My skin is changing all the time, so I often have to change the products that I am using to go along with it. Currently my skin is rather dry because of the change of season into winter, but because of stress from exams along with other dramas, I have been suffering from a few breakouts!
So this is the skincare routine that I am using at the moment, if you guys have any questions regarding skincare products and what type of skin you have/what products you should be using I would be happy to help :)
Exfoliator:
At the moment I use the St Ives Apricot Scrub for Sensitive Skin as a daily exfoliator, because it is really gentle on my skin and although I don't have sensitive skin myself, I prefer to use more gentle products because I don't want to ruin my skin for when I'm older.
Cleanser:
I use the Avene Soapless Gel Cleanser every morning and night. This is a really great cleanser because it thoroughly cleans the skin without irritating it, and it lasts for sooooo long so it doesn't matter that you might pay a little bit more than what you would for a cheap, crappy cleanser from the supermarket. (You can also get it really cheap from StrawberryNET, one of my favourite online shopping sites, right here: http://nz.strawberrynet.com/skincare/avene/cleanance-soapless-gel-cleanser/124000/#DETAIL ). It is really good for acne prone skin, but even when my skin is drier than normal I still like to use it because it doesn't dry it out.
Toner:
When my skin is having a breakout, I like to use NIVEA Visage Daily Essentials toner, however if my skin is relatively normal or I just don't want to use as much product on it, I use my Avene Thermal Spring Water spray as a toner, because it just calms my skin and is really refreshing, this is definitely on my list of products I couldn't live without!
Moisturiser:
For everyday use after cleansing, I use Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin. It is a really light moisturiser and is although I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive skin, I like it because most moisturisers make my face red straight after moisturising, but this one doesn't. If my skin is drier than normal or I am having a break out or any kind of irritation, I use my Avene Skin Recovery Cream. This product is really fantastic, and the great part about it is that you can use it as an every day moisturiser, or you can just use it temporarily while you're having a breakout and then go back to using a cheaper moisturiser when your skin settles down, which makes people feel better about paying so much for such a small tube, and you only need the tiniest amount per use.
Elle xx
Sunday, 17 June 2012
My FFF (Five Favourite Foundations)
1. MAC Select SPF 15 in NW20.
This is currently my favourite foundation to use for both day and night because it has really good coverage, a satin finish, and doesn't feel too heavy on my skin. Perfect for summer as well because it has SPF15, and although this is a relatively high SPF for a foundation, it doesn't have any flashback in photos. It is also the only foundation I will use from MAC, because although I have a slight obsession with MAC products, I do not rate their skincare range or their foundations, because in my opinion their skincare range is overpriced and not necessarily more effective than other brands, and their foundations are more designed for photo-shoots and therefore they can look quite "cakey" in real life, except for the Select SPF 15 foundation.
2. Revlon New Complexion (the new one, not the old one) in Sand Beige.
I was really pleasantly surprised with this foundation, to be honest I didn't have very high expectations because I didn't really like the old New Complexion foundation because it was too sheer and provided barely any coverage at all, and they didn't have a very wide range of colours. But this new formula is very different from the old one, it has a matte finish (which I prefer to dewy because I hate having a shiny face, especially in photos) and a light to medium coverage. Because it is made for oily to combination skin and my skin is normal, it can tend to make my skin dry out sometimes if I use it too often, so I tend to switch between foundations often to counteract this. It also has SPF 10, and is good for summer because it feels light on your skin. One downside to this foundation is that it doesn't have great staying power, it can tend to wear off throughout the day or night so I wouldn't wear it if I was going out to a special event and wanted my skin to look perfect all night. Instead I would use......
3. Elizabeth Arden Sponge-On in Beige.
This foundation is perfect for balls/proms/weddings. It has a satin finish so it looks really natural in photos, has buildable coverage and suits almost every skin type. It is quite a heavy foundation, especially if you are building it up to a full coverage, so I wouldn't recommend this foundation for a casual day out shopping or at the beach, it is better suited to an event where there will be lots of photos taken as it lasts really well and doesn't have any flashback in photos. It also comes in a convenient compact case so you can touch up throughout the night if you need to. Also note that although the name is "Sponge-On" I prefer to use a brush rather than a sponge with this foundation, because I think it gives a better finish and looks much nicer.
