8 Ways to Wear MAC Sumptuous Olive Eyeshadow
Smoked out with black. Try wearing Sumptuous Olive all over the lid, perhaps even on top of a deep green/black base for extra drama. Darken the crease with a matte black eyeshadow like Carbon to really make it sultry and dark. Line with a bright gold kohl or ultra black gel liner as desired. Highlight browbone with your favorite neutral shade like Nylon or Vanilla.
With golds. Sumptuous Olive has great flecks of gold tones to its color, which makes it a perfect color to pair with other bright, warm-toned golds like Goldmine eyeshadow. Try Goldmine all over the lid with Sumptuous Olive eyeshadow in the crease, or add Humid eyeshadow to brighten up the greens. Finish look by adding a pop of gold color to the inner tearduct and/or lower lash line. Highlight browbone with your favorite neutral shade like Nylon or Vanilla.
Try warm warm browns. Wear an antique brown like Woodwinked eyeshadow or Patina eyeshadow on the lid with Sumptuous Olive eyeshadow in the crease to add depth. Bring a little Woodwinked to the outer third of the lower lash line to tie look together. Highlight browbone with your favorite neutral shade like Nylon or Vanilla.
Smudgy liner. Try wearing Goldmine eyeshadow all over the lid with Antiqued eyeshadow in the crease. Something simple, but warm with golds and browns. Line your lower lash line (whether it’s the entire area or just half or a third–whatever your preference is!) with Sumptuous Olive. You could even mix in a bit of Goldmine eyeshadow to brighten the color. Highlight browbone with your favorite neutral shade like Nylon or Vanilla.
Check out four more eyeshadow combinations! Continue reading →
7 Great Mother’s Day Gifts to Give (or Receive!)
Prescriptives’ Everything Eyes Set
($26.50) contains full-sized False Eyelashes Plush Mascara in Plush Black, travel-size Lash Builder Mascara Basecoat, Quick Remover for Eye Makeup, and Softlining Pencil in Cocoa neatly fit into a summery yellow zip-top bag. This set is valued at $49.50, and with the economy as it is, sometimes we have to scale back our expenses, even when it comes to gifts. I like to save some money by looking for gift sets, which are often better value than buying products individually. You get a super black mascara, mini lash primer, plus Prescriptives’ eye makeup remover. Travel-size isn’t actually a bad way to go — you can take all these on the plane with you, too!
Prescriptives’ Real Results Set
($65.00) contains a full-size Intensive Rebuilding Eye Cream, travel-size Intensive Rebuilding Moisturizer, and travel-size Instant Gratification Skin Renewal Peel. If you’ve got a little more cash stashed away for Mom this year, this is a great treat for her face. I absolutely ADORE Instant Gratification–it’s one of my all-time favorite Prescriptives’ products. It feels heavenly. I kind of want this set just so I can have a travel-sized version of it!
Shiseido The Skincare Moisturizing 1-2-3 Set
($38.50) highlights some of the best from the Shiseido line. Shiseido is known for their skincare, and to be a prominent brand in Asia, you really gotta know your skin care. If your mom is in need for a new skincare regimen, consider this as an option. It contains travel-sizes of Extra-Gentle Cleansing Foam, Hydro-Nourishing Softener, and Day Moisturizer Protection SPF 15.
Clinique Happy for You Set
($49.50) is a favorite of mine to give to friends and family. Happy is such a familiar and go-to scent, so it makes a great gift for the one you aren’t sure what to get. They’ve put together a Mother’s Day Set, which includes Happy perfume spray, moisturizing body cream, and a dual-ended rollerball perfume with Bamboo Pink Long Last Glosswear on the other end. Love rollerballs for on the go perfumes!
Philosophy Amazing Grace Set
($59.50) is another can’t-go-wrong-with scent. I just find this to be such a nice, feminine scent that’s not too cloying. This set contains an 8oz. buffing wash, 8oz. firming body emulsion, and 2 oz. spray fragrance.
Clinique High Shine to Go Set
($25.00) contains two shades of Long Last Glosswear in Air Kiss and Mystic; and two shades of Full Potential Lips Plump & Shine in Peach Plump and Peony Pop. I love the long-wearing capabilities of the Long Last Glosswear, and I can appreciate the high shine of the Full Potential glosses, too. But really, I think I’m just eyeing the cute Clinique bamboo-printed bag!
