VALENTINES LOOK . MAKE UP FOR EVER . GIVE IN TO ME KIT

My loathe for Valentine's Day stems back quite a few years. To be truthful I can't recall ever celebrating the hallmark holiday, despite having a boyfriend/man friend in my life for the past decade.  But my strong feelings against Valentines didn't stop me from creating a soft and romantic look for the day with the new Make Up For Ever x 50 Shades Of Grey Give In To Me Kit [*]($90). I did a complete review on the kit earlier this week, seen here, and even got to attend a pre-screening of the movie. It was a great night with a lot of ooh's and ahh's every time Jamie Dornan shed an article of clothing, but to be honest the movie itself had no plot and I probably wouldn't spend money to see it. However, I was inspired by Anastasia Steele's humble, 'girl next door' makeup seen in the movie and decided to create this ethereal look for Valentines using the Give In To Me Kit. 

After applying my typical base of makeup I began creating a neutral eye look with underlying pink and lavender tones. I swept the lightest shade, I-514, all over the lid to create a shimmering base then to add depth to the eye I worked small amounts of the taupe grey, S-556, and continued blending to create a shadow in the crease. I then took a shader brush with the metallic copper brown shade, ME-612, and packed this shadow onto the lid to add warmth. I finished the eyes with the Graphic Eyeliner along the upper lash line, followed by 3 coats of the Smoky Extravaganza Mascara. For the lips I simply layered the products in this kit: the Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N4 and the Lab Shine Lip Gloss in D14. I love how simple this lip is from afar but how dazzling it becomes up close thanks to the gold shimmer seen in the lip gloss. Definitely a look I will be re-creating in the future. 

THE KIT

What style are you wearing this Valentine's Day? Romantic or Sexy?

AM¥     XO

[*]The items in this post have been sent to THE PRETT¥ VAIN for purpose of review. All views expressed reflect my own opinion on the product. For additional information please see the Disclaimer.

FACE OF THE DAY . MINIMALIST FT. A STRONG BROW + LIP

A new year and a new me – transforming into a woman who is going to be bold with her choices at the vanity and beyond. Bold choice number one: matte skin, heavy brows and a dark lip with minimal to no eye makeup. I saw this look on a girl working at an Urban Outfitters on Queen St., always ahead of the trend, and was taken back by how striking it was. Her face was a pale canvas and the only thing the artist had painted was eyebrows and lips – I loved it. But the old me would never dare to try a bold look like that – it was shockingly beautiful and demanded attention. But why not demand attention? So today I step outside of my comfort zone to re-create the look that had me in awe.

There are two key products for this look, a gel brow product and a deep aubergine lip product. Application must be meticulous, which means finding the right tools and beginning with a primed, perfected base. I shaped my brows using an angled brush and a tiny amount of the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade in Medium Brown. This pomade is heavily pigmented, can easily create defined lines and won’t budge all day, making it my go-to brow product for every look. Once you’re happy with your brow shape, simply give them a quick brush upwards with a brow gel and move onto the lips. For me, a deep aubergine lip can be created using a single product, the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Train Bleu. This is a staple for beauty junkie’s everywhere, and is a favourite of Beyoncé’s – the colour is perfection, housed in a pencil so it’s easy to apply, and it’s long wearing. The final look falls somewhere between 80’s grunge and eclectic chic, setting you apart from the rest.

Products Used: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, Marc Jacobs Beauty Marvelous Mousse Transformative OilFree Foundation, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit, Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, Urban Decay Original Primer Potion, Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade, Benefit Gimme Brows, No Bleeding Lips Secret Lip Liner, and NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Train Bleu. 

AM¥     XO