4. Elizabeth Arden Intervene in Soft Sunbeige.
This foundation is very similar to my MAC Select SPF foundation, however this colour is a bit more yellowy-toned than the NW20, so it is better suited if I have some fake tan on because it tends to make my skin look more yellowy-undertoned. This is a really nice foundation though, for both day and night, and has a really nice finish and light to medium coverage, perfect if you already have relatively nice skin and also it's great for summer because it has SPF 15. Elizabeth Arden states that although it has SPF 15, it won't have flashback in photos, but I have found that when people have used this for night time occasions such as school balls, it has had some flashback, so for an occasion such as this I would prefer to use the Sponge-On Foundation instead.
5. Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lift and Firm in Beige.
This foundation is really good for more mature skin, because it has great coverage and can look a bit heavy on younger skin. It also has an SPF 15 so it's great for summer, and it's really easy to blend into the skin. It's also more suited for more mature skin because it has plumping/lifting agents, so it helps to make your skin appear more flawless, and it has anti-aging ingredients. It is better suited if you have drier skin, because it is quite moisturising and can tend to be quite heavy on oily skin. Not to say that younger people can't wear this foundation because I do sometimes wear it myself, but that I hate seeing young girls with caked on foundation, and a foundation like this could have that effect on younger skin that should just be left as it is, makeup free!
Hope this helped you guys, remember this is just my personal opinion and if any of you use any of these foundations and have a different opinion, I would be glad to hear it :)
And if you have any questions regarding what foundation to use I would be happy to answer them.
Elle xx
This is currently my favourite foundation to use for both day and night because it has really good coverage, a satin finish, and doesn't feel too heavy on my skin. Perfect for summer as well because it has SPF15, and although this is a relatively high SPF for a foundation, it doesn't have any flashback in photos. It is also the only foundation I will use from MAC, because although I have a slight obsession with MAC products, I do not rate their skincare range or their foundations, because in my opinion their skincare range is overpriced and not necessarily more effective than other brands, and their foundations are more designed for photo-shoots and therefore they can look quite "cakey" in real life, except for the Select SPF 15 foundation.
2. Revlon New Complexion (the new one, not the old one) in Sand Beige.
I was really pleasantly surprised with this foundation, to be honest I didn't have very high expectations because I didn't really like the old New Complexion foundation because it was too sheer and provided barely any coverage at all, and they didn't have a very wide range of colours. But this new formula is very different from the old one, it has a matte finish (which I prefer to dewy because I hate having a shiny face, especially in photos) and a light to medium coverage. Because it is made for oily to combination skin and my skin is normal, it can tend to make my skin dry out sometimes if I use it too often, so I tend to switch between foundations often to counteract this. It also has SPF 10, and is good for summer because it feels light on your skin. One downside to this foundation is that it doesn't have great staying power, it can tend to wear off throughout the day or night so I wouldn't wear it if I was going out to a special event and wanted my skin to look perfect all night. Instead I would use......
3. Elizabeth Arden Sponge-On in Beige.
This foundation is perfect for balls/proms/weddings. It has a satin finish so it looks really natural in photos, has buildable coverage and suits almost every skin type. It is quite a heavy foundation, especially if you are building it up to a full coverage, so I wouldn't recommend this foundation for a casual day out shopping or at the beach, it is better suited to an event where there will be lots of photos taken as it lasts really well and doesn't have any flashback in photos. It also comes in a convenient compact case so you can touch up throughout the night if you need to. Also note that although the name is "Sponge-On" I prefer to use a brush rather than a sponge with this foundation, because I think it gives a better finish and looks much nicer.
4. Elizabeth Arden Intervene in Soft Sunbeige.
This foundation is very similar to my MAC Select SPF foundation, however this colour is a bit more yellowy-toned than the NW20, so it is better suited if I have some fake tan on because it tends to make my skin look more yellowy-undertoned. This is a really nice foundation though, for both day and night, and has a really nice finish and light to medium coverage, perfect if you already have relatively nice skin and also it's great for summer because it has SPF 15. Elizabeth Arden states that although it has SPF 15, it won't have flashback in photos, but I have found that when people have used this for night time occasions such as school balls, it has had some flashback, so for an occasion such as this I would prefer to use the Sponge-On Foundation instead.
5. Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lift and Firm in Beige.
This foundation is really good for more mature skin, because it has great coverage and can look a bit heavy on younger skin. It also has an SPF 15 so it's great for summer, and it's really easy to blend into the skin. It's also more suited for more mature skin because it has plumping/lifting agents, so it helps to make your skin appear more flawless, and it has anti-aging ingredients. It is better suited if you have drier skin, because it is quite moisturising and can tend to be quite heavy on oily skin. Not to say that younger people can't wear this foundation because I do sometimes wear it myself, but that I hate seeing young girls with caked on foundation, and a foundation like this could have that effect on younger skin that should just be left as it is, makeup free!
Hope this helped you guys, remember this is just my personal opinion and if any of you use any of these foundations and have a different opinion, I would be glad to hear it :)
And if you have any questions regarding what foundation to use I would be happy to answer them.
Elle xx
Sunday, 3 June 2012
NAKED & NAKED 2 Palette Review/Comparison
Hi guys, I know I promised this awhile ago but I've been super busy, but anyway here it is, my review of both the NAKED and NAKED 2 Palettes by Urban Decay :)
Colours:
In order, the colours in the original NAKED palette are:
Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal
Virgin: Satin finish (slightly shimmery without being considered a frost or matte) a very light beige colour, would be good for a shimmery brow highlight or in the tear duct area.
Sin: A frosted light champagne pink colour.
Naked: A matte, soft light brown, would be good as a base eyeshadow colour.
Sidecar: A warm, shimmery bronze colour with flecks of silver.
Buck: A matte, medium brown, would be a good contour and crease colour.
Half Baked: A shimmery yellowish gold.
Smog: A beautiful shimmery bronze.
Darkhorse: A dark shimmery brown with a bronze shimmer.
Toasted: A pinky coppery colour and has quite a frosted finish. Personally I'm not a huge fan of this colour because I don't really like using pinky eyeshadows because I don't think they are very flattering on many people, so I probably won't end up using this colour as much as the others in the palette.
Hustle: A dark bronze shimmery colour.
Creep: A shimmery blackish grey with gold and silver flecks.
Gunmetal: A shimmery blue-grey with silver flecks.
In the NAKED 2 palette:
Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout
Foxy: A light nude shade. Perfect for highlighting the brow bone because it is matte, so it gives a beautiful finish.
Half Baked: Included in the original palette also, but it is a very usable golden colour.
Bootycall: This light, shimmer, pinky champagne colour is perfect for the inner corners of the eyes to brighten the eye area.
Chopper: Shimmery copper shadow with flecks of silver glitter, stunning colour but does result in a lot of fall out which is very annoying.
Tease: A matte, medium brown with a reddish tinge, perfect for green eyes, and as a contour or crease colour.
Snakebite: Shimmery golden brown shade.
Suspect: A light shimmery taupe colour, very pretty with cool undertones.
Pistol: A silvery brown colour, also with cool undertones. Definitely one of my favourites, looks good on its own as well as blended with others.
Verve: A frosted silvery pinky. In my opinion it is too glittery as a brow bone highlight, but its also almost too light to wear as an all over eye colour, so probably one of the least useful colours in the palette.
YDK: A shimmery coppery bronze colour, with gold flecks in it.
Busted: Dark shimmery plummy brown, great for green eyes.
Blackout: A highly pigmented, matte black colour. The perfect addition to every palette, can be used in the outer corners of the eye in a smokey eye or applied wet or dry as a liner.
Brushes:
The NAKED palette comes with a synthetic, flat eyeshadow brush and the NAKED 2 palette comes with a double ended synthetic brush, one end being a flat eyeshadow brush and the other a blending brush.
