Berry Crush Tutorial Using MAC and Aromaleigh

Here's some strawberry reds and neutrals using Aromaleigh eyeshadow, blush and lipstick, and my MAC eyeshadows. I loved Aromaleigh's lipstick in Crush! The pigmentation is amazing and I love how it applied smoothly on the lips. It's the best Aromaleigh lipstick I've tried, and I also like the citrus-chocolatey scent and flavor.





I used Aromaleigh's amazing Sonic Rouge blush in Rococo. It's a deadringer for (and Aromaleigh's version of) NARS Orgasm blush, except that Rococo looks better on my skin than Orgasm. I loved these Sonic Rouges so much that I got mini-jars of these blushes. They are pigmented, apply smoothly on the cheeks and are never splotchy, and finish is flawless.





I used Aromaleigh's eyeshadow in Damask foiled on the lids, then used MAC's Cranberry, Handwritten and Twinks shadows.

All products MAC unless otherwise stated.


Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over lid and brows. Smooth with finger. With a fluffy shader brush, apply Girl Friendly paint pot on lid. Apply Beige-ing shadestick on lower lashline to prevent smudging of liner and shadows.


Using Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" brush (or the 239 brush), apply Aromaleigh shadow in Damask foiled using Charged Water on the lid.


Using the 224 brush, apply Cranberry on the crease. Doesn't have to be perfect.




Using the 226 brush, apply Twinks to contour the crease, blending into Cranberry using the 224.


Using the Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Handwritten on the crease and outer V.


Blend the crease colors together using the 224. Apply Ricepaper on the browbone using Essence of Beauty large fluffy brush. Apply MAC Blacktrack fluidline, Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero to tightline and on waterline, Damask foiled on inner half of lower lashline and Handwritten on outer half of lower lashline. Apply Sugar Flirt CrissCross falsies.











Face:
Monistat gel as primer
Pure Anada mineral foundation in Deep Gold and Flaxen Field (50-50 mix)
MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NC20
Dayna's Rested mineral undereye concealer
DreamWorld whipped cocoon (silk finishing powder) in Whipped Strawberries
Coastal Scents 6-pc blush and contour palette to contour
Aromaleigh Sonic Rouge blush in Rococo
MAC Refined MSF on top of blush

Lips:
MAC tinted lip conditioner in Pink Fish
Aromaleigh lipstick in Crush
MAC lipglass in Orangedescence

I Love Mineral Shimmer Blushes

It's obvious that my new fascination is mineral shimmer blushes. I love minerals because they don't break out sensitive skin, they give the most beautiful glow to the skin that blurs imperfections, and minerals can be bought in samples, so I don't get stuck with an entire full size product that I don't like or will eventually lose interest in. Anyways, if you have been following my blog, you would know that I got samples of all Aromaleigh Rocks! Sonic Rouges:



I've been really enjoying these blushes. They are literally small pigment bombs, these little baggies of blushes are simply saturated with pigment. You need to sprinkle just a miniscule amount on a swirly bowl (like a salsa/condiment saucer) for one application. Using a regular blush brush simply wouldn't work because these are very pigmented and could give you clown cheeks. The best tool for these is a duo fiber or stippling brush, like the MAC 187 or any of its dupes and counterparts from different makeup brands. My favorite brush for this, however, is Aromaleigh's very own flat duo fiber blush brush.



I've already explained why I prefer this brush in THIS ENTRY. I love it so much that I have two of these that I regularly use.



Here's another group of shimmer blushes from Aromaleigh. I got these samples of Gothic Lolita Rouge blushes and I think they are very gorgeous. I think I like this collection a little better than the Rocks! Sonic Rouges, although I love the latter as well. These are not as pigmented as the Sonic Rouges but give just the right pigmentation. The shimmer is amazing and finish is smooth and application is a cinch using the Aromaleigh duo fibre blush brush. I used Rococo when I went to MAC store, and the MA complimented my skin and how glowing it was. I couldn't tell them I wasn't wearing MAC that day! =) Rococo is a beautiful peachy-pink blush that would look similar to NARS Orgasm (and I hated Orgasm!). I like Rococo 100 times better than Orgasm. Corset appears to be a deeper pink/mauve blush, while Dolly is a doll/cotton-candy pink. They are absolutely beautiful colors.

