Smokey Eyes Using MAC Smoke and Diamonds and Formal Black Smokey Eye Palette

I've always said that I haven't really used my MAC Smoke and Diamonds eyeshadow that much because I didn't like its color pay-off on my lid. I realized that I had to apply a cream shadow base of about the same shade underneath to make the beautiful color pop. I went to Sephora and just browsed through the products for a good one hour, and I eventually purchased this Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Skinny Jeans, a beautiful pewter color that turned out to be an excellent base for my Smoke and Diamonds. For the first time since I got Smoke and Diamonds, I really appreciated and loved the color on my lid. Skinny Jeans made Smoke and Diamonds' color truly vibrant on the lids, and made my smokey eye crease-free throughout the night. I wore this look at an all-girls night out watching comedian Gabriel Iglesias, and we waited for an hour and a half outside the theater during a hot summer night in Arizona in 90-degree heat. Nonetheless, my smokey eye remained intact and immaculate despite the heat. This is definitely HG material right here.



I also used my beautiful MAC Formal Black/Holiday Smoked Eye palette for this look. This is one of my favorite smokey eye palettes that MAC has ever come up with. The colors are gorgeous and classy/classic. The rest of the eyeshadows I used for this look came from this palette.


I also used my MAC mineralize blush in LoveJoy for this look.


On the lips, I used Blankety lipstick topped with Stop! Look! dazzleglass.

Here is a step-by-step, but the photos start on the third step as the pictures got corrupted in my memory card. All products MAC unless otherwise noted.


Apply Urban Decay primer potion all over lid, browbone and lower lashline. Using a fluffy eyeshadow brush, apply Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Skinny Jeans on lid. Using the 239 brush, apply Smoke and Diamonds shadow in patting motions on the lid. Using Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Club on the outer V.


Using the Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Black Tied on the outer V.


Blend the colors together using the 224.

Soft Smoky Eyes Using Stila Smoky Eye Talking Palette

Hello lovelies! Here's another look using one of my recent purchases. For this look, I used the Stila Smoky Eye Talking Palette and Stila Red Carpet Look #3. I'm liking the colors in this look. I made the look softer than the usual smoky eyes we envision because I wore this during the day. If you are thinking of using the Smoky Palette on a night out, you can easily make the application a little more dramatic.



I used MAC Layin' Low paint pot on top of Butternutty because when I first tried Stila Kitten, it was a bit too sheer and gritty for my taste. Layin' Low made Kitten adhere better on my lid and created a smoother canvas for the eyeshadows.



I also used 3N lipstick for this look. I love the N collection. It might be a bit boring to some, but this is one collection where I reach for the colors regularly, unlike others which can languish in my dresser drawer for months before I remember to use them.



I also used Enough Said beauty powder blush from the MAC Red She Said collection. In this collection, Stark Naked was the star product and more popular than Enough Said, but my warm colouring complements the beautiful warm tones of Enough Said.



I used Jouer lipgloss in Pink Sand, one of the prettiest glosses that I have. It's such a beautiful peachy pink gloss.


I used Refined MSF on top of the blush.

Here's a step-by-step illustration. All products Stila unless otherwise stated.


Apply MAC Butternutty shadestick all over lid and browbone, brows and on the lower lashline. Blend with finger. Apply MAC Layin' Low paint pot on the lid using a fluffy shader brush.


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


Using the MAC 224 brush, apply Puck shadow on crease.


Using Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply Kettle on the crease and outer V. Blend Puck and Kettle using the 224.




Using the same Sonia Kashuk brush, apply Ebony to contour crease. Blend using the 224.


Apply more Ebony to deepen the crease. Apply MAC shadow in Brule on edge of shadows above the crease using the 224 to soften harsh lines.


Apply champagne color (Base) in the Smoky Palette on the browbone using Stila No. 5 brush. Apply Kitten on inner lower lashline, and Ebony on outer lower lashline using MAC 219 brush. Apply MAC Penultimate liquid liner in Rapidblack on upper lashline. Apply Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero to tightline and on waterline. Apply Revlon falsies in Flirty. Apply mascara.









Face:
Monistat gel as primer
MAC Prep + Prime Refined Skin Zone on t-zone
LaurEss mineral foundation (Minimalist formula) in mix of Pure Yellow and Soft Yellow (50-50 mix)
MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NC20
Dayna's Rested mineral undereye concealer
DreamWorld whipped creme in Butterscotch (finishing powder)
MAC beauty powder blush in Enough Said
MAC Refined MSF on top of blush

Lips:
MAC tinted lip conditioner in Pink Fish
MAC lipliner in Whirl
MAC lipstick in 3N
Jouer lip gloss in Pink Sand

MAC Originals Look

Okay, so I changed my mind about Parrot eyeshadow. The slip, color pay-off and pigmentation are just divine, and I now understand why it became a supremely hard-to-find and much-coveted product of MAC. It just glided on my lids like butter, and application was very easy without any drag whatsoever, and staying power was the absolute best. The color does not scream teeny-bopper at all, unlike what I was imagining at first. It is gorgeous for lining or to give that pop of color to the lids when you want to go for a smokey look. It also looks smashing with pretty pastel colors for spring and summer.

That said, it looks great combined with the other gorgeous colors of the Originals collection. Alum, Charred, Daisychain and Clue are true winners in my book; pretty classic colors that every woman should have. I used these shadows together with Pandamonium eyeshadow from the Balloonacy quad, and the combination was a smokey eye that did not come off as too dark because Parrot softened the look. Noveau Frou lipstick with Nico Now lipglass completed the look. I am beginning to really like this collection, and I am inspired to concoct more looks using products from the Originals.













Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base on lid and lower lashline
MAC Parrot eyeshadow on lid and inner lower lashline
MAC Silver Ring and Alum eyeshadows on middle of lid
MAC Charred eyeshadow on outer V
MAC Clue eyeshadow above crease
MAC Pandamonium eyeshadow on crease and outer lower lashline
MAC Daisychain eyeshadow to highlight
MAC Blacktrack fluidline

Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
Silk Naturals Buttery Gold Perfect Harmony mineral foundation (17:2 mix)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Silk Naturals Date Bait perfecting powder
Valerie Beauty Starlet Glow mineral illuminizer to contour
NARS blush in Sin
MAC Shooting Star MSF over blush

Lips:
MAC lipliner in Spice
MAC lipstick in Noveau Frou
MAC lipglass in Nico Now

Greens With Falsies

I missed my greens so here's a smoky green look with falsies. I am still feeling my way in the falsies world so pardon the lashes if they're a little wonky! I also feel that I got a dud of a falsies set. The left one refuses to curl up (hence I cropped that one out).







Eyes:
MAC Painterly paint pot as base
MAC Greenstroke paint pot on lid
MAC Blackground paint pot on outer V
MAC Pagan eyeshadow over Greenstroke
MAC Guacamole eyeshadow on center of lid
MAC Humid eyeshadow over Blackground
MAC Carbon eyeshadow on crease
MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow to highlight
Indelible gel liner in Black Out to line upper lashline
MAC Feline kohl power pencil to line waterline
MAC Lucky Jade shadestick on lower lashline
MAC Guacamole eyeshadow to line lower lashline
Ardell falsies


Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
Meow Flawless Feline mineral foundation in Naughty Abyssinian
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC Emote blush to contour
MAC blush in Petalpoint

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses lipliner in Wild Clover
MAC mattene lipstick in Cafe Matte
MAC lipglass in Pas-de-deux

And also, don't forget to check out my contest for your chance to win $75 worth of brand-new MAC goods!

Blue Night Look

Here's a blue look that can be used for nights out. Falsies would have given the look more oomph, but I didn't have the time to apply them. I also used Dayna's mineral foundation here, and I did a mix of PN and P4. I think I should stick to straight PN and P1, because when the sun hit my face, it looked a bit ashy. Why didn't I stick to my tried and tested Dayna shades and ratios? I love Dayna's minerals' feel on my skin, though; it's so velvety and soft, and it lasted the whole day on my oil-prone face.









Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC Delft paint pot on lid
Shu Uemura ME Blue 638 eyeshadow on lid and to line lower lashline
MAC Storm Watch eyeshadow on mid to outer lid
MAC Cumulus eyeshadow above crease
MAC Carbon eyeshadow on crease
MAC Rice Paper eyeshadow to highlight
Indelible gel liner in Magnetism on upper lashline
black mascara

Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
Dayna's mineral foundation in PN and P4 (mixed)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC Emote blush to contour
CARGO blush in Polynesia

Lips:
Rimmel lipliner in Epic
MAC lipstick in Barely Lit

Silver Greys With Falsies (and Dayna's Juiced)

This is my first time to try false lashes in 5 years, and it is SO not me. I do admit though that it adds some oomph to smoky eyes. I'll try to use other falsies so I can find which one suits my looks perfectly. It looks good for nights-out, but definitely not for every day. I used Silver Fog pigment for this look over Delft paint pot. Delft makes the silver pigment less flashy and more of bluish-silver instead of frosty, blinding silver. I blended Cumulus from the Blue Storm collection to the silver as well, to create a softer, more subtle hue.

I also used Dayna's blush in Juiced, and I love its pretty coral color. I've always been wary of coral-based mineral blushes because I thought it would look garish on my skin, but I was pleasantly surprised with this blush - it's not in-your-face but not shy to show its color either. It exudes pure fun!





Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC Delft paint pot on lid
MAC Silver Fog pigment foiled with MAC mixing medium on lid
MAC Knight Divine and Silver Ring eyeshadows on outer V and crease
MAC Nylon eyeshadow to highlight and on inner corners
MAC Lithograph fluidline
black mascara
false lashes

Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
Meow Flawless Feline foundation in Naughty Abyssinian
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC Emote blush to contour
Dayna's mineral blush in Juiced

Lips:
MAC lipliner in Whirl
MAC lipstick in Rubia
MAC lipglass in Illicit

MAC Blackground Paint Pot and Intense Eye Look

If you check out my eye looks here in my blog, you'd notice that I'm not really into smokey eyes. I feel that my eyes become too harsh when I pile on too dark eyeshadow or liner. I finally got over my fear of crossing over to the "dark side" when I saw my Blackground paint pot languishing forlornly in my drawer, and I'd hate to see it go to waste. I used it as my base today and picked up a generous amount of MAC Forest Green pigment and placed on my lid. I then used my Shu Uemura ME Blue 638 eyeshadow and applied it on my inner to a little past the mid lid. I took the time blending as I wasn't used to blending really dark pigments. I then used Indelible gel liner in Magnetism with a thick eyeliner brush to make a not-so-fine line, then used MAC Delphic fluidline on the bottom lashline with MAC Teal pigment over it, then black mascara. I used Beige-ing shadestick above the crease to the browbone as a base and used MAC Lustreleaf eyeshadow to highlight.













Face:
Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Meow Purrfect Puss mineral foundation Naughty Angora mixed with Naughty Chartreux (50-50 mix)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
Laura Mercier illuminating powder quad in Rose Pink as blush
MAC Refined Golden bronzer to contour
MAC Pearl Blossom beauty powder over blush

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses stay-on lipliner in Wild Clover
Valerie Beauty mineral lipstick in Bonbon
MAC Backlit 3D glass