To be honest I'm not a huge fan of any of the 2 brushes, mainly because I prefer to use natural brushes as opposed to synthetic ones, because natural brushes are more dense so they pick up more shadow, providing a superior pigmentation, as opposed to a soft wash of colour, which is all these flat brushes seem to do. The blending brush is relatively useless, I much prefer the MAC 217 Blending brush (natural bristles) for the same reason, in my opinion synthetic bristles are not made for applying or blending powder products, they are better suited for cream or liquid products, such as liquid/gel eyeliner, cream eyeshadows, concealer and foundation. So I won't be using any of the NAKED brushes for any of my powder eyeshadows, but I might find a use for them as concealer brushes or for using with my paint pots, otherwise it seems a waste.
Packaging:
Before I owned both the actual palettes myself and I had only seen pictures and read reviews online, I honestly thought I would prefer the packaging that the NAKED 2 palette came in, it being a tin case seemed more sturdy than the 'flimsy' case of the original palette. However I was unfortunately wrong. The lid and the base don't quite match up with each other right and it can be difficult to open and close. Comparing the two palettes, I much prefer the simple case that the original NAKED palette comes in, it actually feels more secure than the tin in terms of being dropped, and although the tin packaging seems more ideal for travelling as opposed to the magnetic closure of the original palette, overall I prefer the original packaging. Not to say that I absolutely hate the NAKED 2 palette's packaging, I just think that there is definitely room for improvement.
Extra treats:
The NAKED palette comes with a small (3.7ml) bottle of Urban Decay Primer Potion, a product which I have lusted after for far too long. I absolutely love this primer, it has incredible staying power and provides a great base for shadows to stick to, increasing pigmentation and longevity. It is useful in the way that it is colourless, so it suits all skin tones and can be used for any look, however if you have visible veins on your eyelids a skin coloured primer with some coverage or a coloured primer such as the MAC Paint Pots are more ideal, and I sometimes prefer coloured primers as a base if I am doing a highly pigmented look that needs the extra colour.
The NAKED 2 palette comes with a lipgloss which I was unsure about to begin with because I don't tend to wear lipgloss as much now than when I was younger, however I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It is a great neutral colour, so it can be worn by itself or over almost any light coloured lipstick to give a glossy finish. It isn't too sticky which can be an annoying side to a lot of lipglosses, and it is one of those plumping and cooling glosses so it feels really tingly on your lips, which people either love or hate (I personally think it's quite fun). I don't know how well it plumps my lips, but the slight tingling does kind of force me to pout, so I guess it's making my lips more prominent?
Out of the two extras, I can't really decide which I prefer, I think if you have plenty of eyeshadow primers and bases already (like I do) then I would prefer the lipgloss, however if you don't own an eyeshadow primer, it is a very good idea to have one in your makeup kit, they really do make a phenomenal difference to your makeup, making your eyeshadow blend better, more pigmented, and last a ridiculous amount longer (perfect for those nights out on the town!)
Overall, I'm not sure which of the two palettes I prefer, I have my favourite colours and least favourite colours in each, but I generally prefer cooler eyeshadow colours as opposed to warm ones, but that's purely because of my own skin tone and what suits me, so because the NAKED 2 palette has generally cooler shades, I guess that palette would be my choice, however I would definitely buy both of these palettes again, I am very impressed with the colour pay off and longevity, the palettes really are fantastic.
I hope this review helped you, and I will try to make a few tutorials in the next few weeks using each of the palettes, so you can try them out for yourself if you bought the palettes. I bought both of the palettes from http://www.beautybay.com/ for about $140 NZD for both, and it has free worldwide shipping which is an extra bonus!
Elle xx
Colours:
In order, the colours in the original NAKED palette are:
Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal
Virgin: Satin finish (slightly shimmery without being considered a frost or matte) a very light beige colour, would be good for a shimmery brow highlight or in the tear duct area.
Sin: A frosted light champagne pink colour.
Naked: A matte, soft light brown, would be good as a base eyeshadow colour.
Sidecar: A warm, shimmery bronze colour with flecks of silver.
Buck: A matte, medium brown, would be a good contour and crease colour.
Half Baked: A shimmery yellowish gold.
Smog: A beautiful shimmery bronze.
Darkhorse: A dark shimmery brown with a bronze shimmer.
Toasted: A pinky coppery colour and has quite a frosted finish. Personally I'm not a huge fan of this colour because I don't really like using pinky eyeshadows because I don't think they are very flattering on many people, so I probably won't end up using this colour as much as the others in the palette.
