Make Up For Ever Look: #21 Turquoise Aqua Cream

You know what’s frustrating? When you do your makeup, think it’s rockin’, and then you see it in close-up photos and can’t figure out why it didn’t translate!  But anyway, it’s all part of the journey–the learning, that is–so why not share it with you despite some imperfections?

How’s your Monday going? I really love Mondays, but today feels a little slow–normally so many things are happening on Monday for me!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Benefit Stay Don’t Stray (neutral base), Make Up For Ever #21 Turquoise Aqua Cream (turquoise), Make Up For Ever #101 Eyeshadow (white-gold), Make Up For Ever #171 Eyeshadow (shimmery chartreuse), Make Up For Ever #93 Eyeshadow (green-turquoise), Make Up For Ever #159 Eyeshadow (dark blue), Make Up For Ever #7L Aqua Eyes Liner (electric blue), Lancome Noir Artliner (black), MAC Opulash Mascara (black)
• Face: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (140), Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (translucent)
• Cheeks: Make Up For Ever #5 Peach Aqua Cream (peach-pink)
• Lips: MAC Beachbound Lipstick (sheer melon), MAC Flurry of Fun Lipglass (sheer tangerine)
• Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush)
• Substitutes: Beachbound = Melon pigment; Flurry of Fun = Love Nectar + Reflects Transparent Teal

For eyes, start by applying Stay Don’t Stray as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. With the 249, apply #21 Turquoise aqua cream all over the lid area. Using the 239, apply #101 eyeshadow on the inner third of the lid. Next, apply #171 eyeshadow on the middle third of the lid. With the 239, apply #93 eyeshadow to the outer third of the lid and brush into outer crease. Define the crease by applying #159 eyeshadow with the 226, lightly blending outwards and upwards to fade to the brow bone. With the 239, apply #93 eyeshadow into the crease directly and then blended towards the outer corner and lid. Blend #101 eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone, then light overlay the edge of the faded crease area with #171 eyeshadow. Bring everything together by applying #7L eyeliner on the lower lash line and #171 eyeshadow lightly patted below the lower lash line with the 219 brush. Finish by sweeping lashes with Opulash mascara.

For cheeks, apply #5 Peach aqua cream on the apples and upper cheekbones with a stippling brush.

For lips, apply Beachbound lipstick first, and then layer Flurry of Fun lipglass for a complementing lip.

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Tutorial: Colorful Green Eyes

Here’s a tutorial for this look! This is actually a pretty simple and straight-forward look. You’re really only using four colors, including highlighter!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: MAC Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral base), Make Up For Ever #171 Eyeshadow (shimmery chartreuse), Make Up For Ever #91 Eyeshadow (matte bright medium green), Make Up For Ever #53 Eyeshadow (shimmery forest green), Make Up For Ever #101 Eyeshadow (sheer, yellow-gold shimmer), Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes 12L (deep teal-green), Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash Mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Make Up For Ever #5 Blush (matte coral-orange), Make Up For Ever #153 Blush (shimmery peachy-gold)
• Lips: YSL Peach Passion Rouge Volupte Lipstick (peachy-coral), MAC Liberated lipglass (pale gold-yellow)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 116 (dense blush brush), 165 (highlighting brush)

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply MAC Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, pack #171 eyeshadow on using the 239. On the outer lid and crease, apply #91 eyeshadow with the 226. Increase intensity by packing on more of #75 eyeshadow with the 239. Darken crease with #53 eyeshadow using the 219, and then blend out with the 226. Sweep #101 eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight with the 217. Smudge lower lash line with #171 eyeshadow with the 214 brush, pressing into lower lashes. Finish with 12L Aqua Eyes on on the lower lash line using the 208. Apply Aqua Smoky Lash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with #5 Blush using the 129, then highlight with #153 with the 165. Apply YSL Peach Passion Rouge Volupte lipstick to lips, and then top with MAC Liberated lipglass for color and shine.

