Sunday, November 28, 2010

Day 10: Elderberry Fairy!

They looked so gorgeous, I found my inspiration for today's 30 Days/30 Ways look--Elderberry Fairy!!

Oh, my!!! Pretty cool, huh? My thanks to Snarky P., who further inspired me to go wild on this one--you rock, chickie!

An interesting feature of this look is the little purple trail leading to a heart-shaped violet beauty mark on my upper left cheekbone, covering a dark spot that I usually hide with concealer--how fun! This look also reminds me of the fantastic fairy art of folks such as Amy Brown, as well as the makeup of Harlequin jesters and Mardi Gras festivals--but without being too over-the-top...

You know the drill, people: start with clean, moisturized skin and foundation/veil if you like (I certainly did, using Orglamix HD Microfinish Powder in Hush Hush to set this base) and prep the eyelids with a good primer--I used Orglamix Magnetism once again for this look.

Once accomplished, begin the application:

1) Pat Orglamix Jasmine all over lid from brow to lash line and blend out for a shimmery, faintly pink-violet base

2) Pat Orglamix Fig gently over lid and blend up slightly into crease

3) Apply Orglamix Grape Hyacinth wet (I used my favorite foiling medium) in a broad wave shape, beginning with a narrow downturn at the inner corner, arching up across the crease and under the brow bone, and ending in a double wing at the outer corner of the eye (oh, the drama!)

4) Apply Orglamix creamliner in Venomous (a gorgeous deep matte violet) to outer 2/3 of lash line and draw out and up into a wing at outer corner of eye, then draw down and across outer 2/3 of lower lash line. Take up some more Venomous and draw a wavy little "trail" from outer corner of eye toward cheekbone, ending in a little heart-shaped "beauty mark" below one eye (or both if you like)

5) Apply Orglamix HD Violet wet to inner corner of eye and as liner for inner 1/3 of upper and lower lash lines; at the inner corner, draw the wet shadow down into an "inverted" wing

6) Apply Orglamix Mineral Twinkle Effects in Purple wet over the Venomous for added sparkle and drama!

7) Blend matte brown shadow into brows to shape/define and apply 2 coats of black mascara to lashes

8) Mix Orglamix Gingko with lip balm and apply to lips for a sheer, dark violet shimmer.

A fun and flirtatious look for a party or night out on the town! If desired, you could intensify the look by adding HD Violet wet over the Grape Hyacinth (once the latter has dried, of course!) and/or sweeping the Twinkle Effects in Purple dry over the lid from the crease to lash line for even more sparkle.

Next up: Return of the Work Week (reeee, reeee, reeee!!!)

Day 9: Torch Ginger

This incredible haul was part of my "Happy Birthday to ME!!" gift to myself, a way of kicking my several years old commercial eyeshadows to the curb and taking my participation in the Orglamix 30 Days/30 Ways Challeng to the next level =)

On to the look:

Face was prepped as per usual with mineral foundation, then a fine dusting (and blending!) of Orglamix HD Microfinish Powder in Hush Hush to soften all the little imperfections. This time, I got to make use of Orglamix's Magnetism primer to prep the eyelids; I have to say, this stuff certainly made a difference in the application--it is AWESOME for powder eyeshadows!!

Once face and eyes were ready to go, the look went on as follows:

1) Pat Orglamix Vanilla all over lid from brow to lash line and blend to bring out the gold shimmer

2) Pat Orglamix Passionfruit on inner 1/2 of lid and blend into crease

3) Pat Orglamix Saffron on outer 1/2 of lid and blend into crease & outer "v" of eye, dragging a bit into the outer 1/2 of lower lash line; also drag this shade across the crease and blend to contour

4) Take a pencil brush (see blog post for the "Morning Glory" look) and use it to blend Orglamix Honeymoon Sweet into the boundary between the Saffron and Vanilla (on brow bone) to soften this edge and made a short gradient

5) Pat Orglamix The F Word into inner corner of eye and drag across lower lash line to highlight; blend with Saffron in the middle of lower lash line.

6) Blend matte brown shadow into the brows to shape and define

7) Apply mascara to lashes

I chose not to line the eyes, preferring to highlight the pretty pretty pinks used in this look, but you could add a line of either a reddish brown or dark cherry color to add more drama. I finished the look by applying uncolored lip balm to my lips for a bit of shine.

