Glam Glitter

July 29, 2008 09:00 PM | Comments (0) | Posted in sephora, eyeshadow, beauty_trend, eyes, glitter

What: Adding standout sparkle to eyes feels fresh and fun this summer.

What the Experts Say: Arts and crafts, anyone? Backstage makeup fixture Charlotte Tilbury channeled the look of ’70s fashion icon Bianca Jagger for the Missoni Spring 2008 runway by sprinkling a load of green glitter on eyes for a disco-worthy cat’s eye look. “I did it in a contemporary way—it’s how girls would live and wear it today if they were out partying,��? she said. Also in on the sparkle trend: makeup guru Pat McGrath, who took smoky eyes to the next level backstage at Anna Sui’s Spring 2008 show by showering lids in blue glitter for a “fun, strong��? edge.

What We Say: Oh, glitter. How we want to love you, but we’ve grown up! We simply can’t bust out glam glitter eyes without look ridiculous, right? Wrong! Dousing eyes in intense sparkle for the occasional night out can be extremely eye-catching—when done correctly. The trick is to lay your foundation first—a cream primer base that will catch the flecks and make them stick, followed by the color eye shadow of your choice—and then layer on the glitter for multifaceted beauty. Hard Candy does all the work for you with its ingenious Bling Bling, which contains a standout glitter hue plus two bases: nude for a pure glitter look and black for a fierce smoky eye. What’s even better, the regularly priced $16 bling beauty is now $8—score! For the slightly more timid, keeping the sparkle strictly on the eyeliner allows you to have fun with the trend without really going disco. Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner offers knockout colors that can be layered for rock-star intensity, or worn discreetly. Still not feeling like a glitter go-getter? Try a black liquid eyeliner and, using an angled brush, layer a tiny bit of glitter over it while it’s still wet. The result is super subtle—just enough to let out your inner glitter girl.

Photos: Allure.com and Style.com

Golden Eyes: Beauty Trend 2008

June 26, 2008 05:59 PM | Comments (0) | Posted in beauty trend, eyeshadow, golden eyes

What: Deck eyelids out in 24-karat-gold for a sparkling summer look.

What the experts say: Bringing a bit of bling to eyes can certainly awaken the golden goddess in you this summer.

“Metallics allow you to contour eyes without the harshness of black liner,��? Charlize Theron’s makeup artist Shane Paish tells InStyle. He recommends brushing a darker shade along the lower lash line and a lighter shade on the lid. “This three-dimensional effect makes eyes look bigger.��?

Paish also likes to extend the shadow at the outer corners for a soft, feline effect.
What we say: Golden gladiator sandals: check. Golden hobo bag: check. Golden eyelids: double check! Summer’s all about shimmer and shine, and we’ll be gilding our lids with enough bullion to make a gold digger proud. But we’re not simply settling for simple yellow-golds; we want to try out the whole spectrum of this precious metal. We’ll be sweeping Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Rides Again Eyeshadow across our lids when we want heaps of sparkle. This rose-gold shimmer contains large flecks of bronze, gold and silver glitter, and isn’t for the faint of heart. At $16, it’s a bit steep, but its multifunctional use as a highlighter for shoulders and cheekbones makes it worth the extra cash. We’re feeling the gold rush of Sephora Copper Harmony Colorful Duo Eyeshadow, which matches a rich golden cream with a shimmering bronze powder that can be used to layer, highlight and contour to intensify our eyes. Originally priced at $16, it’s now on sale for a mere $6—so pick it up while you can! And when we want to truly strike gold, we’ll add mark Gorgeous Eye Trio in Golden Wave to our stash. The trio of burnished brown, russet gold and rose gold warms up our eyelids and face—all for the golden price of $7.

Photo: Allure.com

High vs. Low: Eye(shadow)-Candy

May 23, 2008 06:00 PM | Comments (5) | Posted in high vs low, eyeshadow, mac, loreal

MAC eyeshadow has long been a staple of makeup artists, celebs, and real women alike, beloved for its heavily-pigmented formula – which ensures that what you see in the pot is what you get on your lids upon application. A trip to the MAC cosmetics counter brings us back to those kid-in-a-candy-store days: the array of colors, from vibrant jewel tones to shimmery nudes and bronzes, makes it nearly impossible to pick just one. Our one caveat? That $14 price point – after the first two or three purchases, our candy craving turns into a bit of a stomachache (at MACcosmetics.com).

Now there’s a way to get the rich look of MAC’s premium eyeshadows at a much sweeter price. Like their MAC counterparts, the shadows from L’Oreal’s new HiP (that stands for “High Intensity Pigments��?) line are highly concentrated – designed to glide on evenly and last all day. Bonus: each pot contains two different, complimentary shades, such as “Wicked��?, a soft taupe/vibrant lilac combo that looks great layered together or worn separately. For half the price of one MAC shadow, you can get two L’Oreal shades in one (from $7, at Ulta.com.)

A long-lasting, concentrated formulation is the perfect partner for this season’s fresh color palette. Many designers sent models down the runway sporting a sheer wash of bold color over lids, paired with dewy skin and nude lips. To make this runway look work in real life, use a neutral shadow as a base color all over the eyelid up to the crease, and apply a dab of a brighter hue just to the center of lids. Or for a super-glam evening look, use an electric shade of purple, turquoise, or green as a liner: line eyes with your standard black or brown pencil, then dip a dampened eyeliner brush into shadow and trace over your existing line. Finish with two coats of mascara and prepare to mesmerize.