Sleek

I’m a big fan of natural makeup, but sometimes it’s nice to glam things up, just because it’s a Thursday
– or just because you went to see Rihanna and now feel every bit the empowered siren!
It’s so easy to get stuck in a makeup rut, wearing the same shades and tones,
(I am a naked basics girl 90% of the time)
However I thought I would share this look that a M.U.A friend of mine did for me.

@ came round and we had a fab girly day
Involving hot chocolate, online shopping, more coffee than should really be consumed and make overs
The resulting look a beautiful, but more importantly wearable orange eye and flawless skin.

Starting with M.A.C Paint Pot in Painterly as a base all over the lid
then going straight in with a vibrant orange from Sleek I-DIVINE EYESHADOW PALETTE IN ULTRA MATTES V1 over the top, patting, blending, repeat until the colour popped
The same shade was taken under the lid for balance
The rest of the eye is exactly the same as I usually wear
A warm toned brown above the crease, I love my M.A.C Bronzing Powder in Matte Bronze for this
M.A.C Pro Long wear Eyeshadow in Make Your Mark in the crease as well as the outer corners
Then finished with a liquid liner and black mascara
My base is Chanel Vitalumiere
With M.A.C Select Coverup Concealer under my eyes, blended well
To contour Shauna used M.A.C Select Cover-up concealer 2 shades darker than my skin tone which gave such a subtle blend-able contour that looks incredibly natural
Finishing off with M.A.C Mineralise Skin Finish in Light under eye and through the T zone and then M.A.C Mineralise Skin Finish in Medium Plus over the contour and around the perimeters of the face.
I absolutely love the finished look and think the orange works wonders with my blue eyes.

OUTFIT

Acid Wash Joni Jeans TOPSHOP
White Frill Detail Top H&M
White ‘Aubrey’ Fred Perry Plimsoles Schuh
Bracelet Pandora

This is from a while ago when one of the most beautiful people I know agreed to let me practice on her

@shauna.mua is a free lance makeup artist working in WA, i know I’m bias but I can’t recommend her enough. Go follow her Instagram and check out her work.

Here we spent the whole day practicing the ever coveted Smokey Eye

Here are a few tips and tricks we have picked up since then, on clients and in class.

Start with the eyes

Fall out (my old foe) is the pitts, it turns all concealer and foundation that came before it turgid, and it can turn any eye design into an unsightly mess. If you are going for a full on vampy black look start your makeup look with your eyes then any fall out can be easily wiped away, less mess, less stress.

Find a primer that works for you

I am an Urban Decay Primer Potion junkie, but e.l.f has a great eye lid primer at a fraction of the cost, there are lots of others on the market.
If you have oily, dry or normal lids a primer will help this look stay put for longer so you look the bomb for longer

Colour in the whole socket with black eyeliner

This will help the black eyeshadow to stick and intensify the colour. All black eye shadows I have tried are not as pigmented as some of their brown counterparts and they need a little help.

Yes you will have to spend longer taking your makeup off, but eye makeup removers such as BioDerma melt everything away in minutes and a few extra minutes is worth it, to look so much more intense

It will look horrific at the beginning and middle…

…but keep going.

Tap off the brush
Pat the eyeshadow on all over the lid,
blend,
repeat.

Polish off the look

Add a good black mascara and a gel or liquid liner to define the eyes and fill in any spaces between the lashes.
Fill in brows, and don’t be frightened to go darker with them than you normally would as dark eyes looks amazing with strong brows to frame them.
It is not the quickest or simplest look but it is certainly the most dramatic the best known, it is perhaps the only eyeshadow look my boyfriend knows.

Practice, practice, practice

You will not be amazeballs the first second or maybe fifth time you try this out but you will get better, and as with everything, practice makes perfect.

My Top Picks

Shadows

Urban Decay Naked Basics Eye Shadow Palette MECCA
Sleek I-Divine Eye Shadow Palette Sleek
Shany Cosmetics Smokey Eye Palette Shany Cosmetics

Black Liners

BOBBI BROWN Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner BOBBI BROWN
STILA Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye liner MECCA
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Perversion MECCA

However you wear your smokey eye, you rock that!

All for now,

Have a gorgeous day xxx