This is a moderate look--not neutral but certainly wearable to work, school, etc. I have to admit I felt a bit of trepidation messing with such vivid pinky-reds but OH! They came out so beautifully and I can see why so many of my fellow Orglamix fansisters are in LOVE with Saffron--it's a gorgeous color and blends out just lovely.

Hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions, suggestions, etc., feel free to leave me a comment below and thanks for reading!!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Day 8: Morning Glory

Disclaimer: All content is my own opinion only and should in no way be construed as a paid endorsement or representation of any companies named. I receive no compensation whatsoever from any makeup or other companies named/linked to in my posts for my looks or reviews. I just like to have fun with all the pretty pretty colors...

Day 8--Friday, November 26, 2010

(What, you were expecting something like "Black Friday"? "Doorbuster"? I'll leave that to the experts; myself, I'm a shopping moderate who loves to sleep in after the hustle and bustle of cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family, thank you very much...)

In old Hawai'i, home of some of my maternal ancestors, this time of year was known as Makahiki, a season of gathering tithes to ensure the members of the island communities who could not provide for themselves had access to food and other basic needs. This season lasted from late November to the Spring Equinox in March--how's that for a Spirit of Giving?

In honor of Makahiki and Thanksgiving both, I went to my neighborhood yoga studio and took part in an awesome practice called 108 Sun Salutations, a benefit for our local women's shelter. In lieu of the usual class fee, the studio requested participants to bring donations from the shelter's wish list (I chose to bring travel-size toiletries and paper goods) or cash donations; by the time I arrived 15 minutes before the event there was a pretty sizable pile of donated items and I was glad to add to it.

The practice was very rigorous and I'm a relative beginner to yoga, so I made good use of the pauses to sip water and try to keep my heart from racing out of my chest lol...but it was a wonderful way to begin the day after Thanksgiving and continue in the true spirit of the Season.

Inspired by Makahiki and the 108 Sun Salutations, I created Day 8's look in shades of pale blue-violet and pink, like the morning glory flower that opens for the sun every day:

This look was created using some of my new goodies from Orglamix, received by mail on Friday and a birthday present I gifted to myself (and I am grateful for the capacity to do so!). Of course, after a couple of hours of yoga practice I needed a bath, so my face was freshly scrubbed and moisturized, then prepared with foundation and neutral primer on the eyelids. I then added a sheer sweep of:

1) Orglamix HD Microfinish Powder in Hush Hush

I have to say here that even without the use of correctors I watched in astonishment as several of the flaws that plague me most faded into "barely noticeable" status as I applied this powder--sparingly, following Cheri's advice. This is amazing stuff and I would recommend it as a first purchase to any newcomer to the Orglamix shop!!

Back to the look:

After applying the Hush Hush I continued the application as follows:

2) Pat Orglamix Skyline into the crease and outer "v" of the eye and blend inward over the outer 1/3 of the eye

3) Pat Orglamix Honeymoon Sweet (one of my favs, a lovely peachy-pink shade, very like the sunrise!) onto the lid covering the inner 2/3; blend gently into the lower edges of the Skyline to avoid a harsh boundary between colors

4) With a STEADY hand and a fine brush (I used a pencil brush), draw a line over the upper edge of the Skyline with Orglamix Sesame and blend out (careful, this shade is more intense than it looks!)

5) Pat Orglamix Moonstone under the brow and onto the brow bone, blending down into the Sesame to soften this line and make a pretty blue/slate/pearl gradient; take a little more Moonstone and drag down to the inner corner of the eye to highlight. Blend out any sharp edges.

6) Apply Orglamix Obsidian wet (I made a foiling medium out of lavender hydrosol and vegetable glycerin using a 3-1 ratio--that is, 3/4 hydrosol and 1/4 glycerin) to the outer 2/3 of the upper lash line and drag into a wing to glam it up.

7) Take a bit more Obsidian onto a dry fine liner brush and drag onto the outer 2/3 of the lower lash line to smoke it up a little.

8) Blend matte brown shadow into the brows and apply 2 coats of black mascara to the lashes

9) Sweep Orglamix Mineral Glow in Tourmaline over the cheeks to add a touch of color

10) Finish off the look with a pale pink shimmer lip gloss

Hubby walked in when I was done and said, "Wow, you did your eyes! Very nice..."

