Lipstick Bandits: The Secret Santa Look Swap

IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

In the Filipino culture, we celebrate on Christmas Eve and take it easy on Christmas Day, so the 24th has always been one of my favourite times of the year. Back in the Philippines, we would go to church for "Simbang Gabi" (translation: "night church") and then head back home for "Nochebuena", which is the meal we all eat at around midnight. After that, we open presents and then head to bed. 

Now that my family lives in Canada, we still continue with the tradition of celebrating on Christmas Eve and then keeping it mellow on Christmas Day (we usually watch a movie in the theatres); a tradition I think I will probably pass on to my own family. 

Anyway, the Lipstick Bandits have decided to do a little Christmas celebrating of their own by doing a "Secret Santa Look Swap". We were each given a Bandit to emulate through our makeup looks and here is what I came up with...

Some hints about my Bandit:

- She has beautiful, flawless skin (ok, they all do, so this is a crap hint)
- She has her flick technique down
- She likes coral-pink lip shades
- She has cuuute freckles
- She highlights the inner corners of her eyes like a pro

Any guesses???

If you guessed Monika of Rocaille Writes, then you are CORRECT!

Hope you like the look, Monika!

I was inspired by the look she created for her review of L'oréal's Infallible Eyeshadow in Golden Emerald. I didn't have the exact shades she used, so I took some liberties and went as close as I possibly could to her look.

Products Used

Face:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Concealer

Eyes:

Annabelle Eyeshadow in Vert-to-Go

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadows in a grey-taupe, brown-taupe, brown, and black shades (MUFE, y u no put eyeshadow names on the pan?!? >_<)

MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Whisper of Gilt

NYX Retractable Eyeliner in Bronze

L'oréal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Black Lacquer Mascara
L'oréal Voluminous Power Collagen Mascara

Cheeks:
MAC Mineralize Blush in Subtle Breeze

Lips:
Rimmel lipstick in Airy Fairy
Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Peony

As I mentioned above, I took some liberties with this look. I went a little bit heavier on the eyes because I feel that I need more definition and I decided to go with a lip colour that I see on Monika most often. She didn't do a glossy lip in her look, but I needed Peony to get a better colour. But I think the most telling part of this look is the inner corners of the eyes. Monika almost always highlights her inner corner and although the highlighter I used was more grainy than anything Monika's ever used, it was the one I had that would show up the most on camera (btw, so sorry for the crap quality of my photos. It's been so gloomy the last couple of days and I don't have proper lighting at home).

This post has been a lot of fun and I really hope you guys like the look (especially you, Monika-dear). Now, if you'll excuse me... It's time for me to troll everyone else's posts. I can't wait to see who got me who everyone else got! 

• Call It Beauty
• Eye Heart It
• Getting Cheeky
• Glitter Geek
• Makeup Morsels
• Messy Wands
• Musing on Beauty
• My Funny Valentine
• Rocaille Writes
• theNotice: a beauty blog‎

And a new Bandit this round:

• ChloeAsh‎

Merry Christmas, everybody!

All About Eyes - Blue Denim

Products Used:

Annabelle Cosmetics Mono Eyeshadow - Lagoon

MAC Eyeshadow - Deep Truth

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palettes - Circus Palette (metallic blue) & Storm Palette (metallic navy)

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

Cover Girl VolumeExact Mascara  - Black

The goal for this look was to use all the blue eyeshadows I own. Fairly simple, actually! Good thing I only own four :p.

To start off, I applied Lagoon all over the lid but ending it just to the crease. I was aiming for a sheerer, lighter wash so I applied it with a dry brush. Next, I used Deep Truth to blend the outer edge of Lagoon up to the brow bone. Then, I used the metallic blue shade from the Circus palette to blend that out even more and extended the colour past the brow bone. The last of the eyeshadows, the metallic navy shade from Sleek's Storm palette, was applied to the lower lash line. I also extended this colour just a bit outward to create a small flick and used it to line the outer third of the top lash line. 

To finish off the look, I lined the upper lash line and lower water line with MAC's Blacktrack, used a matte black eyeshadow to fill in my brows, and applied 2-3 coats of Cover Girl's VolumeExact mascara to both top and bottom lashes. 

Hope you like this look :)

All About Eyes - A Fun, New Year's Party Look

Products Used:

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Storm (matte black & metallic grey), Circus (matte magenta & metallic purple) and Sunset (metallic sky blue)

Annabelle Cosmetics Hype Liquid Liner - Mystic Black

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

I wanted to create something fun for a New Year's Eve party look. After all, having fun is what its all about, pretty much :p. To start off (after filling in my brows), I took some tape (surgical tape was the closest to me, but I don't recommend it. It's much too tacky) and applied it on a diagonal, like so:

I wanted a more severe line, especially since I was going to add colour beneath it. Once you've added your tape, you can start with the eyeshadow. I first applied matte black eyeshadow all over the lid and once I got to the taped area, I applied it inwards so that I don't accidentally get any product under the tape. Then I applied the metallic grey shadow on top; I wanted a deeper grey so applying the black eyeshadow first as a base allows that.

