Quick Taupe Smokey Eye

I needed to do a smokey eye in a hurry so I applied all the eyeshadow in this look with my fingers! I've realized that I am actually better at apply non-matte eyeshadows with my fingers than with a brush. For me, it makes blending so much easier and everything apply much more quickly. Plus no brushes to wash!! (speaking of which... need to wash my brushes asap!)

Here I used my favorite taupes, WnW Nutty and MAC Satin Taupe (which may or may not actually be a taupe?). I kept my skin simple and dewy (thanks to glycerin and some highlighter!) with a natural lip. I haven't layered lipstick and lipgloss in MONTHS and forgot how nice it looks.

My creases were being weird/normal! The one that is usually a semi-monolid creased today which made wearing and applying a darker eye look much easier. Normally, my lids are mismatching which makes darker eyeshadows harder to pull off without looking like a crazy person. My eyes will sometimes crease weirdly to match. No idea why it did that today, might've been the liner I was using?

Click past the jump to see more photos and products I used

Pretty in Pink FOTD

Pinks are neglected in my stash so I decided to wear a totally pink makeup look today using products I have rarely used recently. I also couldn't decide between a more natural pink lipstick and a bright pink lipstick so I'll show you both!

In the first version I used a more natural pink, Revlon Pink in the Afternoon. It is a beautiful warm pink which is slightly brighter in real life.

 

Click past the jump to see more photos and the other version of this look, with a BRIGHT pink lipstick! :)

Rainbow EOTD: Urban Decay Bright Greens

Today's color of the day is green! I almost never wear green eyeshadow even though it's my favorite color, and if I do it's a wimpy almost-neutral like olive so I decided to go all out with a bright green. The colors didn't show up very well on camera, it was even brighter in real life. 

I experimented with the eyeshadow shape to create a sort of reverse cut crease. I packed the matte bright green (UD Chronic) onto my lid, barely blending the edges at all, and then I swept the shimmery lighter blue-green (UD Green Goddess, see swatches below) into the crease. I purposefully didn't blend them together because I wanted there to be a contrast between the two. Overall I thought this was a pretty interesting and successful eyeshadow shape so I'll definitely be trying it in the future! :)

Here you can see the clear distinction between the matte and shimmery shades

Click past the jump to see more photos and swatches of the eyeshadows I used! 

Rainbow EOTDs: NYX Purples

Part two of my rainbow eye looks is PURPLE!! I love the look of purples on brown eyes and I find that it is probably one of the easiest bright colors to wear on the eye. For some reason though I wear purple even less than I wear greens or blues.

In this look I went for a deep blue-purple. The star of the show is NYX Purple eyeshadow (from the trio) which is a stunning purple with a beautiful blue duochrome. I applied it in traditional asian-eyelid fashion, below the "crease," to create a pop of color. This way of wearing brights really makes them more wearable and practical in my experience than pulling the color higher up in the crease.

 

Click past the jump to see more photos, swatches, and products I used!

Rainbow EOTDs: Red

This week I wanted to branch out from my usual neutral eye makeup looks into bright colors. I have so many color eyeshadows but I almost never use them as I prefer the ease of applying a bright lipstick over bright eyeshadow.

Today I decided to start with the first color of the rainbow, red. Now red is notoriously difficult to use as an eyeshadow because it tends to make you look sick. I have never worn true red eyeshadow so this is my first attempt! I'm not convinced it was a success though.... :/

Excuse the super cool-toned lighting because of the cloudy weather. I am not this pale and blue in real life!

 

Click past the jump to see more photos of the look and the eyeshadow I used!

FOTD: Nutty Taupes

Taupes are a beautiful hybrid of grey and brown. Many makeup lovers are weak at any sign of taupe. I love taupes but rarely use them because I find it hard to pair blushes and lipsticks with them without it clashing on my warm, yellow-based skintone. 

I tried giving my favorite taupes another try today. Wet n Wild Nutty is a beautiful shimmery warmed taupe that is a wonderful shade for all over the lid. I usually like to wear it by itself for an everyday sort of look but decided to go all out with taupe today and so I added MAC Copperplate to the outer 1/3 of my lid and in the crease. Copperplate is Matte2 and is one of my favorite matte eyeshadows. It is a medium-dark taupe that is cooler than nutty. Both shades are wonderfully pigmented and apply really smoothly. 

Clockwise top left: WnW Nutty, MAC Copperplate, Revlon Vintage Lace

Click past the jump to see what other products I used and more pics! :)

Tips for Rocking Bright Lips

I love wearing bright lips but I know most people are deathly afraid of bright lipsticks, so I wanted to give my tips for pulling off bold lips. There definitely was a learning curve for me but honestly I think everyone is able to wear bright lips, they just have to find the right shades and balance the rest of their makeup.

First, I had to get used to actually seeing myself wearing bright lips. If you have never really worn bright lips before it takes some getting used to so try wearing it around the house. Then try wearing it out, you'll be surprised by all of the compliments you get on it!