I liked the widening effect of placing a highlighter such as Moonstone on the inner corner of the eye and using the shimmery dark teal blue of Obsidian to line only the outer portion of the eye (especially useful as I think my eyes are rather close together...0.0)

Whew! Finally all caught up posting my looks after a busy holiday week! See you all again this evening for Day 9.

Day 7: Soothing

This is a lovely and very subtle look; no muss, no fuss! Perfect for a busy Thanksgiving, it gently highlights the eyes without shouting for attention (which as it turned out was a good thing for me that day...long story short, I was glad to have a more low-profile look, having spent the latter half of the day in mixed company).

Beginning as usual with a clean and moisturized face, mineral foundation and translucent veil, and neutral primer, I created this look with only one shade of eyeshadow:

1) Pat Orglamix Chamomile all over lid from upper lash line to just under the brow and blend; add a second layer of shadow and blend again to add depth to the gold tones of this shade.

2) Line upper lash line with a nude color eye pencil, drawing up into a slight wing at outer corners of the eyes to add a itty-bit of drama

3) Blend matte brown shadow into the brows to shape and define

4) I used the barest touch of mascara to keep in line with the subtlety of this look.

5) Finish with lip gloss (I used a clear gloss with pale gold microglitter in it)

The extreme close-up above shows the neutral eyeliner and sheer gold shimmer of Chamomile set off by a dark brow. Compared to a darker, smokier, or more dramatic look, which tends to bring out the gold in my eyes, this look made them seem darker--a very pretty contrast!

Just goes to show you how a little color can go a long way--you can make pretty with even one shade of eyeshadow--how economical!! Even better--you can build your Orglamix color collection one week at a time using Cheri's Color of the Week sales (COTW) at her Etsy shop or become a fan of the Orglamix Facebook page and shop from there--50% of your first purchase from the FB page once you are a fan! AWESOME!!!

Day 6: Smolder

Yay, holidays!! I love love LOVE this look--one of my favorites so far, it's so smoky and shimmery and lovely! My poor mama almost didn't recognize me...

This bit of gorgeous takes advantage of the warm gold shimmer of Orglamix Chamomile to set the overall tone and add highlights. Here's how I got this look, after properly prepping the face with my usual foundation, veil, and neutral eyelid primer:

1) Pat on Orglamix Chamomile from lash line to just under the brow and blend to bring out the gold in this shade

2) Pat a metallic rose color onto the lid and blend out into the crease and outer "v" of the eye to contour (the particular shadow I used blends out into a lovely purplish-rust shade that really smokes up the place, wow!). If desired, pat a little more of the metallic rose onto the lid to intensify color (I certainly did).

3) Use a pale pink eyeshadow pencil (the chubby kine) to highlight just under the brow and the inner corners of the eyes, blend out the edges to avoid a harsh boundary between colors

4) Line upper lash line and lower water line with black gel eyeliner, pulling the line up into a small wing to glam it up

5) Blend matte brown shadow into the brow to shape/define and add black mascara (2 coats!) to the lashes

6) Add pale reddish-gold gloss to the lips to finish off the look

(here's a close-up of the look, eyes closed; note how the metallic rose is applied in layers to the lower portion of top lid to intensify the color and then blended into the crease to create the smoky effect--and yes, this is the SAME shade of eyeshadow!)

PS: you may have noticed already, but I'll spell it out anyway--for the purposes of this challenge, only the Orglamix products used in each day's look are given by name in my blog posts here and comments on the Orglamix Facebook page, all others shall remain anonymous in these forums. However, if there is a particular look you wish to recreate, simply leave me a comment on that day's blog post and I'll reveal all on the day after the challenge!

Next up, Turkey Day!!

