Look: Blue Eyes, Red Lips..

Last night I decided to give the Mars Limited Edition Midnight Candy Bar make up inspired look another try.  This time I though I'd move the red from the eyes to my lips.  The look didn't come out the way I wanted it to but after toning it down, I came ended up with this look which I feel suits me much better.  I'll post a photo of the look that didn't work out at the end of the post. :)

In warm light

Here are some more shots and close ups as well as a brief information on products I used and how I achieved this look.

With flash

Half face photo in warm light

Close up of eye makeup

Close up on lips

(sorry for the flakiness, forgot to moisturize.. eek!)

PRODUCTS USED

Face
The Body Shop Skin Primer Matte It
MAC Studio Sculpt SPF15 Foundation in NC25
Cyber Colors Sheer Loose Powder in 02 Beige
Coastal Scents Camo Quad Color Corrector - Green

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion Eyeshadow Base
the Balm Time Balm Concealer in light/medium
NYX Jumbo E/S Pencil in Baby Blue
Australis E/S Duo in Blue Lagoon
L'Oreal Star Secrets Kit (Penelope Cruz) - Gold
SilkyGirl Duo E/S in 08 Yin & Yang - Black
L'Oreal Contour Khol in Jet Black
Stile Smudge Pot in Black
Maybelline Volum' Express Hypercurl Waterproof Mascara in Very Black
Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler

Brows
Cyber Colors Auto Eyebrow Pen in 05 Dark Brown
elf Studio Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Dark

Cheeks
Revlon Powder Blush in Sandalwood Beige

Lips
Maybelline Moisture Extreme in Sangria Red

WHAT I DID

1. First I primed my entire face with the Matte It primer. You can use any face primer that suits you or skip this step if you're not comfortable with primers.

TIP: Primers helps smoothen out the texture of your skin by filling in the fine lines and enlarged pores and helps foundation to glide on better for a more flawless finish.  It also helps keep the foundation lasting longer. Make sure the formula doesn't clog up your pores though.

2. I applied my foundation with the elf Studio Powder Brush (a flat top powder brush) by warming the foundation on the back of my hand and stippling the product lightly on my entire face evenly.  Apply more to areas that need more coverage and blend in light large circular motions.

TIP: Conceal blemishes with your foundation (it matches the rest of your face too) instead of your undereye concealer (which tends to be a lighter colour). If blemishes are too red, just dab a little bite of green corrector to offset the colour and cover it with your foundation.

3. Next I applied some concealer to brighten up my dark shadows under the eyes.  The concealer colour should be a shade or two lighter than your skin tone to give that brightening effect.  And I applied an eye primer on the lids to help the e/s colour stay put and prevent creasing.  Then I patted the sheer loose powder all over my face to set the make up.

TIP: Look down into the mirror to find the shadow cast under the eyes.  Dab the concealer with your ring finger from the inner corners of your eyes near the bridge of your nose down along the curve of the shadows and blend towards your lower lash line.  The concealer should be saturated along the dark circles and faded towards the lash line for a more natural effect.

4. I used the NYX jumbo e/s pencil only on the lids as a base for my e/s.  Cream e/s makes for a great base and helps intensify the colours of your e/s.  Blend gently with ring finger.

5. With an e/s brush, I patted the light blue e/s from the Australis palette on the entire lid area and blended slightly with the same brush.  Then took the darker blue e/s from the same palette and worked it in the inner corner of the eyes.  Using the elf Studio C Brush, I used the gold e/s from the L'Oreal palette to highlight below the brows and in the inner corners.

BLOOPERS: I had intended to fake a crease and add more depth to my eyes but I think I took the wrong brush and the whole concept got messed up.  Use a pencil brush or a blending brush for crease especially if you have smaller eyes or a monolid.

6. Next, using the black e/s from the SilkyGirl palette, I used a small angled brush (elf Studio Angled Eyeliner Brush) and lined my upper lash line extending the line to the lower lash line midway. With the same brush I layered the dark blue e/s on the black and lined the remaining lower lash line with the light blue e/s.

BLOOPERS: Trying to be a little adventurous, I tried an extended wing which didn't mesh well with the look. Haha.

7. Then I lined my tightline and waterline with a khol liner and added intensity to the black shadow applied earlier by adding a black cream liner (Stila smudge pot) as close to the lash line as I could on the upper lash line.

NOTE: Make sure if the eyeliner you use is safe for lining the tightline and waterline. But if you have sensitive eyes, I would strongly suggest skipping this step.

8. Curl lashes and apply mascara. The Volum' Express has a curved brush and therefore first with the curve facing out/forward, start from the base of the lashes, wiggle the wand to help coat lashes evenly and avoid clumping.  This will add volume to lashes.  Next, with the curve facing upwards, coat the mascara again and this will lift the lashes.

9.  For the brows, I filled in my brows with the brow pencil. I have really sparse and stumped eyebrows so I typically have to fill them in and extend them. Next I brushed my brows with a tinted brow gel (you can use a clear one as well) to set it in place and avoid unruly brows.

10. I dipped the same flat top powder brush into the blush and applied it just below the cheekbone and buffed it in blending downwards.

11.  Last but not least, I applied lipstick from the tube (no brushes).  Blotted and applied again.

TIP: Before applying make up, it's always best to moisturize your lips first with a lip balm of your choice.

BLOOPERS: I totally spaced out and forgot to apply lip balm (hence the flaky lips). Here I used Maybelline's lip balm with orange peel extract. :)

It may seem like a lot of steps but it's really quick to achieve.

Here's the look that didn't work out:

THE FIX

I used the L'Oreal gentle eye make up remover on a cotton bud/swab and cleaned up the upper lids so the colour remained only on the lids and not on the crease and brow bone.

Thanks for reading. If you have any ideas for me to try out and experiment with, let me know.