October 12, 2014

Sunday Inspiration: Charlotte Tilbury and Liberty Ross

October 12, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

My new, virtual BFF - Charlotte Tilbury

This video was recently featured on Charlotte Tilbury's Youtube channel and ultimately served as my source of inspiration. To uncomplicate matters, I chose a few items from my own stash and performed a dry run yesterday and I'm actually quite pleased with the execution.

Typically I shy away from using such dark colours on my eyes in fear of looking like a raccoon or a panda bear; the real-estate is minimal, but I soldiered on to see if I could make this work. To temper the intensity of the eyes, I kept things fairly neutral -- clean, sun kissed skin and full soft pink lips, all of which had to be framed with bold brows.

A handful of the items used: NARS Callisto, Burberry's Trench, Chanel's Mirifique, Armanis' Rouge Ecstasy in Daybreak and Waterproof Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in Black

I took a bit of a backwards approach and started with the eyes first as I knew there would be loads of fallout. The juxtaposition of the completed eye look and my ruddy, red skin was a bit shocking, albeit temporary. Do me a favour and don't let the strong eyes deter you, I almost threw in the towel due to fear and uncertainty.

Eye Breakdown

Apply an eye primer and allow it to set;
Curl your lashes;
Tight line the upper lash line with black eyeliner;
Grab a neutral beige eyeshadow, preferably without shimmer and blend it from the upper lash line to your brow bone;
Next, reach for a sparkly black eyeshadow. If you don't own one, simply layer a wicked shimmery shadow over something similar to MAC's Carbon. Keep the darkness limited to the eyelid only; should you accidentally go past the imaginary line blend it out as if your life depended on it;
Line the lower lash line with the same black eyeliner you used a few moments before and smudge it with the excess black eyeshadow applied in the previous step to make the lashes appear thicker;
Highlight the inner corners of your eyes with a silvery pink eyeshadow to make your eyes pop;
Apply lots and lots of mascara. We're talking truckloads;
Fill in those brows and be sure to go a tad darker than usual;
Finally, grab a cotton bud or Q-tip soaked in eye makeup remover and clean up any fallout.

Underpin your everyday makeup with a primer and medium coverage foundation; I used a pearl sized amount of Laura Mercier's Silk Cream Foundation to cancel out the redness in my cheeks, nose and forehead.

Skin Breakdown

Apply primer, making sure to focus on any oily areas;
If you have any blemishes or dark undereye circles, use concealer to erase these bad boys;
Reach for that medium coverage foundation and blend all over, making sure to avoid messing up those beautiful peepers;
Set the foundation with finishing powder or powder foundation;
Contour the hollows of the cheeks, along the sides of the nose and the top of your forehead right near the hairline;
Highlight the bridge of your nose, the cheekbones, the brow bone, the centre of your forehead and the cupids bow;
Smile and apply a small amount of blush and blend upward towards the temples;
Finish with lipstick.

A word of caution, I did experience fallout from my water eyes. Be sure to tote around a cotton bud or two.

Full list of items used:

Laura Mercier's Foundation Primer
Laura Mercier's Silk Creme Foundation in Cream Ivory
Chanel's Vitalumière Loose Powder Foundation in shade 30
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium/Deep Matte Bronzer
Hourglass' Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light
Illamasqua's Blush in Naked Rose
NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Callisto
Chanel's Illusion d'Ombre in Mirifique
Burberry's eyeshadow in Trench
Armani's Waterproof Smooth Silk Eyeliner in Black
Chanel's Inimitable Waterproof Mascara in Noir
Armani's Rouge Ecstasy in Daybreak

//Video Source

August 21, 2014

Eyes to mesmerize: NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow

August 21, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

When we last visited these I was in the midst of testing -- I really wanted to see where the sparkle filled road would take me. And you're not imagining things, Desdemona crossed the Pacific late last week with other bits and bobs from Sephora :)

In short, these eyeshadows are shimmery, sparkly and for some, might even ignite bokeh magic. Be sure to get past the Creme Brûlée-like exterior in order to capitalise on these pigmented sparkle bombs. NARS newest formula is a massive improvement as some of his older eye palettes and eyeshadow singles left a lot to be desired; pretty in the pan, but impossible to work with. Then along came Kauai, which whet my appetite while I waited for the next course to arrive.

