexpensive, all-in-one work safe look. If there's a set of colors in this line that you like and wouldn't mind wearing sheer, and you get it on sale, go for it; however, if you're on the fence or are expecting highly pigmented shades, I'd pass on these.

FOTD: Fast, Pretty, and Polished!

Yesterday Stephanie C. of In Her Makeup Bag posted about 8 products she reaches for when she's running out the door and needs a fast and easy makeup look; well, that was fresh on my mind when I realized I had a little less than 15 minutes until I was supposed to leave the house to get my boyfriend to a haircut appointment on time. I thought it would be a great opportunity to challenge myself and see how my fast and easy makeup routine held up. I managed to throw on some makeup AND photograph it before it was time to leave; considering I also had to dig around my makeup drawers to find the products I had in mind, I don't think that was half-bad! 

Before we take a look at what I used to get myself out the door, I should give you some background on what my goals were. If I really don't have any time, a clean, moisturized face is my only non-negotiable requirement. I am comfortable leaving the house without makeup, although I really prefer not to. It's not that I dislike the way I look without makeup, but I want to give the impression that I take the time and effort to put myself together. I've never been the kind of person to wear sweatpants, and in fact, I haven't even unpacked my sneakers since I moved in October! My "lazy day" uniform is jeans, flats, and a non-t-shirt top. I rarely wear t-shirts. I'm just a dressy, girly kind of person, and for me, makeup completes that look. Because of that, if I have even a few moments, I'll try to put on a couple of products. 

When it comes to picking products to use when in a hurry, a lot of people either try to use the least number of products possible, or pick up multi-taskers. These are great strategies that I employ as well, but I don't hear people talking much about fool-proof products. I don't want to have to fiddle with liquid eyeliner, even if I can wear a graphic cat-eye without any other eyeshadow and have a polished look. Liquid eyeliner takes concentration, a steady hand, and more time than I want to spend. Likewise, I don't want to use anything with a fussy formula, that I might apply too much of if I'm slapping it on in a hurry, or anything that requires non-standard application (water, multiple brushes, etc...). I want to be able to use two brushes, tops, and my fingers as much as possible. I also want something that will stay where I put it, so I don't have to touch-up makeup when I'm already in a hurry. Finally, the products I use have to make me look bright and fresh; I want maximum impact for a minimum amount of time/ effort invested. The goal isn't to look "done up" fast; it's to look polished, pretty, fresh and bright. That was the mindset I was in this morning, and this is what I ended up using: 

Twelve products! This is not the barest-bones makeup I could have done, but it only took me a little bit more than five minutes to put on my makeup, and it would have been less if I'd had all of these set aside in their own drawer (I keep meaning to make an "essentials" drawer in my vanity, but for now it's more of a "catch all"!) or in an "emergency" makeup bag.  You'll also notice I didn't use concealer; if this had been a "low on sleep" rushed day, I would have included that and perhaps jettisoned the eyeliner or eyebrow pencil if I needed the extra time.

Here's what I did: I spread a pump of Almay's primer on my face with my hands (wanted to make sure that everything I put on would stay put and apply smoothly; speed would have backfired if it looked awful!), then mixed a dallop of Benefit High Beam into my Cover Girl Natureluxe liquid foundation, and smoothed that on my face with my hands. Because I wasn't using my usual array of brightening, highlighting, and/or bronzing projects, or any concealer, I relied on the highlighter mixed into my foundation to provide a bit of extra glow to my complexion and texture correction. I dusted on some NYC loose powder, then spread on a thin wash of MUFE's Aqua Cream in 16 from lashline to eyebrow. This worked as a sheer wash of color as well as a crease-proof base that would stay put all day. Then, I used Benefit Dallas on my cheeks, and stuck my finger in there and put some in the crease of my eyes for just a bit of definition. If I'd really been lacking color, I would have also lightly applied Dallas as a bronzer on the sides of my face, on my chin, and across my forehead. I used Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in Stray Dog on my upper lashline; it's a medium brown that does not require precise application, but I wanted just a bit of liner to help define my eyes. I used Stila mascara, my Prestige eyebrow pencil, and my Anastasia brow gel, double checked my face, and realized I needed something to brighten the whole deal up. I added a bit of  Benefit Coralista to the apples of my cheeks, and a swipe of Korres lip butter in Pomegranate (I knew it would do double-duty and moisturize my chapped lips, instead of emphasizing their texture like a lipstick would have).

And there you have it! I used exactly two brushes, a blush brush and a powder brush; I used cheek, eye, and eyeliner in shades and finishes that were forgiving enough that I didn't need to be precise in their application, and made sure the products I used would last all day.

I've definitely done faster makeup than this when I really had no time but felt like I needed to put something on my face, but this is a slightly more polished version that will still only take about five minutes out of your morning. 

What do you guys do when you really want to wear makeup, but only have a few minutes to spare? Are there things you absolutely must use? Specific products? For instance, if I'm in a REALLY big hurry but wearing makeup, I always have on at least powder, blush, eye shadow (always a MUFE Aqua Cream; usually brown or pewter, done heavier towards the lash line that gets sheerer up to the crease), and mascara, but I think after this morning, I might make a "in a hurry bag" that I keep in a drawer that I can reach for and go nuts with. If it saves me a minute of digging through product, that's a minute I can use for loading on more makeup!  Is it sick that I want to set a timer tomorrow morning and see if I can do a 3-minute look...? What have I wrought!?