Day 5: Violet Pearl

Somewhat similar to my Day 3 look, but a little more pinkish and subdued (hey, I was on my way to work, can't be too flashy!); also, this look adds some fun by using a dark purple shadow wet as eyeliner (WHAT??!???!!? No matte brown? I'm riding the edge, now ;p). To create this daytime look, I prepped my face as usual (mineral foundation, translucent mineral veil, neutral primer--although you could use a white base instead to make the colors more intense) and used:

1) Orglamix creamliner in Pink Pearl as the base color all over the lid and blended up a bit into the crease

2) Orglamix Freesia patted into the crease and outer v of the eye & blended; added a bit more into the crease to intensify contouring

3) Orglamix Vanilla under brow, on brow bone (blended into Freesia), and inner corner of eye to highlight

4) Dark purple shadow used wet as eyeliner

5) Matte brown (I knew it had to be in here somewhere!) blended into the brow to shape and define

6) A shimmery mauve lip glaze

7) Black mascara

Again, my coworkers sat up and noticed--before finding Orglamix, I had not been in the habit of wearing makeup regularly and certainly not different shades/styles on different days. Don't know what they're going to do with me for the next three-ish weeks lol!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Day 4: My Mother's Eyes

(that green really stands out, just like my Mama!)

Here's how I created this look, beginning as always with clean & moisturized skin, foundation & translucent veil, and primer (white based today):

1) Pat Orglamix Chamomile under the brow down to the brow bone; pack it on a little to intensify the peachy-gold shimmer; drag a bit down to the inner corner of the eye to highlight

2) Pat a metallic or shimmery olive green onto the eyelid and blend upward into the crease and lower edge of brow bone (into the Chamomile) to soften the edges; the shade I used today was VERY intense so I wanted a bit of a gradient

3) Tap a bit of Orglamix Vanilla into the inner corner of the eye and drag along bottom lashline to highlight

4) My old friend matte dark brown shadow blended into brows and applied wet as liner

5) Two coats of black mascara to add to the glam

6) Lip balm applied liberally to the lips for a bit of shine

I found this a really lovely combination even without the addition of another color in the crease for contouring; the Chamomile blended so beautifully with the metallic olive shadow that nothing else was needed to make this a fabulous look!

Well, I'm off to bed to snuggle up to the hubby and dream up something else for tomorrow =)

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Day 3: Viva el Vino

Disclaimer: All content is my own opinion only and should in no way be construed as a paid endorsement or representation of any companies named. I receive no compensation whatsoever from any makeup or other companies named/linked to in my posts for my looks or reviews. I just like to have fun with all the pretty pretty colors...

Well Happy Birthday to Me!! I finally get to dig into my Orglamix color collection in Interwine; in the spirit of celebration I bring you Viva el Vino!

A word about primer:

Many a good beauty blog/video tutorial will mention the importance of a well-primed eyelid for a successful and stunning eyeshadow application with staying power. Most of these will even recommend a favorite product for priming the delicate skin of the upper (even lower) lids to ensure a smooth and beautiful application. I'm actually going to back up a few steps and discuss Full-Body Priming.

"What the heck is she talking about?" you ask. Here's the thing--your skin is your body's largest organ; it lives, breathes (yes!) and performs a variety of functions we could not do without, such as protecting us from the external environment and many of the pathogens in it, assisting in regulating our body temperature so we don't overheat or freeze on contact with cold air, and helping us get rid of dietary and environmental toxins our poor overtaxed liver and kidneys can no longer cope with.

All of which is to say: want a truly gorgeous look when you wear makeup? Begin the application with healthy, well-fed, glowing skin! The basics to lovely skin include

1) Adequate sleep (roughly 8 hrs per 24-hour period)
2) Drink plenty of water (actual water, not just soda--even diet--or energy drinks); experts vary on how much is enough: 8-10 is a good place to start if you are not getting even that much but some say daily water intake should be half your body weight in ounces of water PER DAY (whew!)
3) Check out your food intake: too much salt will dehydrate you, we all know what they say about too much sugar and fat (breakouts, anyone?), and vitamin-poor diets make for lackluster skin.
4) Exfoliate and moisturize!!! Here's a couple of my go-tos:

Both of these goodies are hand-made right in my own home (no I don't sell them; I'll leave that kind of thing to the pros like Cheri at Orglamix--I just don't have the patience or perseverance for the endless experimenting to get a formulation "just so" let alone the marketing, etc. to make a skill into a cottage industry). Up top is a scrub made from Rhassoul clay, blue corn flour (a very gentle scrub), raw apple cider vinegar, orange blossom water (available at Indian/Middle Eastern markets), and local honey. I use it in the shower and when I rinse it off, my skin feels silky from head to toe even BEFORE I put any cream on!

