makeup

TBD OBSESSION: JEWELMINT

photos by jewelmint, design by eunice chun, sponsored post by amy nadine

As a makeup artist designing looks for my clients, I always get my inspiration from what they’re going to wear (like we all do!). Sometimes I do the classic pairing (red dress with a red lip) and other times I like to rebel a little against the obvious (red dress with a pink/orange lip). Really it’s all about our moods that day… and the same goes with jewelry. Accessories are the perfect way to further your form of expression and can really make an outfit come alive. And jewelry is another amazing source of inspiration for your makeup and can be tied together the same way you’d match a red shoe with a red bag or clash a lace top with spiked earrings. Here are our latest four obsessions from Kate Bosworth + Cher Coulter’s Jewelmint line and how you can make a statement together with your makeup:

BRIGHT STATEMENT EARRINGS (MATCH IT): This is an occasion where you’ll want to match it with your lip color. It doesn’t have to be the same color, it just also has to be bright. Try these fun Thunderbird Earrings paired with a bright matte hot pink lipstick, then balance the lip with a soft gold shadow.

BOHEMIAN RING (CLASH IT): Yes the colors are bright but the feel is hippie and boho, so don’t match the colors but clash it instead by understating your makeup. Keep everything light + airy by swapping foundation with a tinted moisturizer and add a sweep of bronzer for a “I’ve been hanging at SXSW all day” kind of look, perfect for this Dahlia Blossom Ring.

ART DECO NECKLACE (MATCH IT): Here’s another case where I’d match the retro necklace with retro makeup for a chic + timeless look. So wing that liner and really fill in your brows for a strong look perfect with this Shanghai Eclipse Necklace.

MIXED METALS RINGS (CLASH IT): The obvious choice would be to pull the gold + silver from the Yves Rings and match it with your eyeshadow. But something about that feels a little too contrived… so leave the lids bare and highlight your lashes instead by using a natural-bristled mascara wand for a full and soft look. Then add a peachy glow directly along your cheekbones to keep everything earthy yet ethereal.

Haven’t signed up for Jewelmint yet?! No worries! They’re offering 20% off the first purchase for new members by clicking here! xoxo

makeup

MASCARA WANDS: DO THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

photos + post by amy nadine

If you’ve always wondered if the type of mascara wand you use is important, this experiment is for you! I coerced my assistant Carissa to model again and to make sure that the only variable was the wand, we used the same formula mascara (L’Oreal Telescopic) with each wand, did exactly two coats of each and completely took it off in between applications. The results may look subtle but to me are maaajor!

  • PLASTIC COMB: You can see it really separated the lashes from each other, gave a dark color payoff and lengthened them.
  • NATURAL BRISTLES: The wand created a soft + light look, which I’m equally a fan of, especially when hanging with your honey and want “pet-able” lashes (revisit our dating makeup post here). And it made them look fuller + more voluminous.
  • PLASTIC BRISTLES: This wand kind of married the two above by creating dark, long + full lashes! Very interesting! The only downside is they are stiff (not soft + pet-able).


makeup

HOMEMADE BODY SHIMMER

photos + post by amy nadine

Temperatures are rising and prom, formals + weddings are just around the corner! Which means our skin needs a little help after a long dry winter! After giving your body a good buff with our D.I.Y. brown sugar scrub, add a little shimmer to your lotion to get that perfect glow (without having to spend any money!). Here’s what I made last week in 3 easy steps to use on my clients on talk shows (Brittany Snow with her gorgeous new red hair on her visit to Conan, stunning + raven-haired Krysten Ritter on her visits to both Jimmy Kimmel and Conan and our lovely Lauren Conrad on her visit to Chelsea Lately last night!) that I thought you might like too:

TOOLS

Your favorite lotion (we’re obsessed with Korres Body Butter in Jasmine because it’s natural and smells divine but any lotion that you love will work)
Small jar of gold loose mica mineral pigment (I like Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Loose Colour Concentrate in Clove for Fair to Medium skin tones, or Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Acacia or Mimosa for Tan to Dark skin tones). You can also crush up an old gold or pearl pressed eyeshadow to make it loose.
A mixing bowl or tumbler, chopstick + spoon
An empty travel-sized jar or bottle

1. Combine 4 parts lotion with ½ teaspoon gold shimmer (or measure by sprinkling the shimmer until desired shade is achieved).
2. Stir with chopstick until color is consistent (isn’t it gorgeous?!) then direct it towards one side for scooping.
3. Spoon out your creation and transfer it into the jar.

You can do this with coconut oil, tanning oils and many sunscreens. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll start wanting to try different shades of illuminating loose powders and add them to everything! Please share any of your ideas + potions too!

makeup

BEAUTICIAN MAGICIAN: A VOLUMINOUS LIP ILLUSION

photos + post by amy nadine, design by eunice chun

We get a lot of emails asking how to make thin lips look fuller. So today I’m happily sharing one of my biggest secrets as a makeup artist! This ten-second trick instantly but subtly makes any-sized lips appear fuller using a concept from Basic Art 101: you add dimension by playing with shadows + light. If you want to bring a feature forward, you make it lighter, and if you want to push something back, you shade it darker. So to make the lips appear more voluminous, simply outline the top lip + the philtrum (the two midline grooves that run from the top of the lip to the nose) to highlight it. It’s a lot safer and less expensive than fillers and looks more natural.

If you have fair to medium skin, use NARS Larger Than Life Liner in Rue Bonaparte like I used on my assistant Carissa above. If you have tan to dark skin, use Stila Kajal Liner in Topaz.

  1. Start by tracing the two lines of your philtrum from your nose to your upper lip. Then trace the cupid’s bow (the area between the lines) and from each point to the outer corners. Only line the upper lip (leaving the lower lip natural).
  2. Lightly blend the line with your finger to make it undetectable but enough to still do its job.
  3. Finish by filling in your entire lips with a color/finish of your choice. We used Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb but you can use a liner + lipstick, just lipstick, just gloss or a tinted lip balm… whatever you are in the mood for that day!

makeup

KITCHEN BEAUTICIAN: LIP COLOR

photos + post by amy nadine

Our Kitchen Beautician Series is back with a fun + easy way to make your own shade of lipstick! If you have lipsticks that you’ve grown tired of or bought online but wish were a little softer/brighter when they arrived… or others that are a little too matte that you know would pop more with a bit of shimmer or a metallic finish, here’s how to take matters into your own hands! But please remember to always be careful when using your stovetop and you MUST have parental supervision if you are under 18!

READ MORE…