Hustle: A dark bronze shimmery colour.
Creep: A shimmery blackish grey with gold and silver flecks.
Gunmetal: A shimmery blue-grey with silver flecks.
In the NAKED 2 palette:
Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout
Foxy: A light nude shade. Perfect for highlighting the brow bone because it is matte, so it gives a beautiful finish.
Half Baked: Included in the original palette also, but it is a very usable golden colour.
Bootycall: This light, shimmer, pinky champagne colour is perfect for the inner corners of the eyes to brighten the eye area.
Chopper: Shimmery copper shadow with flecks of silver glitter, stunning colour but does result in a lot of fall out which is very annoying.
Tease: A matte, medium brown with a reddish tinge, perfect for green eyes, and as a contour or crease colour.
Snakebite: Shimmery golden brown shade.
Suspect: A light shimmery taupe colour, very pretty with cool undertones.
Pistol: A silvery brown colour, also with cool undertones. Definitely one of my favourites, looks good on its own as well as blended with others.
Verve: A frosted silvery pinky. In my opinion it is too glittery as a brow bone highlight, but its also almost too light to wear as an all over eye colour, so probably one of the least useful colours in the palette.
YDK: A shimmery coppery bronze colour, with gold flecks in it.
Busted: Dark shimmery plummy brown, great for green eyes.
Blackout: A highly pigmented, matte black colour. The perfect addition to every palette, can be used in the outer corners of the eye in a smokey eye or applied wet or dry as a liner.
Brushes:
The NAKED palette comes with a synthetic, flat eyeshadow brush and the NAKED 2 palette comes with a double ended synthetic brush, one end being a flat eyeshadow brush and the other a blending brush.
To be honest I'm not a huge fan of any of the 2 brushes, mainly because I prefer to use natural brushes as opposed to synthetic ones, because natural brushes are more dense so they pick up more shadow, providing a superior pigmentation, as opposed to a soft wash of colour, which is all these flat brushes seem to do. The blending brush is relatively useless, I much prefer the MAC 217 Blending brush (natural bristles) for the same reason, in my opinion synthetic bristles are not made for applying or blending powder products, they are better suited for cream or liquid products, such as liquid/gel eyeliner, cream eyeshadows, concealer and foundation. So I won't be using any of the NAKED brushes for any of my powder eyeshadows, but I might find a use for them as concealer brushes or for using with my paint pots, otherwise it seems a waste.
Packaging:
Before I owned both the actual palettes myself and I had only seen pictures and read reviews online, I honestly thought I would prefer the packaging that the NAKED 2 palette came in, it being a tin case seemed more sturdy than the 'flimsy' case of the original palette. However I was unfortunately wrong. The lid and the base don't quite match up with each other right and it can be difficult to open and close. Comparing the two palettes, I much prefer the simple case that the original NAKED palette comes in, it actually feels more secure than the tin in terms of being dropped, and although the tin packaging seems more ideal for travelling as opposed to the magnetic closure of the original palette, overall I prefer the original packaging. Not to say that I absolutely hate the NAKED 2 palette's packaging, I just think that there is definitely room for improvement.
Extra treats:
The NAKED palette comes with a small (3.7ml) bottle of Urban Decay Primer Potion, a product which I have lusted after for far too long. I absolutely love this primer, it has incredible staying power and provides a great base for shadows to stick to, increasing pigmentation and longevity. It is useful in the way that it is colourless, so it suits all skin tones and can be used for any look, however if you have visible veins on your eyelids a skin coloured primer with some coverage or a coloured primer such as the MAC Paint Pots are more ideal, and I sometimes prefer coloured primers as a base if I am doing a highly pigmented look that needs the extra colour.
The NAKED 2 palette comes with a lipgloss which I was unsure about to begin with because I don't tend to wear lipgloss as much now than when I was younger, however I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It is a great neutral colour, so it can be worn by itself or over almost any light coloured lipstick to give a glossy finish. It isn't too sticky which can be an annoying side to a lot of lipglosses, and it is one of those plumping and cooling glosses so it feels really tingly on your lips, which people either love or hate (I personally think it's quite fun). I don't know how well it plumps my lips, but the slight tingling does kind of force me to pout, so I guess it's making my lips more prominent?
