Bridal Makeup for Lover.ly Lavender Feather Dress

I've been wanting to show some bridal looks on my blog for awhile and the perfect opportunity came up! This relatively easy light smokey lavender eye makeup perfectly matches the Feathers dress by Kelly Faetanini on Lover.ly. If you want to take a look at the wide variety of wedding dresses featured on their website. I have also uploaded a Polyvore collage to show you how I would accessorize the dress for a Winter Wonderland Wedding, including everything from pumps to jewelry and a matching coat!

And now, since I know you're dying to find out what the wedding dress looks like, here it is:

Feathers dress - Retailer: Kelly Faetanini found on Lover.ly

This dress was an easy choice for me since the fitted criss-cross wrapped bodice accentuates curves nicely and is a very traditional look, but right below it is a spectacular avant-garde pop of feathers and color: ombre lavender! Purple just happens to be my favorite color of all so this dress was just a match made in heaven!

For the completed makeup look, specifically for the eyes, I wanted to pull in the ombre lavender of the dress which goes up and down the length of it. On my eyes, the ombre goes from the inner corner (where it is lightest) to the smokey lavender outer corner (where it is darkest), this effect very closely mimics the dress. The dramatic winged eyeliner and cut crease are reflective of the feather appliques of the gown. Since this dress undoubtedly flutters dramatically when the bride walks, I wanted to add some delicate false eyelashes for the eyes to flutter as well.

The complexion of my skin was kept snowy bright and I used a light pink blush for a natural flush of color but plenty of highlighter to reflect the light reflectivity and sheen of the dress' silk satin fabric. I wanted to use a more saturated (so my lips stand out), but still natural, lip color so that it doesn't compete with the color of the dress. The overall look is classic-elegant, with a slight twist of the unexpected pop of color.

Without further ado, let's proceed onto the makeup look:

I like to start clean makeup looks by doing my eyes and finishing it off with the face so I can achieve a flawless finish on my skin (so excuse the lack of face makeup and concealer at first!). I filled my eyebrows in prior to starting the eyeshadow look.

I used Essence Eye Sorbet as an illuminating pink hued base all over my lid (in shade 04 illuminating plum). As a transition base for my eyelid I used the Physicians Formula Quad in Canyon Classics using the bottom right-most terracotta shade in the entire crease, bottom left-most shade in the outer edge of the crease, and the off-white shade under my eyebrows.

I used an angled liner brush to apply a rough outline of the wing with the matte black eyeshadow from the LORAC PRO Palette. This is good for mapping out the location of your wing on both eyes before you go in with your favorite liquid liner, it ensures your wings will be even on both sides!

I created a faux cut crease shape above my natural crease to give my eyes a larger appearance, using the NYX Cosmetics Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Own The Night (dark smokey purple). I blended out that extra cut crease with a medium matte brown, specifically NYX Cosmetics Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Coquette. 

I also added a pop of shimmer and lightness to brighten the inner corner of my eye with Annabelle Mineral Pigment Dust in the color Prism but you could also substitute with the NYX Loose Pearl Eye Shadow in White Pearl. 

To create extra drama, I applied Ardell Lashes in 102 Demi Black and applied mascara. You can really use any mascara you'd like but I find that volume-enhancing mascaras do a really great job of camouflaging false eyelashes, so I went with the Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara.

I also applied black liquid liner on top of my guidelines from the previous step to achieve a crisp look and carried the matte black eyeshadow into my waterline and right underneath my eye.

For my bottom lashes, I switched to Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara because I was looking for a lengthening and separation effect, to make my eyes appear wide open and larger. The synthetic, sparse bristles on the wand from Tarte's mascara is ideal for lash separation. 

To add some sparkle to the inner corner and in keeping with the Winter Wonderland Wedding frosty theme, I added a tiny amount of LORAC 3D Liquid Lustre in Diamond. I absolutely love the way this gives an elegant tiny sparkle rather than a large chunky glitter effect, it's perfect for the holidays and weddings (or any other classy special events in your life).

For lipstick, I chose to go with Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Barely There! for a plum-leaning my-lips-but-better nude. I figured since I would keep the complexion relatively light (since it is wintertime and heavy tans are unlikely) and the dress is white on top, there could be some added drama in the eyes and lips.

I applied my foundation and did some basic contouring with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Palette. Bridal looks tend to be more soft and subtle rather than highly contoured as you want to look as fresh and natural as possible. Avoid using contour shades that are too dark, a good rule of thumb is to use a powder that is 2 shades darker than your skin tone and apply contour to areas you want to send to the background of your face, such as the hollows underneath your cheekbones.

Try to use a foundation that doesn't have SPF as this causes a flash-back in photographs and can make your face appear rather ghostly on your special day!