Here's a recap of six of the twelve shades, starting with the swatches.

NARS Dual Intensity swatches (dry on the left and wet on the right for each shade) from left to right: Europa, Himalia, Dione, Callisto and Phoebe

Late arrival: Swatches of Desdemona dry (left) and wet (right)

Europa in the pan seemed like it was filled with endless possibilities, but I think I had my blinders on when I selected this particular shade and I might even blame it on my excitement at the beauty counter. Europa is the base of the pyramid, a supporting player that looks more intense when applied wet.

Not to be confused with Dione, colour-wise, Himalia is an excellent multi-tasker. Equal parts brown and beige, Himalia adds depth without closing your eyes in.

Dione is a cool, taupe-y beige with glints of silver, which are further enhanced just by adding water. Think wet, shiny sand.

The apple of my eye. Callisto is an icy pink that immediately perks your eyes up without having to catch a few Zzz's.

I can't really disagree with Nars' bang on description of Pheobe, a deep shimmering amethyst that's waiting to dazzle your eyes.

Desdemona isn't tragic like her namesake, this rich burgundy is bold and makes no apologies. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Expect warm embers, not flickering flames.

Here are two different looks I put together for you to mull over.

This soft look is coupled with glowing skin, pink cheeks and neutral lips.

Colours used: Himalia, Dione and Callisto and a hint of Phoebe.

Another look, cuz I'm so proud of my blending

Neutral skin and lips to maintain focus on my hazel eyes.

Colours used: a matte taupe and vanilla from Bobbi Browns' Bobbi & Katie Palette, Desdemona, Callisto and Phoebe.

Tip: Temper the shimmer by using a matte eyeshadow as your base and work from there.

NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadows are like miniature Energizer Bunnies and will easily multiply if you're not careful at the cash register. Kindly pair these with an eye primer and you'll most certainly be set for the evening.

Want a tutorial, just say. I'd be happy to throw one together.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow:

$38.00 AUS / $29.00 USD - I bought five colours prior to Mecca's price decrease and paid $45.00 AUS per compact. Call it karma for my impatience.

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — LOVE.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

On my 'to buy' list: Cassiopeia, Lysithea, Subra and maybe even Sycorax.

August 09, 2014

Picking the best flavours: NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow

August 09, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

At first touch I was skeptical. The pan felt dry, too dry.

My hopes were dashed, so I walked away empty-handed. Then I thought about the reviews, the rave ones, "...felt like a dream." "So blend-able." "From meh, to wow." These aren't actual statements, but I think you might be picking up what I'm laying down here.

So I went back, had a chat with a sweet gal from Mecca first thing last Saturday morning and dug my grubby paws into the sample pans. Side note: I have no qualms about poking and prodding the display models, especially when the sales girl was doing the same exact thing only moments before.

Then I swayed from side to side, weighing my options, wondering which ones I was willing to wait for and eventually settled on not one, not two, but five shades -- so much for that first taste just a few days before.

NARS Dual Intensity eyeshadows from left to right: Phoebe, Europa, Dione, Callisto and Himalia

Because it's practically Saturday night, let's get a little drunk on these. Shall we?

Despite being slightly tipsy, I can still decipher the commonality. *hiccup*

icy
shimmering
metallic
textural

Each of the twelve shades are like a layer cake or an onion in their own right, but man, they really open up -- make certain to pair them accordingly.

If you love a blingtastic eye look, then you've come to the right place. I'm still testing, layering, playing, painting and tasting -- should be ripe for a proper review come next Saturday ;)

Pricing: $45 AUS / $29 USD

Cheers to the rest of your weekend!

*raises glass*