Out of the two extras, I can't really decide which I prefer, I think if you have plenty of eyeshadow primers and bases already (like I do) then I would prefer the lipgloss, however if you don't own an eyeshadow primer, it is a very good idea to have one in your makeup kit, they really do make a phenomenal difference to your makeup, making your eyeshadow blend better, more pigmented, and last a ridiculous amount longer (perfect for those nights out on the town!)
Overall, I'm not sure which of the two palettes I prefer, I have my favourite colours and least favourite colours in each, but I generally prefer cooler eyeshadow colours as opposed to warm ones, but that's purely because of my own skin tone and what suits me, so because the NAKED 2 palette has generally cooler shades, I guess that palette would be my choice, however I would definitely buy both of these palettes again, I am very impressed with the colour pay off and longevity, the palettes really are fantastic.
I hope this review helped you, and I will try to make a few tutorials in the next few weeks using each of the palettes, so you can try them out for yourself if you bought the palettes. I bought both of the palettes from http://www.beautybay.com/ for about $140 NZD for both, and it has free worldwide shipping which is an extra bonus!
Elle xx
Waaah my camera is broken :(
My camera decided to have a wee tantrum yesterday and I sent it away to be repaired but apparently its going to take about 3 weeks to get fixed! So unfortunately that means my posts for the next three weeks will be photo-less, however I will update them with photos as soon as I get my camera back!
Elle xx
Elle xx
Friday, 1 June 2012
Tips for making your eyes look bigger! (the non-surgical way)
I always get asked for tips for people with smaller eyes who want their eyes to not only stand out but appear bigger as well, and there are a couple tricks that I know of to get this effect, which I will gladly share with you :)
So first off, the best trick to make your eyes look bigger is to line the OUTSIDE of your upper lashline, not your water line (the inside of your lower lashline). This is done most effectively by using a gel liner, MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack is great or you can go for a dark brown if you prefer something a little less intense, also Bobbi Brown do a great gel liner in Black Ink. You can use a liquid liner, but I personally find these a lot harder to use, especially if you don't have a steady hand or you are new to the makeup scene. The best brush to use for achieving this look is a thin liner brush or an angled brush, but try to keep them as thin as possible because if they are too thick it can be hard to get a thinner line if you're after a more natural look or if you are doing a specific makeup look.
You can also use a dark or black eyeshadow to line your upper lashline if you are going for a softer look, or if you are having trouble getting a smooth line with either the gel liner or a liquid liner.
When applying a dark colour to the upper lash line, whether it be gel, liquid or powder, I recommend applying it in small strokes along the lash line, and then fixing up the line to make it smooth, as opposed to trying to do the whole lot in one line.
Another tip for eyeliner is instead of using a black liner on your waterline (which make your eyes look more intense, however it can make them look smaller too), is using a flesh-coloured liner or a white liner on your waterline. This gives the illusion that your eye is bigger than it actually is, and actually makes your makeup look cleaner as well.
Big, thick lashes are another key to achieving bigger looking eyes. False lashes, not ones that are intensely thick and super long but ones that are more sparse and natural looking, as well as individual lashes, can make your eyes appear bigger than they really are. I recommend DUO lash adhesive (sold at MAC counters, or you can buy it on Trademe), it really is the best eyelash glue and don't be fooled into using the ones that come with lashes that you buy, they are useless and your lashes might start coming off halfway through the night and no one wants that!
The main trick with false lashes is not only what glue you use, but how long you give it to set before applying the falsies to your own. You want to apply the glue along the band of the lashes (not too much glue, or it will go everywhere and mess up your eye makeup) and then wave the lashes around until the glue becomes tacky, then you should apply middle of the lashes to the middle of your own eye, then fix the outer end with the same tweezers (be careful as you don't want to stab yourself in the eye) and then finally fix the inner edge, trying to secure the lashes as close as possible to your own natural lashline. You shouldn't stress too much about getting it done quickly before the glue dries, because you do have time and you don't want to mess it up!
Also, you want to apply mascara BEFORE putting the false lashes on, so that you can reuse them.