Now, get the dish on how-to do this look!

1. Begin with a clean/makeup-free eye area. Make sure any moisturizer you’ve applied has been fully absorbed, otherwise it might reduce the effectiveness of your eyeshadow base/primer.

2. Apply a neutral eyeshadow base like MAC Soft Ochre paint pot with a flat, firm bristled brush like the 249. You can also use products like Urban Decay Primer Potion or Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

3. You’ll want your eyeshadow base to cover your eye area from lash line to brow bone.

4. With a fluffy crease brush like the 222, apply Make Up For Ever #91 eyeshadow, which is a bright candy apple green, to the outer half of the crease.

5. Swish the brush back and forth like a windshield wiper.

6. This is how the color should look like once it has been deposited and blended. You may need to go back and add more eyeshadow to get the level of intensity you desire.

7. With an eyeshadow brush like the 239, apply Make Up For Ever #171 eyeshadow, which is a chartreuse shimmer shade, all over the lower lid.

8. This is how it should look. Layer additional eyeshadow over it to even out the color or intensify it as necessary/desired.

9. Using a slightly angled fluffy brush like the 272, apply Make Up For Ever #171 eyeshadow to the inner tearduct and move the brush upwards.

10. This is how it should look now.

11. With a lightly pointed crease brush like the 226, apply Make Up For Ever #53 eyeshadow, a forest green, into the crease to darken. Make sure you’re not overlaying it over all of the candy apple green. You just want to get it on the upper half of that color layer.

12. Pull the brush outwards to blend out the color into the crease.

13. This is how it looks after you’ve added more depth to the crease.

14. With a large fluffy brush like the 275, apply your choice in highlighter (I chose Make Up For Ever #101, which is a soft gold shimmer) to your brow bone. Start on the inside and work your way outward. Add a green-teal eyeliner like Make Up For Ever 12L to the lower lash line and black mascara to finish the eye look. For blush, try matching with corals, like Make Up For Ever #5 Blush and Make Up For Ever #153 Blush. For lips, try a coral shade as well. I used YSL Peach Passion Lipstick and MAC Liberated lipglass.

Here’s the finished product…

Eyeshadows: #5

Let’s dive into some of Make Up For Ever’s orange and yellow eyeshadows! Personally, I skipped on some of the more intense, straight yellows, just because I tend not to look good in those shades (Chrome Yellow, anyone?), so I need more time to swatch and play with them in person before getting any of those.

• #5 is a matte orange-coral. Smooth, pigmented, and easy to use, #5 is quickly becoming a favorite. It’s nice on the eyes, but I love it as a blush. Just be careful, because a little goes a long way, and it’s better to build up than buff out.
• #10 is a shimmery, true golden yellow. This is the equivalent of Goldmine eyeshadow with a little less orange and less frostiness.
• #153 is a peachy-orange shade with gold shimmer. When I saw it at IMATS, it reminded me of a deeper MAC Say Yeah eyeshadow (which was limited edition, and I also adore it!). It is definitely similar, but it is a bit more intense. I love this to highlight cheeks on top of #5. It just gives it a nice glow and softness. This also works well on the eyes, too.  And if #5 is a new blush favorite, #153 is a new cheek highlighting favorite.
• #102 is a matte, pale beige-y color (or off-white, if you prefer). They describe it as “eggshell,” and it’s a rather apt description. It makes for a good neutral matte highlighter when you may already have frost overkill on the eyes.
• #101 is a soft, pale white-gold with pale gold shimmer. Of the shadows I’ve really worked with so far, this is one of the few that has been more disappointing. I find the pay off to be a bit glittery/chunky and not smooth like I’ve come to expect from the brand. It also seems to be the same when used in application, too. I thought I’d use it as a nice highlighter, but it doesn’t work well for that purpose either.

Which of these are your favorites?

