A Tutorial: Holiday Simple & Glam

They say to stick to what you know, whether that be in working, trying new foods, making new foods or, in our case, makeup. So that's exactly what I did, in efforts to create my perfect holiday 'look' I stuck to what I know, simple eyes and a bold lip. It's a clean and simple look; gently highlighting the eyes, sculpting the cheeks, and defining the lips. With just the right mix of simplicity and glam, this is my ultimate makeup routine for this holiday season.

Before you start off, be sure you're working with a clean slate! Exfoliating your skin and treating yourself to a face mask will brighten and smoothen your skin, not only making your makeup glide on, but giving your face a healthy, natural glow. And don't forget to moisturize!

1. Conceal & Prime

Products used: Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Peach (reveiw here,) MAC Pressed Blot Powder in Medium, Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original 

Start off with evening your skin tone. Using salmon toned concealers under the eyes will brighten them and ban those dark circles; don't forget to  set them with a powder to keep them in place. On oily eyelids, eyeshadow can have a hard time staying uncreased and flawless, using an eyeshadow primer will make sure they stay around all day.

2. Highlight the Eyes

Products used: MAC Eyeshadow in Jest, MAC Holiday Collection brush in 239 SE

Begin with applying a light, shimmery eyeshadow across your eyelids and the inner corner. An iridescent shadow will attract the light to your eyes, brightening and awakening them.

3. Deepen & Define

Products used: MAC Eyeshadow in Haux, MAC Holiday Brush in 217SE

To add more definition to your eyes, take a fluffy brush and run it along the crease of your eye focusing on the outer corners. Using a matte or satin finish shadow, gently blend the colour into your crease bone- this will create 'natural' definition and depth to your eyes. 

4. Sculpt and Frame

Products used: Chanel Sculpting Brow Pencil in Blond, Brow shaper, Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

They say brows can make or break a look; done the right way, sculpted brows can frame your face and add just the right amount of definition. To achieve bold brows, fill in the sparse areas to achieve the desired shape, brush through them, then set them in place with some gel. Not only do bold, youthful eyebrows frame you're face- but they are right on trend this season!

5. Outline
Products used: Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner in Brown (review here), Joe Fresh Angled Eyeliner Brush

To further define your eyes and make them, 'pop,' a simple line of eyeliner across your upper lid will thicken your eyelash line while keeping the eyes simple and clean. 

6. Amp Up Your Lashes
Products used: Tweezerman Eyelash Curler, Ardel 116 Lashes, L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara

Eyelashes are my favourite part; nothing can complete a makeup look like long, full, voluminous lashes. Start off by applying eyelash glue to the lashes before curling them, then curl. After waiting a few seconds the glue should be tacky and ready to apply. Balance out the upper and lower lash line by applying some mascara to the lower eyelashes to create the perfect tension within your eyes.

7. A Little Flush 

Products used: Jane Iredale Blush in Tawny, Joe Fresh Blush Brush

Because the eyes are quite neutral- it's important to add some colour back into your face. A matte, mauve blush colour will add colour to your cheeks; yet will be very natural. Gently buff the colour to the apples of your cheeks and lightly dust it along your cheek bones. 

8. Lips for Last

Products used: Blitstex Lip Medex, Annabel Lip Liner in Natural Rose, MAC's Creamsheen Glass in Colour Saturation

No look is complete without the final touch; the lips. Since it's the holidays, I find deep berry colours to be very suitibale for the time of the year. To ensure that the colour lasts all throughout the holiday parties and dinners, start off with a natural lip liner to create a foundation for the colour to stay upon. But don't forget to moisturize before! A thick lip balm will help plump your lips, creating a smooth, moisturized surface to apply the other products on.

And with that, the look is complete! In eight easy steps you have a simple, yet glamourous holiday makeup look that will be suitable for all occasions this season. With fresh skin, illuminated eyes, bold brows, naturally sculpted cheeks and berry lips- this is my favourite, go to look this December.

With Christmas quickly approaching us; I hope you are all getting into the christmas spirit! I myself have been enjoying Songza's 'All I Want for Christmas is Pop!" playlist, as well as the classic holiday movies; Miracle on 34th Street, Christmas with the Kranks, Home Alone to name a few! What have you been loving?

Merry Christmas!

- Madi

A Review: Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder & Swatches

That sun-kissed look is always in, especially during the summer. However having a naturally tan face from those UV rays has it's drawbacks- premature wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation, dark spots, sunburns, and a higher chance of skin cancer.  The obvious solution? Bronzer! With just a quick dust around your face, you'll go from pasty pale to a bronzed goddess in no time. Here to help us in acheiving that is the Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder. 

This product claims to be a, "soft matte, silky-smooth bronzer that instantly gives the skin the look of a natural tan." To acheive that it comes with .28oz or 8g of bronzer coming in 6 shades, but ringing in at $38 US. (Yikes!!) 

First off let's take a moment to admire the packaging. Shiny, black, and sleek. It's very sturdy and easy to clean. It has a very nice closure that makes it very easy to open and close the packaging and the clasp ensures that it won't open unbenounced. The best part? A big and full mirror makes it the perfect on-the-go product. 

Clasp

The colour that I was recommended was 1 Golden Light. It is indeed a matte shade (perfect for contouring) and has yellow tones opposed to red. It is extremely natural on the skin, it as no shimmer or sparkle so it will look beautiful all over the face or just to contour your cheeks and nose. I love this shade, it works in the summer, and isn't too harsh in the winter. For a pale girl like myself, this is definitely my go-to product to gently warm up my face.

The consistency is very smooth, not chalky or excessively powdery. It's one of those miracle products that has a light pigmentation (perfect for a natural bronzed look), but can be built up to a strong colour without looking like a cake fell on your face. The bronzer can grab to dry-er patches of skin, so be sure to moisturize before applying!

I rarely choose to contour my face, I have yet to attempt to master that technique. However, when applying I choose a big, fluffy brush. I find this works the better than a big, dense brush because it lightly dispenses the product evenly over the skin (don't forget your neck!). Another thing that I often use this bronzer for is as a crease colour. I take a fluffy crease brush and run the colour through the crease, it adds more definition to your eyes and looks extremely natural.

Before

After 

After

Before

Another thing that I often use this bronzer for is as a crease colour. I take a fluffy crease brush and run the colour through the crease, it adds more definition to your eyes and looks extremely natural. This bronzer is also long wearing on both the eyes and the face!

Before ( Eyes: Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Barely Branded )

Pro's:

- Light pigmentation (it's a good thing!)
- Easy to build up
- A+ for packaging
- Natural colour
- Used  for contouring and bronzing
- Not powdery, no fall out
- Smooth and easy to apply
- Can be used as eyeshadow



Con's:

- Very expensive
- Can grab to dry skin

After (Mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black, Lips: Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait)

Having a bronzed glow is always nice sometimes, unfortunately to do it the safe way does require more $$$ than the sun does- but investing in healthy skin is something you'll never regret! Admitidly I doubt that I'll repurchase this bronzer (even though I highly recommend it!) solely due to the price, it's a little more than I'm willing to spend. As much as I'd love to repurchase, for next time I'll be searching the drugstores for my next 'tan in a pan.'

-Madi