Applying a black liner to your upper waterline (you may have to lift your eyelid to do this) can also give the appearance that you have thicker lashes, so can help in making your eyes appear bigger as well.
Applying a tiny bit of a bright shiny eyeshadow (light, frost coloured pigments are great for this) to your tear duct area is very flattering to all eye shapes (except if you have eyes that are set far apart) and it really helps to make the eyes 'pop', and give your makeup the desired effect.
The last tip I have for making eyes appear bigger is to make sure that you have no 'fall out' blow your eyes. A fan brush can help to get rid of eyeshadow fallout, but you must use a light hand so that the shadow doesn't stick to your skin in which case you have to redo your foundation in that area, which can be a pain. Popping some concealer (slightly lighter than your skintone) under your eye will also help to brighten the area, giving you a fresh and brighter finished look.
I hope these tips helped you guys, let me know what you think or if you have any more questions for me :)
Elle xx
So first off, the best trick to make your eyes look bigger is to line the OUTSIDE of your upper lashline, not your water line (the inside of your lower lashline). This is done most effectively by using a gel liner, MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack is great or you can go for a dark brown if you prefer something a little less intense, also Bobbi Brown do a great gel liner in Black Ink. You can use a liquid liner, but I personally find these a lot harder to use, especially if you don't have a steady hand or you are new to the makeup scene. The best brush to use for achieving this look is a thin liner brush or an angled brush, but try to keep them as thin as possible because if they are too thick it can be hard to get a thinner line if you're after a more natural look or if you are doing a specific makeup look.
You can also use a dark or black eyeshadow to line your upper lashline if you are going for a softer look, or if you are having trouble getting a smooth line with either the gel liner or a liquid liner.
When applying a dark colour to the upper lash line, whether it be gel, liquid or powder, I recommend applying it in small strokes along the lash line, and then fixing up the line to make it smooth, as opposed to trying to do the whole lot in one line.
Another tip for eyeliner is instead of using a black liner on your waterline (which make your eyes look more intense, however it can make them look smaller too), is using a flesh-coloured liner or a white liner on your waterline. This gives the illusion that your eye is bigger than it actually is, and actually makes your makeup look cleaner as well.
Big, thick lashes are another key to achieving bigger looking eyes. False lashes, not ones that are intensely thick and super long but ones that are more sparse and natural looking, as well as individual lashes, can make your eyes appear bigger than they really are. I recommend DUO lash adhesive (sold at MAC counters, or you can buy it on Trademe), it really is the best eyelash glue and don't be fooled into using the ones that come with lashes that you buy, they are useless and your lashes might start coming off halfway through the night and no one wants that!
The main trick with false lashes is not only what glue you use, but how long you give it to set before applying the falsies to your own. You want to apply the glue along the band of the lashes (not too much glue, or it will go everywhere and mess up your eye makeup) and then wave the lashes around until the glue becomes tacky, then you should apply middle of the lashes to the middle of your own eye, then fix the outer end with the same tweezers (be careful as you don't want to stab yourself in the eye) and then finally fix the inner edge, trying to secure the lashes as close as possible to your own natural lashline. You shouldn't stress too much about getting it done quickly before the glue dries, because you do have time and you don't want to mess it up!
Also, you want to apply mascara BEFORE putting the false lashes on, so that you can reuse them.
Applying a black liner to your upper waterline (you may have to lift your eyelid to do this) can also give the appearance that you have thicker lashes, so can help in making your eyes appear bigger as well.
Applying a tiny bit of a bright shiny eyeshadow (light, frost coloured pigments are great for this) to your tear duct area is very flattering to all eye shapes (except if you have eyes that are set far apart) and it really helps to make the eyes 'pop', and give your makeup the desired effect.
The last tip I have for making eyes appear bigger is to make sure that you have no 'fall out' blow your eyes. A fan brush can help to get rid of eyeshadow fallout, but you must use a light hand so that the shadow doesn't stick to your skin in which case you have to redo your foundation in that area, which can be a pain. Popping some concealer (slightly lighter than your skintone) under your eye will also help to brighten the area, giving you a fresh and brighter finished look.
I hope these tips helped you guys, let me know what you think or if you have any more questions for me :)
Elle xx
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