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Make Up For Ever #5 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #5 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #153 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #153 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #10 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #10 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #102 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #102 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #101 Eyeshadow

Make Up For Ever #101 Eyeshadow

Here’s a green-themed look using Make Up For Ever eyeshadows! I deliberatedly used MAC Soft Ochre paint pot as a base to show that bright colors can be brought down a notch by using a more neutralizing base, like Soft Ochre. Happy holiday weekend!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: MAC Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral base), Make Up For Ever #171 Eyeshadow (shimmery chatreuse), Make Up For Ever #91 Eyeshadow (matte bright medium green), Make Up For Ever #53 Eyeshadow (shimmery forest green), Make Up For Ever #101 Eyeshadow (sheer, yellow-gold shimmer), Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes 12L (deep teal-green), Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash Mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Make Up For Ever #5 Blush (matte coral-orange), Make Up For Ever #153 Blush (shimmery peachy-gold)
• Lips: YSL Peach Passion Rouge Volupte Lipstick (peachy-coral), MAC Liberated lipglass (pale gold-yellow)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 116 (dense blush brush), 165 (highlighting brush)

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply MAC Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, pack #171 eyeshadow on using the 239. On the outer lid and crease, apply #91 eyeshadow with the 226. Increase intensity by packing on more of #75 eyeshadow with the 239. Darken crease with #53 eyeshadow using the 219, and then blend out with the 226. Sweep #101 eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight with the 217. Smudge lower lash line with #171 eyeshadow with the 214 brush, pressing into lower lashes. Finish with 12L Aqua Eyes on on the lower lash line using the 208. Apply Aqua Smoky Lash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with #5 Blush using the 129, then highlight with #153 with the 165. Apply YSL Peach Passion Rouge Volupte lipstick to lips, and then top with MAC Liberated lipglass for color and shine.

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What better way to kick of a month of Make Up For Ever than by sharing with you my first look using their products? I did my best to use as many Make Up For Ever products, so that you can see exactly how they perform!   All eyeshadows used will be reviewed at some point during the month (hint, I’ll be doing five per post in rainbow order, so you’ll see some tomorrow!).

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Make Up For Ever #920 Star Powder (yellow gold base), Make Up For Ever #10 Eyeshadow (shimmery yellow gold), Make Up For Ever #153 Eyeshadow (shimmery peachy-gold), Make Up For Ever #5 Eyeshadow (matte coral-orange), Make Up For Ever #75 Eyeshadow (matte bright fuchsia), Make Up For Ever #160 Eyeshadow (matte eggplant purple), Make Up For Ever #101 Eyeshadow (sheer, yellow-gold shimmer), Make Up For Ever Aqua Black Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow (black), Make Up For Ever Aqua Smoky Lash Mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Make Up For Ever #5 Blush (matte coral-orange), Make Up For Ever #153 Blush (shimmery peachy-gold)
• Lips: Illamasqua Obey Lipstick (pinky-coral), MAC Dejarose lipglass (dark pink)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 116 (dense blush brush), 165 (highlighting brush)

Directions: Define brows using a coordinating powder shadow applied with the 266 brush. Apply #920 Star Powder all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, pack #10 eyeshadow on using the 239. Apply #153 eyeshadow to the middle portion of the lid. Alongside #153, apply #5 eyeshadow to the side towards the outer portion of the lid. On the outer lid and crease, apply #75 eyeshadow with the 226. Increase intensity by packing on more of #75 eyeshadow with the 239. Darken crease with #160 eyeshadow using the 219, and then blend out with the 226. Sweep #101 eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight with the 217.  Smudge lower lash line with #10 eyeshadow with the 214 brush, pressing into lower lashes.  Finish with Aqua Black Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow on on the upper lash line using the 208. Apply Aqua Smoky Lash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with #5 Blush using the 129, then highlight with #153 with the 165. Apply Illamasqua Obey lipstick to lips, and then top with MAC Dejarose lipglass for color and shine.

Check out more photos!