Coastal Scents 28 Piece Neutral Palette Look

Before I go to the main topic, here is my Valentine's day haul from MAC. Hubby gave me some cash as a Valentine's day gift, so I went back and got some stuff that I'd been eyeing from MAC. I added Strayin' lipstick to the Hello Kitty items I got because I've seen amazing looks using it. I am glad I got it because it is really such a pretty color, and very pigmented too (unlike the other Hello Kitty lipsticks I've seen). I also got the 228 brush for detailed eye work, and this is pretty similar to the Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 1/4", although the 228 is more paddle-shaped. This would be great for smudging and for applying color on those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. I also got Brule, which looks boring in the pan but works amazing as a blender color or as a transition color for gradient hued looks.









I am showing the products because I used Strayin' and the 228 for the look and tutorial below.



I've had this palette for a month or so now and it's very versatile, as I'm sure a lot of you know by now. Some of the shades are chalky, but some have quite nice finishes and are pretty pigmented. For the price, it's pretty much worth it, as long as you use a good base. Here's a step-by-step illustration of the look. Please refer to the photo of the palette (see above) for the particular shadows used.


Apply MAC Beige-ing shadestick all over lid, brow and lower lashline. Using MAC 252 brush, apply Shadow A all over lid up to browbone.


Using MAC 228, apply Shadow B on inner corners.


Using the Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" (or the MAC 239), apply Shadow C packed on the lid.


Using MAC 224 brush, apply Shadow D on crease using windshield wiper motions.


Using the bigger Essence of Beauty crease brush, apply Shadow E on the crease, going down to create a V.


Using MAC 226 brush, blend out Shadow E.


Using MAC 227, apply more Shadow A on the browbone. Line eyes using MAC Blacktrack fluidline. Apply Victoria's Secret kohl pencil in Black Velvet on waterline and tightline. Using the smaller Essence of Beauty crease brush, apply Shadow E on outer lower lashline. Apply Mod Lash falsies #21. Apply mascara.








close-up of Strayin'







Face:
Monistat gel as primer
Buff'd mineral foundation (original formula) in mix of Chamois and Almond
MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NC20
Dayna's Rested mineral undereye concealer
Silk Naturals finishing powder in Date Bait
Aromaleigh Rocks! Pure Rouge blushes in mix of Breathless and Femme Fatale
MAC mineralize skinfinish in Blonde over blush
MAC Refined Golden bronzer to contour

Lips:
MAC lipliner in Whirl
MAC lipstick in Strayin'
MAC cremesheen glass in Fashion Scoop

Soft Pinks, Lilacs and Browns Using MAC and Aromaleigh

I did this look quickly so I didn't have time for a step-by-step illustration. I wore my MAC Lavender Whip cremesheen lipstick. I love, love, love it. It's the perfect lilac/lavender on my lips and as I said in the previous entry, I love purple-based lipsticks. I also wore for the first time Aromaleigh Rocks! Sonic Rouge in Candy-O and it is a beautiful cotton candy pink! I used Aromaleigh's fibre optic blush brush and just tapped a very small amount of product on a swirly bowl, dipped my brush into it, tapped excess, and applied on my cheeks with a very light hand. It is so pretty! It was very bright, so I buffed it well into the skin and applied a light dusting of Dayna's Glow #2 on top, and the effect is an ethereal pink to me.



I also got the Hello Kitty pigments and I used Milk for this look. Some people say this is identical to Helium or Kitschmas. I have both and they're different from Milk. Milk is a little better in texture, and I love the grayish pink undertones. I also love Deep Blue Green! It's such a gorgeous color as a liner or to smokify eyes.











Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick on lid and lower lashline as base
MAC paint pot in Fresco Rose on lid
MAC pigment in Milk foiled on lid
MAC Swish eyeshadow on lid and inner to mid-lower lashline
MAC In Living Pink eyeshadow on crease
MAC Patina, Cork and Mulch eyeshadows on crease and outer V
MAC Cork eyeshadow on outer lower lashline
MAC Almond Icing shadow to highlight
Coastal Scents gel liner in Truffle
Victoria's Secret eye kohl in Black Velvet to tightline and on waterline
L'oreal and Maybelline mascaras

Face:
Monistat gel as primer
Earthen Glow Mineral foundation in Yuan Yuan
Urban Decay 24/7 pencil concealer on undereye area
Dayna's Rested mineral concealer over UD 24/7
DreamWorld creme topping (finishing powder) in Whipped Strawberries (silk)
Aromaleigh Rocks! Sonic Rouge blush in Candy-O
Dayna's Glow #2 on top of blush

Lips:
MAC strobe lip conditioner in Strobe Blossom
MAC lipliner in Whirl
MAC lipstick in Lavender Whip
MAC lipglass in Live & Dye

Aromaleigh Rocks! Sonic Rouge Blushes and Opulent Lustre Shadows

I'd been forever curious of Aromaleigh's Rocks! Sonic Rouge blushes because I've read a lot of great things about it. I held off ordering though because they look pretty scary in the baggies/jars. They really scream "pigment", but of course, I read that all you need is a light hand and a fibre optic blush brush, and these would give the most beautiful lit-from-within flush even on the fairest of skins. I took the plunge and ordered samples of all the Sonic Rouges. They come in baggies containing 1/4 teaspoon of product, which is pretty generous to me because you only need so little of these bad boys, or else you could end up with clown cheeks.

So what is the best tool to use with these? A fibre optic or skunk brush is okay (like the MAC 187), but Aromaleigh has crafted a unique blush brush for these suckers - the flat-head fibre optic blush brush.



This blush is quite different from the ordinary fibre optics patterned after the 187. The latter has a full, round head of white and black hairs, whereas the Aromaleigh fibre optic blush brush has a flat head of similar black and white bristles. I am not talking about the usual flat-top mineral brushes, this time the sides of the head are flattened, not the top. I prefer angled or flat headed duo fibres for applying mineral or very pigmented blushes as you can apply the pigment exactly where you want it (in a slanting position when contouring or just on the apples of the cheeks if you want a subtle flushed effect). The pigment doesn't go all over the place because of the precise flat head. This blush brush is also perfect for contouring as it gives a precise slanted strip under the cheekbone for a polished contoured effect.


Here are swatches of the beautiful Rocks! Sonic Rouges applied heavily on the skin using a Q-tip. These would be gorgeous on the cheeks using the flat-head fibre optic blush brush.



I also got a whole bunch of samples of the Opulent Lustre eyeshadow collection. I read that these are sisters of the Elemental Lustres, but patterned after a series of art works done in China that the owner fell in love with. That probably explains the asian flavors and names of this collection. These have a distinct metal finish, and I would love to use this dry because using it wet may be more metallic than I'd like it to be, but it didn't fare very well on my lids when applied dry. I might foil them next time to achieve better staying power, although this was the first time an Aromaleigh eyeshadow faded on me even with primer on. I will try the others and see how they would fare, but the colors are gorgeous!







This is obviously a spring collection, because the soft lovely colors just scream it.

If you love these swatches, now is probably the time to snag the Opulent Lustres as they are on sale at 20% off retail price. I am already eyeing Bamboo, Azalea and Camellia. I chose these colors because they are lid colors, and these metallic shadows are beautiful as a wash on the lid, with matte colors on the crease, outer V and to highlight the browbone.

I also just bought samples of all their new limited edition Valentine eyeshadow shades. Just looking at these, they are eye candy and just jaw-droppingly gorgeous:



Click the picture to go to the Aromaleigh Valentine shadows page.

I can't wait to play with these! The colors are so yummy!