That leads to the number one key to rocking bright lipstick -- CONFIDENCE! And don't forget to smile :)

Now for some makeup tips to balancing red or bright lips (for beginners):

• Keep the rest of your look simple, but you'll need a full face to balance the lips
• Even, natural skin is really important -- use foundation to even out your skin and undereye concealer helps brighten up your face
•  Fill in your brows. It is SO essential to define the rest of your face to balance the strong lips. 
• Use a very natural/neutral blush. I LOVE Tarte Exposed for this, I also like a soft pink like Rock & Republic Call Me, and you could even use just bronzer to be extra safe (bronzer looks really good with red lipstick)
• Soft highlighting on tops of cheekbones, down the nose, and in the center of the forehead will make you glow. Don't go overboard though!
• Keep eye makeup simple -- I stick to a sheer wash of eyeshadow, black winged liner, and mascara
  
  

Continue reading to see more photos and the products I used!

FOTD Inspired by Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's

After watching and looking at pictures of Holly Golightly's makeup in Breakfast at Tiffany's, I knew I wanted to attempt to recreate the look. Obviously I have features extremely different from Audrey Hepburn (most importantly, my eyes do not have such a large crease) so it looks quite different on me than on her. If you haven't seen my post already, click here to view screenshots of her amazing makeup!

I think the key components of her makeup look are:

• Thick, slightly unruly brows
• A light taupe eyeshadow all over the lid
• Long, luscious, and fluttery lashes
• A thin, slightly smudge line of winged eyeliner
• Soft pink blush
• and of course the perfect pale peachy pink lipstick

 

 My version:

 

Click past the jump to view more photos and see what products I used!

How to Create a Day-to-Night Look

When I'm going out and don't feel like completely reapplying my makeup, I add a few strategic extras to the makeup I already have on to kick it up a few notches. Depending on just how dramatic I want to go, I can easily vary how strongly I apply the makeup.

If you haven't seen it already, I posted the "daytime" version of this look here.

What I add to turn a day look into a night look:

• Eyeshadow: Apply a medium-dark shade all over my lid, then use a black or near-black shade close to the lashline (if you don't have Asian lids apply the medium-dark shade in the crease and the black shade in the outer v)
• Eyeliner: Using black gel liner, draw a thicker line and add a more dramatic wing
• Lashes: Apply 2 coats of mascara, or add false lashes if I want extra drama
• Brows: Fill in your brows to make them stronger to balance the stronger eye makeup
• Blush: Apply blush more heavily and, if I feel like it, contour my cheeks
• Lips: Either use a nude shade to balance the heavier eye makeup or use a brighter shade to brighten up my face (here I kept the lip the same)

Products I added:
Face: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural powder (to give my skin a semi-matte finish), Tarte Exposed blush (applied more heavily)
Eyes: Wet n Wild Comfort Zone eyeshadow palette (used the 3rd shade all over my lid, used the 7th shade in the outer 3rd of my lid along the lashline), Clinique gel liner in black (thicker line), CoverGirl Lashexact waterproof mascara

Do you like to start over or add to your existing look when you're creating a nighttime makeup look?

How to Create an Everyday Makeup Look

We all have that easy makeup look we find ourselves going back to day after day. While the components to our looks might vary, here's what I find essential for my everyday Face of the Day (FOTD).

What type of products do I use for my day-to-day looks?

•  Sheer foundation evens out my skintone and provides a base for my other makeup
• Undereye concealer is essential to brighten up my dark undereye circles
• Blush gives me that extra glow 
• A sheer wash of eyeshadow similar to my lid color brightens up my eyes
• Eyeliner, curled lashes, and mascara give my small eyes some extra definition
• "My Lip But Better" lipstick finishes off the look and pulls everything together

I use pretty much the same "formula" everyday but just alter the specific products.

This has been my everyday go-to FOTD using the products I brought with me on my month long trip. Today's is a warm, pink/coral version. You might be thinking, "coral in the winter??" Not to worry it's a balmy 70 degrees here in California!

Products I used:
Face: Make Up For Ever Face & Body foundation, Revlon Age Defying concealer, Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed

Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, Wet n Wild Comfort Zone eyeshadow palette (top 2 shades on the left), Clinique gel liner in black, CoverGirl Lashexact waterproof mascara

Lips: MAC See Sheer lipstick

If you're enjoying these posts don't forget to subscribe to my blog! Coming up next will be a post on how to create a day-to-night look! :)


What is your everyday makeup look?

Welcome to Victoria's Makeup Secrets!

I've been thinking about starting a blog for ages because I love sharing all of the makeup knowledge I've learned over the years. I first discovered makeup when I was 12 and quickly fell in love with makeup in high school. Now through trial and error and learning from others I have so many makeup tips and products that I'd love to share with you! I'll be posting application tips, my favorite and least favorite products, product reviews, my makeup stash (which has gotten a little larger than I would like :P), and makeup looks. To all you makeup lovers out there, enjoy!!

My makeup obsession for the past 3 months: red matte lipstick :)

One of my favorite reds, Wet n Wild Stoplight Red!