Once that's done, remove the tape. Make sure to be careful and do it gently! We don't want tape burns on our lovely faces, now do we? :p

When you've removed the tape, you're left with the above photo: a nice, neat edge. Afterwards, I mixed the matte magenta and metallic purple together (I literally just dipped my Sigma pencil brush on one shadow then dipped it on the next) and applied it all along the lower lash line and under the black/silver edge, making sure to leave a tiny bit of space between the two edges.

Next up, I applied the metallic sky blue colour closer to the lash line than the magenta/purple. I used an eyeliner brush for this because I wanted a neater line (the magenta/purple combo is more smoky while the blue is a straight up line). Then I liner the upper lash line with Mystic Black (sparkly, perfect for an NYE bash!) and used the matte black to line the lower water line. Lastly, I applied a few generous coats of mascara. Of course, you can wear false lashes instead, which I would recommend more unless you're blessed with gorgeous ones to begin with (in which case, I hate you you're LUCKY!). You can even add some glitter along the inner corner or all along the eyelid; the more drama, the better!

Hope you lovelies like this look

and 

have a safe and fun New Year's Eve!

All About Eyes - Peach & Purple For The Holidays

Products Used:

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Circus (metallic purple) & Storm (metallic grey) 

MAC Eyeshadow - Paradisco

Annabelle Cosmetics Hype Liquid Liner - Mystic Black

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara - Black

This is probably one of my favourite looks I've created so far, I absolutely love how it turned out! To start off, I applied the metallic purple eyeshadow all over the lid up to the brow bone, but leaving the inner third free of product. Then I applied the metallic grey colour in the inner corner and blended it into the purple shade. Next, I used a blending brush to apply Paradisco along the brow bone from the inner corner all the way to the outer edge, then applied the purple eyeshadow on the lower lash line. Lastly, I lined my upper lash line with Mystic Black liquid liner, lined the lower lash line with Blacktrack, filled in my brows with matte black eyeshadow and applied a few coats of mascara to both upper and lower lashes.

I think this is a great look for the holidays because it's fun and colourful, but still quite wearable and appropriate for most functions. 

Hope you guys like this look!

All About Eyes - Winter Ice

Products Used:

Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner - Foxy Grey

Sephora Collection Eyeshadow - Aspen Summit 23

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Circus (pale, sky blue)

Annabelle Cosmetics Liquid Liner - Mystic Black

CoverGirl VolumeExact Mascara - Very Black

Something a bit less wearable for you lovelies today... There was a week in November where we experienced below 0 temperature. there was snow, ice everywhere; it was freezing. It kind of inspired me to create an icey look.

I started off by applying Foxy Grey Smudgeliner (which is actually silver) on the eyelid, ending just above the crease. Then I used Aspen Summit, a shimmery white eyeshadow and applied it all over the lid and up to the brow bone. Because I had a silver base, there will be a difference in shade, despite using the same eyeshadow. Next, I applied a sky blue eyeshadow just on the outer corner of the eye. Then with Annabelle's Mystic Black eyeliner, I applied a thin line on my upper lash line. Lastly, I applied Foxy Grey on the lower lash line, applied a few coats of mascara (I really don't recommend VolumeExact, I'm just trying to use it up :p), and filled in any gaps in my eyebrows with a matte black eyeshadow.

Hope you like this look!

Happy Monday :)

All About Eyes - Black & Gold (Inspired by Natasha Bedingfield)

When I first saw Natasha Bedingfield's video for her new single, Strip Me, I was blown away by all the makeup looks (there are around 8 or 9) and how beautiful they all were. There was one look in particular that this was inspired by: a black and gold smoky eye. So I decided to do my own take on the look.

Products Used:

Annabelle Cosmetics Smudgeliner - Honey

Sleek Makeup i-Divine Palette - Storm

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

Firstly, I applied Annabelle's Honey Smudgeliner all over the lid, from the lash line to the brow bone and then I layered the gold eyeshadow on top. Next, I applied the matte black eyeshadow to the outer half of the eyelid, making sure to taper the outer edge off. I also applied this to the lower lash line (keeping the inner corner free of black eyeshadow) and used it to fill in the gaps in my eyebrows. Then I lined the upper lash line & my lower water line with Blacktrack and applied two coats of mascara to both top & bottom lashes. Simple, right?

Hope you like this look :).

Happy Monday!