I did my own makeup for my wedding day and I highly encourage you to do the same, because no matter how good of a makeup artist you employ, you will know your skin-type, eye shape and habits better than anyone else.

I also suggest trying to use false lashes on multiple occasions leading up to the big day so that you are used to them since they can feel rather "heavy" and potentially uncomfortable on the eyes initially until you get used to wearing them.

I hope you enjoyed my look and draw some inspiration from it for the holidays, your big wedding day, or any other occasions you may have coming up!

Pastel Eyes of the Day Featuring Essence Cosmetics

Recent purchases from Essence Cosmetics have persuaded me to do a one-brand Eyes of the Day look with Essence products. I created this fairy-esque Candy look, just in time for Hallowe'en, using some palettes and Essence eyeliner. It is my experience that the products I used wore all day without any noticeable fading until the 8-9 hour mark.

In my crease, I used the very pigmented orange blush shade called Peach Babe from the Essence "How To Make Your Face Wow" Palette.

On the lid, I applied the violet/purple shade from the Essence All About Candies Eyeshadow Palette.

The jet black eyeliner I used was the Essence Eyeliner Pen in 01 Black

Under the black eyeliner I applied the Essence Effect Eyeliner Pencil in Steel Smurf (intense aqua blue)

The mascara used is the Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara in Black

I think this look is quite appropriate for the weekend, a regular day (assuming you don't work anywhere very formal), and even a Hallowe'en girly look (maybe even Easter!).

Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks (Review & Swatches)

The Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks are something I initially tried out this past summer and now every time I see a display, I know I've got to pick up a new color. I am featuring the shades Dare To Be Nude, Natural Beauty and Wear Berries (pictured bottom to top on the photo above).

These lipsticks are comfortable to wear, moisturizing in a pinch, and easy to apply for a very flattering look no matter which color you choose. It's not a stretch for me to say that these are my most-used and most-loved lipsticks especially since they're kind of a no-brainer to apply (you don't need to use a balm or exfoliate your lips before, or even wear a liner). I find that the darker colors even have staining properties and fade off very nicely throughout the day if I don't re-touch.

The best part is that these lipsticks are very affordable, retailing for only $2.99 each.

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Dare To Be Nude

The Dare to Be Nude shade is a neutral nude shade which doesn't lean cool or warm. I really like the creamy smooth application of this lipstick as I've had other nudes which apply much more patchy and I just can't seem to convince myself to wear them. After having worn this lipstick on multiple occasions, this is my go-to nude and this is coming from a girl that really tends to be scared of them.

I've inserted a photo of a lip swatch from the other day so you can see what Dare To Be Nude looks like on my lips. I found it to be very creamy and comfortable to wear and it lasted 6 hours through eating and drinking.

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Natural Beauty

 The first shade I picked up from this range is Natural Beauty and I think this is the perfect every day shade, especially for more fair-skinned girls, it gives me a "my lips but better" appearance. It's a medium blue-toned peachy red. I am really a huge fan of this shade, and if you don't pick any other color up from this product line, I highly recommend that you get this one. The consistency is buttery, the lasting power is great and I'm highly addicted to this shade, so much so that it is always in my purse!

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in Wear Berries

The shade Wear Berries is a little more bold and perfect for the fall - I always lean more towards mauves/plums/berries and terracotta shades for the fall. Wear Berries is a light fuchsia violet shade, equally as comfortable to wear as the previous colors. 

Here's a lip swatch of me wearing Wear Berries recently and you can see how beautifully it reflects light and applies smoothly, looking almost like a second-skin rather than a layer of makeup. 

Swatches of Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks

Here are swatches of all of the shades in Natural and Ambient Light, the coverage is fully opaque with just one swipe and becomes even more intense in color with further swipes.

Colors of Essence Long Lasting Lipsticks

Here are all of the colors offered by Essence in the Long Lasting Lipstick product line. In Canada, you can purchase these at Shoppers Drug Mart in the dedicated Essence display. In the US, you can purchase these from ULTA.

Essence Cosmetics - All About Candies & All About Nude Eyeshadows (Review & Swatches)

Continuing on with my Essence haul, I'll share with you the All About Candies Eyeshadow palette, which is a collection of soft pastels, creamy to the touch and featuring a rainbow assortment of shades.

 I also picked up the All About Nude Eyeshadow palette which is a nice dupe for the Wet N Wild Melrose at Night palette that was a very coveted Fall 2014 Limited Edition product (you can see my post about that collection here).