MAC Prep + Prime Line Filler
($19.50) will help turn back the hands of time. Well, at least maybe fifteen minutes! New from MAC is this line filler that will help mask fine lines and minimize the appearance of some of those signs of aging.
Or if your Mom loves to cook, maybe splurge on some Le Creuset cookware. I mean, I’d love some, but I don’t think Mellan has enough pennies saved up for that quite yet. 
Get Sunkissed Without the Risk: Best Bronzers for Over $30
Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Powder
($65.00) contains four shades that go from light to dark. They can be used together, swirled, or alone for personalization, which is definitely nice. The compact is large enough where you can feasibly use one or two shades alone, rather than all four. What I love about this bronzer is it feels silky and smooth, very finely milled. It feels weightless, and it looks very, very natural. It has a subtle shimmer sheen when applied, but the shimmer isn’t overly so. It falls into the category of “sophisticated” shimmer–the kind that doesn’t accentuate facial flaws.
Guerlain Terracotta Mineral Loose Powder
($65.00) is a sheer-to-medium buildable, loose bronzer. It’s new for the spring/summer season, and included with the bronzer pot is a miniature kabuki brush. It is available in three shades: Light, Medium, and Dark. Light is probably going to be too light for most; this shade is most suitable for those who want just the faintest (and I mean faintest!) hint of color on them–perhaps as an allover powder vs. where the sun hits. Medium is a more universal shade that doesn’t go on glowing orange. It didn’t feel like there was any shimmer in it to me, and I did find it fairly blendable. The biggest downside is that it can get messy. Being a loose powder means that you may find a cloud of bronzer poof when you open the container, and you may get more powder than you’d like on your brush.
Dior Bronze Collagen Activ Bronzer
($48.00) is a new bronzer from Dior that is designed to help smooth and fill fine lines. It’s not just makeup, it’s makeup with skincare ingredients in it. The bronzer also has SPF25, which is nice, though not necessary (I’m already going to wear SPF all over my face, so my bronzer doesn’t have to have it). The new bronzer comes in four shades: Healthy Tan, Honey Tan, Amber Tan, and Spicy Tan. It’s near matte in finish, and it gives you a glowy, sunkissed look that looks very natural–no orange glow here. I found this particular bronzer very blendable upon application, and it felt softer and less powdery, too.
What’s your favorite bronzer?
Get Sunkissed Without the Risk: Best Bronzers for $30 or Less
Prescriptives Mineral Bronzer
($30.00) is available in both Cool and Warm, which is something I can really appreciate from Prescriptives. I can just imagine some of the trials our cool-toned beauty addicts have to go through to find a bronzer that works well. I picked up the Warm Mineral Bronzer, and it’s smooth, silky in texture, and it gives me a subtle, natural glow. There is shimmer in it, which Prescriptives calls Radiance Emitting Crystals Complex (R.E.C.) — a combination of amethyst, rose quartz, and calcite. It’s oil-free and talc-free for those concerned about ingredients and oil.
MAC Bronzing Powder
($21.00) comes in three shades: Golden, Refined Golden, and Bronze. Golden is suitable for paler to medium-toned complexions, and it is not quite as pigmented as the other two shades. Refined Golden is a good color for those who are medium-toned in complexion, though it does seem to run a little peachier/orange-y if you are really cool-toned. Bronze is best suited for deeper complexions, and it does have some shimmer in its finish. MAC’s Bronzing Powder does seem to run a bit more pigmented than the typical bronzer, so take heed and use a light hand when you first give it a try. The shimmer may be too much or too little, depending on your preference, but the wear time is tops for this bronzer.