Below the scrub is a fresh batch of cream I made yesterday (ridiculously easy; I make it in my blender but that's a blog post in and of itself!) and scented with Sandalwood, Rose, Geranium, and Orange Blossom essential oils. It is rich, luxurious, absorbs quickly into the skin, has no synthetic ingredients or fragrances, and literally costs about 1/9 as much as a high-end drugstore moisturizer (even less compared to Designer Lines Who Shall Not Be Named ;p).

I learned how to make these luscious, body-conscious "primers" from a wonderful herbalist, Kami McBride; if you'd like to know more about her work you can find it here.

On to the look!

This look takes advantage of the pre-coordinated color collection "Interwine" available at Orglamix's online shop.

Start with clean, healthy and moisturized skin. After that, I applied makeup for the look as follows:

1) Mineral foundation and translucent veil to match skin color

2) Neutral-color primer on upper and lower lids blended into the surrounding skin to avoid any sharp boundaries

3) Pat Orglamix Jasmine under the brow down over the brow bone

4) Pat Orglamix Freesia over the lid

5) Apply Orglamix HD Violet WET (I used a foiling medium) into the crease and draw out into a slight wing at the outer corner of the eye (the shape of my eyelids casts a natural shadow in this shape so I just follow that shadow with the Violet) and down into the outer "v" of the eye; brush what's left into the upper and lower lash lines for a soft lining effect.

6) Let Violet dry & apply second coat if a more intense look is desired

7) Tap a little extra Jasmine on the inner corners of the eye

8) Matte brown shadow in the brows and mascara on top lashes

9) pale pink shimmer lip gloss (just a tad)

(See the wings in the second pic? I followed a naturally occurring shadow with the wet HD Violet to create this shape and add more drama to my usual features).

I took this out to a wine tasting party my dad escorted me to for my birthday today; very pretty in sunlight or indoor light and although it's not too dramatic it does have that pop of color everyone loves for "going out."

Enjoy!

Day 2: Creamsicle

Just enough to highlight my pretty browns without shouting "stone the harlot!" to the more conservative members of the crowd...lol...

How did I do it? Just two shades on the lid, liner, and mascara! What, you say? No way!

Oh, but I did. This look was much more understated than yesterday's and yet more finished: I went with a white-based primer on my eyes this time rather than my neutral for Day 1 to make these pale, shimmery shades pop a little more. Also, I went all out and applied foundation and translucent veil all over the face--but no color on the lips, just my homemade lip balm!

Here's the colors:

1) Mineral foundation to match my skin tone followed by a sheer application of mineral veil to set the foundation and direct the light away from any (minor, right? RIGHT??) flaws

2) White based primer on upper lid

3) Orglamix Vanilla shadow patted on to entire lid from brow to lash line and blended into the inner and outer corners of the eye

4) Orglamix Honeymoon Sweet applied wet (using a foiling/lining medium) into and just above the crease and drawn out into a slight upward wing at the outer corner of eye. I left the line sharp between the upper border of the Honeymoon Sweet to keep that "just bitten into creamsicle" look. The lower edge of the Honeymoon Sweet I blended into the Vanilla on the lid to soften this edge a bit.

5) A little more Vanilla just under the brow and a dab of it in the inner corners of the eyes to brighten

6) Orglamix Pink Pearl creamliner on the upper and lower lash lines, drawn out to a slight cat's eye on the upper lash line.

7) Matte brown mineral eyeshadow on the brows and black mascara on top & bottom lashes

8) My own homemade lip balm (love that stuff) on the lips

There! Don't I look sweet and demure enough to fool the censors? Definitely a look that will not shame my hubby in front of the community. You could easily wear this in the daytime (school, work, etc.) or an evening gathering where you expect very bright lighting and/or you want to look both pretty and respectable.

From start to finish, I'd say this took me about 45 minutes to create and apply, but as I've noted before, I'm far from an adept, so for those more practiced it would probably be more like 10-15 minutes in front of the mirror and boom boom pow! you're ready to go =)

If you wanted to rock it a little harder, you could simply apply a second (or third, etc.) coat of Honeymoon Sweet wet after the first layer dried to intensify the color, use a darker color for eyeliner, add some color to the lips--maybe something glossy and dramatic since the eye colors are more muted--and add a second coat of mascara or even false eyelashes to glam it up.

