Valentine’s Day Makeup: Neutral Eyes & Red Lips

The boy and I went out last night for our Valentine’s Day dinner (early, I know–that’s how we do it!), so I had to pull out Chanel Dragon for a little night out on the town!   Every time I wear it, I feel like I’m totally made out of awesome, LOL.  I still love it to bits.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot (neutral beige base), MAC Ricepaper Eyeshadow (soft shimmery champagne), MAC Wedge Eyeshadow (medium brown), MAC Cork Eyeshadow (medium-dark brown), MAC Mystery Eyeshadow (dark brown), Urban Decay Bourbon 24/7 Liner (brown), Chanel Exceptionnel Mascara (black)
• Face: Guerlain Parure Gold Foundation (Beige Naturel #03)
• Cheeks: Benefit Sugarbomb (peachy-pink)
• Lips: Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque (perfect red)
• Brushes: 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 116 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: N/A

For eyes, start by applying Soft Ochre paint pot as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply Ricepaper eyeshadow on the inner third of the eyelid. Next, apply Wedge eyeshadow on the middle third of the eyelid and lightly blend with the inner corner. Darken the outer third of the lid with Cork eyeshadow with the 239, gently brushing it into the lower crease. Lightly blend Mystery eyeshadow, with the 226, into the outer crease. To finish the eyeshadow look, sweep Ricepaper eyeshadow as a highlighter on the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Bourbon eyeliner on the lower lash line and sweeping lashes with Exceptionnel mascara.

For cheeks, apply Sugarbomb blush to the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.

For lips, apply Dragon rouge allure laque with a lip brush for the perfect red lip.

Check out more photos!

8 Must-Have MAC Neutral Eyeshadows

About the Temptalia Must-Haves Series

A series of posts showcasing must-have products from MAC Cosmetics’ permanent line of products. Selections are based on quality, universality, uniqueness amongst the line, and the like. Limited edition shades are deliberately excluded to make buying easier. Readers’ comments act as a supplement to these lists of their favorites and must-haves. You can find the entire series here.

Shroom eyeshadow is a soft, lightly shimmered beige color. It is great for an all-over wash on the lid for the ultra neutral look, but it also makes for an excellent brow bone highlighter for just about any look. It is an essential for any one looking for neutral shadows.

Ricepaper eyeshadow is a smooth, shimmery peachy beige that can instantly brighten your look. It’s great to highlight the brow bone or the inner tear duct, and of course, it makes an awesome lid color, too.

Wedge eyeshadow is a matte, muted taupe. Mattes make for excellent neutral colors, because they can be used in so many ways. They’re perfect for giving any look more depth when used in the crease, and the contrast between finishes is often one way to add complexity to your look, too.

Bronze eyeshadow is a rich, deep chocolate-bronze shade with lots of shimmer. It’s gotta be one of my favorite shades of all-time, and I am constantly using it. It works well with other browns and neutrals, but it is easily paired with golds and greens, too. It’s a versatile shade with so much color pigmentation — I can’t imagine anyone not loving it.

See four more must-haves!

Smut eyeshadow is a deep brown-black with subtle red-tones and shimmer. It’s not overly shimmery, but it can be noticeable, depending on whether you’ve used other shimmer shadows, too. I like it for a deep, noticeable crease, and I think it’s excellent for smokey eyes, too. It’s a nice go-to for something less whoa! like a black eyeshadow, but it offers more than just “dark brown.”

Soft Brown eyeshadow is a matte, warm-toned medium brown. It has a little bit of peachiness to it, which makes it a nice way to brighten up any neutral look. The texture and color are superb, and Soft Brown is a huge favorite for me.

Woodwinked eyeshadow is a warm, medium-to-dark shimmering brown. It’s got a bit of antique gold in its coloring, which kicks up the color a notch. This is an extremely flattering color for most complexions, and it’s a very pretty shade. It works well with most shadows, and it’s smooth and blendable.

Cork eyeshadow is a matte, soft medium brown. It’s not too warm-toned, which is a huge reason why it’s recommended. A lot of browns can be very warm in tone, so having one that’s more neutral in your set is a great way to add more variety to your looks.

What are your favorite MAC neutral eyeshadows?

I used Soft Ochre paint pot on lid, Ricepaper eyeshadow all over lid, Cork eyeshadow on outer crease and lid, Espresso lightly in outer crease, Ricepaper eyeshadow above brow and on crease, UD Stash 24/7 Liner on lower lash line, and Plushlash mascara on lashes. I wore Margin blush on cheeks. I had Sandy B lipstick with Full On Lust lipglass (LE) on my lips.

** These are recommendations for dupes based on permanent colors available — may not necessarily be identical; they are the closest I can think of!

Full On Lust = Lust