Essence All About Candies Eyeshadows

Essence All About Candies Eyeshadows - Swatches (no primer)

The All About Candies Eyeshadow Palette swatches very beautifully, except the peach, pink and purple shade seem to swatch exactly the same. I'm most impressed with the yellow, blue and green shades, which are very unique and really do wear well over primer for 6-8 hours without fading. These palettes are only $4.99 so I wasn't expecting anything amazing out of the shadows, but I was very pleasantly surprised! I wouldn't recommend this palette if you're looking for 6 unique pastels, but you will receive 4 different identifiable shades, in my opinion. 

Essence All About Nude Eyeshadows

Essence All About Nude Eyeshadows - Swatches (no primer)

The All About Nude Eyeshadow Palette was extremely impressive, out of the whole bunch I only found one dud, and that is the 2nd shade in the top row - this color is poorly pigmented (probably due to its matte nature) and basically just won't show up on my skin at all. The shimmers are all very distinct colors, I especially love the dupe for MAC's Sketch which is the final swatch and the rightmost shadow in the bottom row of the palette. This palette can give you either a romantic look or a vampy look, depending on which colors you apply and the level of intensity you apply them with.  I highly recommend this palette.

Overall, I think these palettes are very good quality, in terms of their value for the price. They are soft and buttery and easy to apply on the eye, as well as having good lasting power (especially if you use them over a primer). I think your happiness with these palettes is probably going to be related to the color selection - you will definitely enjoy these palettes if you wear the one you choose!

Essence How To Make Your Face WOW Make-Up Box

Hello from Canada! I'm visiting my family for awhile and have found some goodies at a local Shoppers Drug Mart. I'm very impressed with their Essence collection as I have a hard time finding the products in the US sometimes (although Ulta carries them, the displays are usually ravaged and picked through). To my surprise, everything was in pristine condition and I was able to grab a couple of items!

Essence - How To Make Your Face Wow Make-Up Box

The first product I want to review for you is the How to Make Your face WOW Make-Up Box, which contains 4 face products: a bronzer, a highlighter and 2 blushes (one peach and one pink). This make-up box retails for $9.99 and I find it to be a drugstore version of the Benefit Cosmetics Cheeky Sweet Spot Box O' Blushes or the Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Palette released for the Holiday 2014 season. I love what a great deal this set is, you're receiving 4 generously-sized face products, each priced at $2.50.

Essence - How To Make Your Face Wow Make-Up Box

With the exception of the pink blush featured in this make-up box, all other face products are shimmery - most of the shimmer is an overspray but there is still a noticeable amount when the products are swatched. I am very pleased with the texture and overall smoothness of application of these Essence products. I admit that I knew I would love these blushes before I purchased them because I'm a huge fan of the Essence Silky Touch Blush singles. The pink color is extremely pigmented and can be a little scary in the pan, but I promise that if it is applied gently and with a light hand, it has a nice, naturally flushed look on the face.

I took some close-up swatches in natural lighting without any primer or foundation underneath so you can get a sense of just how pigmented and smooth these colors are. There isn't any noticeable chalkiness or chunkiness to the products. I like the attention to detail and all of the kits offered in this line really remind me of the much more expensive Benefit boxed sets. Most of all, I think this is a wonderful set because of its travel-ability - you can easily carry this small set and have a good variety of products to complete your entire on the go.

What are your favorite products from Essence and do you have any product recommendations for me from this brand? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

New ELF Limited Edition Mineral Pearls (Guerlain Meteorites & Essence 'Me & My Ice Cream' Shimmer Pearls Dupe)

Exciting news! There's a new product from ELF and it is a Limited Edition Mineral Pearls dusting powder. These are a lower budget dupe of the Guerlain Meteorites set, coming in at $8 as opposed to the $60 price tag of the high-end version. It is worth nothing that this is one of the most expensive single items on the ELF website.

The mineral pearls come in 2 shades, Skin Balancing (to even out skin tone coloration and complexion) and Natural for a sheer wash of color. You are meant to brush your powder puff or kabuki brush and gently swirl around on the pearls before buffing onto the eyes, cheeks or body. This is an illuminating product which helps to reflect color on your skin and give a radiant glow (best used over foundation). 

ELF Mineral Pearls - Natural

ELF Mineral Pearls - Skin Balancing

6 multi-colored pearls are blended together when brushing them to brighten and mattify skin for a brightened look. ELF has created these not to be just beautiful on the skin but also to condition and hydrate skin since they are infused with Vitamin A, B, C & E for a silky feel.

Other similar products include the Guerlain Meteorites (which are touted as the original of this style of pearl powder - they now have created dozens of variant color combinations) and the Essence 'Me & My Ice Cream' Collection (Summer 2013) Shimmer Pearls. Many of these have been limited edition and can no longer be purchased unless you stalk one down on eBay!

Guerlain Meteorites example

Essence 'Me & My Ice Cream' Shimmer Pearls - courtesy Qtplace.com