Or you could just throw a little attitude at the camera:

Love you, kisses, you're fabulous dahling!

Got a few more Orglamix fansisters in the mix on this contest, here's one their links (more on my Day 1 post)--if you're liking what you see here you really should check them out, they've got some outstanding looks and tips:

Color Me Obsessed

Friday, November 19, 2010

Day 1: Sweet Tooth

Orglamix Organic Mineral Makeup - Orglamix Favorites Collection

We've handpicked our best sellers and biggest obsessions and packed 'em into amazing, one-of-a-kind kit. From the gotta-try-its (turquoise is so in) to the can't-live-withouts (Absinthe anyone?), these Orglamix Favorites are a beauty addict's dream come true.

Each limited-edition set features full size 8g jars of our latest fixations—and the options are endless. This kit contains 75 of our favorite, best -selling Orglamix colors.

Oh...my stars and garters...

Understand my predicament here: 1) I'm a bit of a nature girl and have a tendency to save the wearing of makeup for date nights with the hubby, hula performances, and other special occasions, 2) I don't have a ton of experience creating innovative looks with cosmetics or applying makeup in general (again, because I tend not to wear it every day), and 3) I only discovered Orglamix LESS THAN A MONTH AGO. But even I cannot resist something like this, especially after trying and LOVING Cheri's products!

Like many of my intrepid Orglamix fansisters out there, I have a limited palette of Orglamix goodness to work with, but if Relynn can brave the fray armed only with Chocolate Frosting than I can do no less ;)

So in the spirit of sisterly love and competitiveness (have they always gone hand-in-hand?), I offer my first effort: Sweet Tooth!

(See what I mean about the nature girl stuff? I'm not even wearing foundation, powder, or blush--just eyes and lips!! But hey, it took me about half an hour to devise the look and apply just those two elements, any more and I'm afraid I would have had to call in sick--too much ;p )

I used the following products in this look

1) neutral/matte beige cream shadow mixed with my favorite eye balm for primer
2) Orglamix Vanilla all over the lid from lash line to brow
3) Orglamix Black Magic patted into the crease and outer corner of the lid and gently blended out (don't want to get rid of all the lovely sparklies that make it Black MAGIC)
4) Orglamix Honeymoon Sweet (a surprise gift and something I might not have picked out for myself but that I've totally fallen in love with) blended over the Black Magic
5) Orglamix Chamomile on the lid
6) more Orglamix Vanilla to highlight just under the brow, inner corners of eyes, and on bottom lash line
7) matte dark brown shadow blended into the brows and used wet for liner
8) black mascara (2 coats)
7) Finally (!) Orglamix Honeymoon Sweet blended with my own homemade lip balm to add a neutral-peachy-pink shimmer to the lips

The kicker is, I actually wore this look to work (using the explanation that it was the last workday before my birthday and I wanted to dress it up lol), when I usually wear nothing but a little lip gloss. People were doing double-takes and asking where I got the makeup I was wearing. One coworker even asked me to write down my "source" on the back of my business card so she could remember whose makeup she liked so much! Incredible...

(Yes, Cheri, I really did write down the address to your Etsy shop for her, along with the colors I used; hope she checks you out soon!)

When I came home, it all still looked fabulous, had not mass-migrated into the creases of my eyelid, and required just a touching-up of the lip color for me to be ready to go to my fav local restaurant for a "kick-off the birthday weekend" dinner! Amazing...

Tomorrow is Day 2 of the Challenge (and B-Day Eve for me!), wonder what I'll cook up for that?

Like this post? You should check out Cheri's line of Orglamix mineral makeup excellence; details on the 30 Days/30 Ways Challenge can be found here.

Also, I have to give some respect & love to my Orglamix fansisters, so check out their 30 Days/30 Ways blogs:

The Eyes Have It

Orglamix Obsession

Orglamix 30 Days, 30 Ways Contest

30 Days to Orglamix

30 Days, 30 Ways

My Makeup Addiction

Selebrian

Look at that...it's almost Day 2 here in California; better get some beauty sleep and dream up a look for tomorrow!

The Nature of Beauty

Pages