All About Eyes - Rainy Night

*Re-posted as I accidentally deleted the previous one. Good thing I had the text saved on my desktop!*

Hello, lovelies! Hope you're all doing well. Some of you may or may not remember, but I did a mini-review of products from Annabelle Cosmetics' Hype collection. It came with two eyeshadows that I didn't already own, so I decided to incorporate them into a look. It was raining a lot when I created it, so it was sort of inspired by the downpour as well :p.

Products Used:

Annabelle Cosmetics Mono Eyeshadow - (L to R) Revolver, Lagoon, Ultra Violet

Annabelle Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner - Mystic Black

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

First off, I applied some Blacktrack Fluidline on the lid, all the way up to the brow bone, making sure to leave the inner third free of product.

Then I applied Revolver (a silvery, lilac shade) on the inner corner and blended it towards the centre of the eyelid.

Next was Lagoon. If you look at the swatches above, you'll notice it's not very pigmented at all. However, when foiled or applied over a darker base, the colour looks more intense. This was applied from just past the centre of the eyelid to the outer edge, ending just at the crease.

Then came Ultra Violet, which was applied with a fluffy brush to the upper edge of the shadows. I concentrated on the outer half of the eyelid and made sure to blend it well with Lagoon. This eyeshadow also doesn't swatch very pigmented but the colour looks vibrant because of the black base.

Then I took an angled brush and applied Lagoon to the lash line and used a pencil brush to apply Ultra Violet below it.

The last steps were to line the upper lash line with Mystic Black (black with silver glitter), line the lower water line with Blacktrack, apply at least two coats of mascara to the top and bottom lashes, and fill in the gaps in my eyebrows with a matte black eyeshadow.

And voila:

Hope you enjoyed this look!

All About Eyes - Jazzberry

Products Used:

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette - Sunset (maroon shade)

Annabelle Cosmetics Mono Eyeshadow - Jazzberry

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'oréal Voluminous Mascara - Black

Another one of my "let's take two random colours and slap them together" looks :p.

So I started off with a maroon shade all over the lid and up to the brow bone. Next up, I applied Jazzberry (a muddy, purple colour) on the "outer v," starting from the outer third of the eye and applying the top part a little bit past the halfway point. Then I applied Blacktrack rather heavily on both the upper and lower lash line, as well as the lower water line. I also made sure to flick it out just a tad. Lastly, I applied a few coats of L'oréal Voluminous Mascara on both the upper and lower lashes.

Happy Monday, lovelies!

Call It Beauty Does Halloween - Born In The 80's

Ahh, the 80s, with your big hair and garish makeup. Despite being supremely thankful I didn't have to go through my teens in the 80s, I must say I have a soft spot for that decade. So here's my take on the 80s look.

Products Used:

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation - Shell

bareMinerals Foundation - Light

MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NW25

MAC Paint Pot - Soft Ochre

Annabelle Cosmetics Mono Eyeshadow - Revolver

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette (Circus) - Purple, Pink & Matte Black

Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes! Mascara - Black

MAC Blush Ombre - Vintage Grape

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish - Petticoat

Sephora Eye Shadow - Aspen Summit No23

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick - Fuchsia

Since I was in an experimental mood, I decided to mix some mineral powder (bareMinerals - Light) and liquid foundation (Revlon PhotoReady - Shell) together to get a better shade match for my skin (Shell is too light). I just mixed them together on the back of my hand and applied the foundation to my face with a Sigma F60 Foundation Brush.

For the eyes, I started off by applying Soft Ochre Paint Pot all over the lid. Then, I applied Annabelle Cosmetics' Revolver eyeshadow on the lid up to the crease and flicking out the outer edge.

Next, I applied a shimmery purple eyeshadow from Sleek MakeUP's Circus palette on top of Revolver. This eyeshadow starts a bit further in the inner corner than Revolver. Again, this eyeshadow flicks out in the outer corner.

Then, I applied the shimmery pink eyeshadow from Sleek's Circus palette from the inner corner up arching up to the brow bone, as seen in the photo above. Afterwards, I blended some Aspen Summit eyeshadow from Sephora to the brow bone to give a bit more shimmer to the eye. 

To finish up the eyes, I used some matte black eyeshadow to line the upper and lower lash lines, as well as the lower water line. After applying a few coats of mascara, the eyes were done.

For the cheeks, I first applied MAC's Blush Ombre in Vintage Grape very heavily to the back of the cheek. To add a bit of shimmer, I layered MAC's Petticoat MSF on top of Vintage Grape and applied Sephora's Aspen Summit eyeshadow to the cheek bone. The more garish, the better :p.

Lastly, I applied Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Fuchsia straight from the tube. The 80s were about bright lipsticks, so this shade was absolutely perfect. 

And now for the finished look:

Hope you guys like this look!