Smashbox Bronze Lights
($28.00) is available in two shades: Suntanned Matte and Sunkissed Matte. Bronze Lights is a silky, matte bronzer–aka no shimmer or glitter or any frostiness in its finish. Those with larger pores, skin concerns, or signs of aging will appreciate Bronze Lights’ lack of shimmer. It’s also a nice way to get a beautiful, sunkissed glow, which you can always highlight with your favorite highlighter. I often prefer to highlight separately, because then I can actually highlight, rather than just have shimmer everywhere I applied the bronzer. (In my case, I like to highlight the tops of cheekbones.) Sunkissed Matte will best suit paler and peachier/pinker complexions, I think, while Suntanned Matte is better for medium to dark complexions as it’s more on the brown side. I didn’t find either to run orange, though!
We’ve got three more top picks for bronzers! Continue reading →
Drugstore Finds: Brows, Eye Liners, Mascaras
This is reader feedback in action — a number of you wanted to know more about drugstore beauty products. My days of cruisin’ the drugstore aisle are definitely less than used to be for several reasons, but I’ll try to step up my game in this aspect to give you all better coverage as I can. To get you started, here are some Temptalia tried and true drugstore beauty standbys.
Almay Eye Makeup Remover Pads ($4.99) make quick work out of bold eye makeup. I used to use these to remove stubborn or heavy eye makeup–especially waterproof products, mascaras, and liner.
Ardell Brow Shaping Kit
($3.99) has a decent selection of powders designed for filling in brows. I tend to use powders to fill in my brows over pencils, liquid, or creams. I find it looks a little more natural with the powder (and a brush).
Ardell Sculpting Gel
($4.09) will help keep unruly brows well-tamed and in-place throughout the day. I find you need to use just a tiny lil’ bit, and then run it through your brows with a clean mascara wand. Too much product and your brows will feel (and look!) crunchy.
Revlon Fantasy Lengths False Eyelashes ($5.49) offers really fun and fancy false eyelashes. I have a few pairs, though I seldomly wear false eyelashes, just because they’re so pretty. I always love the ones with the crystals at the tips. If you’re a frequent falsie wearer, you might want to consider going drugstore to save yourself a bit of cash!
See four beauty bargain buys more… Continue reading →
16 Eyeshadow Application Tricks
Struggling to create that flawless, seamlessly blended eyeshadow look? Here is some tried and true advice–with luck, maybe these will help seal the deal for you!Invest in good brushes. I say good brushes, not expensive brushes, because there is a difference. I do prefer MAC brushes for their affordability (relative to other high-end brushes), variety in brushes, and look. Take a look at our recommendations for eye brushes and face brushes, plus tips on cleaning your brushes. A good brush really will go a long way in helping you improve your style and skills. You want at least one great eyeshadow brush; one that’s dense, fluffy, and picks up color without eating it. (My pick is the 239 by MAC, of course!)Practice on the back of your hand. Nothing is worse than spending all that time working on your eyes, only to find it doesn’t work. I always give myself two attempts, and if I can’t get a working look by then, I go nekkid-faced! You can test out how different color combinations will work out by doing a “look” on the back of your hand. See how the colors blend together–maybe one particular shade is finicky and you’ll know to use a smoother shade when you do it for real. This is also a great way to practice blending, too.It’s all about the base. Your eyeshadow will never look as polished, pigmented, or last nearly as long without a good eyeshadow base. A base is specifically designed to get the colors to adhere to your lid and allow it to last all day without creasing or fading. Some bases also help to brighten or intensify the colors you use.Soft and gentle wins the race. Soft, gentle strokes are better than harsher strokes when it comes to both application and blending. If you find you have a heavier hand, try investing in a fluffy crease or blending brush to help reduce your naturally heavy hand. It’s easy to over-blend if you don’t!Can’t blend? Try mono-looks. It’s not always easy to blend two different colors together, and if you just can’t seem to get it, I totally find that going for the same color family in different shades is so helpful. Browns are always the easiest — try a neutral shade like Shroom blended with a much deeper color like Bronze. You can increase your skills and move on to other color families, like a light green and a dark forest green.Close your eyes and pick. Struggling to think of a combination for the day? Or just dying to try something out-of-your-norm? Just pick a random color and go with it. Or pick a couple, and think up ways you can make them work together. If you’re totally stumped with your random choices, try it again until something clicks. Most of the time I just start with one eyeshadow, and slowly I build up a look. I rarely know what I’m going to use ahead of time!There are ten more tips! Continue reading →
