New Year’s Eve Makeup: Golden Berry

I wanted something simple but still festive for New Year’s Eve, so I went with a modified version of this look, just to make it a little softer. I thought I’d also try using Cuddle shadestick under a lot of frost-finish shadows while I was at it, too, so I managed to squeeze that into the look!  I was already running late, and the boyfriend had that look on his face (you know, the one that says “If you spend more than fifteen minutes on your makeup, I’m leaving without you!“), so I didn’t want to experiment too much!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: MAC Cuddle Shadestick (soft gold base), MAC Goldmine Eyeshadow (gold), MAC Gleam Eyeshadow (golden peach), MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow (berry), MAC Fig. 1 Eyeshadow (eggplant), MAC Femme-fi Eyeshadow (neutral highlighter),
  Urban Decay El Dorado 24/7 Liner (gold), MAC Plushlash Mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Benefit Sugarbomb Powder (peachy-pink)
• Lips: Guerlain Gems Rouge G Lipstick (shimmery coral), Chanel Maline Glossimer (golden bronze)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Cuddle = Baselight

For eyes, start by applying Cuddle shadestick as your eyeshadow base all over the lid with the 249, then even out with the 217. Using the 239, apply Goldmine eyeshadow on the inner third of the eyelid. Next, apply Gleam eyeshadow on the middle third of the eyelid and lightly blend with the inner corner. Darken the outer third of the lid with Cranberry eyeshadow with the 239, gently brushing it into the lower crease. Next, define the crease by applying Fig. 1 eyeshadow with the 226. Lightly tap and brush Gleam eyeshadow directly above the crease to soften. To finish the eyeshadow look, sweep Femme-fi eyeshadow as a highlighter on the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying El Dorado Liner on the lower lash line, and then sweeping lashes with Plushlash mascara.

For cheeks, apply Sugarbomb to the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 129.

For lips, apply Gems lipstick first, and then layer Maline glossimer for a pretty pinky-coral lip look.

Check out more photos!

Sparkling Spring Lips with Chanel

If you’re a fan of Chanel’s glossimers, I think you’re going to like the two shades included in Chanel Les Impressions de Chanel Collection, debuting this January. Neither color is ultra pigmented by any means–as is the nature of glossimers–but they have that rich, decadent sparkle that the formula is known for. They’re just flat-out pretty. Shimmering and sparkling–like moving water under the sun–they even made my lips seem a little plumper, just because of how sparkly they are.

Futile is described as a pink, and it certainly looks pink in the tube, but when swatched, it’s a very sheer, milky pink base with icy pink and silver shimmer. Maline, on the other hand, has a milky gold base with gold and copper shimmer. On lips, they almost look the same, except one has a golden shimmer and the other has a silverish shimmer.

I tend to gravitate towards more pigmented glosses, but sheer glosses have their time and place, and these are so lovely on. I slicked Maline on, and I just drooled a bit at the way it looked on my lips — even showed my boyfriend, saying “Pretty, pretty, yeah?” (He only nodded, as good boyfriends often do!)

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• Product: 29/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation:  If you prefer pigmented glosses, I recommend skipping these. If you like non-sticky, shimmery, glittering glosses and aren’t concerned with pigmentation, you might find yourself drawn to these two.

Availability:  January 2010

See more photos and swatches…

Chanel Maline / Futile Glossimers

Chanel Maline / Futile Glossimers

Chanel Maline / Futile Glossimers

Chanel Maline / Futile Glossimers

Chanel Maline Glossimers

Chanel Futile Glossimers