Dramatic Eye Makeup for Prom

by Michelle Phan

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Perfect Prom Makeup - For ANY DRESS, ANY HAIR COLOR, ANY SKIN TONE 

In my opinion, this video by LaurenBeautyy on YouTube is the epitome of perfect prom makeup… it is youthful and bright, yet sultry and smokey at the same time.  The colors used will compliment any person and any dress, and the technique is simple enough that anyone can do it.

The products she uses are - the Urban Decay Naked Palette, an Essence cream eyeshadow, Maybelline Liquid Eyeliner, Revlon Pencil eyeliner, Maybelline mascara, and NYX lipstick.  Most of these are easily accessible and well within everyone’s budget, if you don’t have similar items already!

If you don’t have the Naked palette, for this look I think that the Maybelline Eye Studio Explosion palette in Caffeine Rush would work as a good replacement! (not a dupe of the palette but contains all the colors needed for this look)

PROM MAKEUP TIPS:

• Use a foundation with little to no SPF in it to prevent getting a white cast in pictures.  If you can’t get a new foundation without SPF, use a powder without SPF over top, and warm up your skin with bronzer.
• Matte is your other date!  Keep your face and eyeshadow mostly matte, with hints of shimmer and highlight on important places (cheekbones, eyelids, cupids bow, etc)  Matte products photograph much better, and keep you from looking like a disco ball at the end of the night.
• Don’t use false eyelashes if you’ve never worn them before.  If you really want to wear them, practice applying and wearing them a couple times before the big day!  Getting to know what they feel like on your eyes is key to being comfortable and looking fab.
• Warm up your skin with bronzer to keep you from looking dead in the face!  Flash photography is not your friend, so you have to plan ahead so you won’t have to “untag” yourself later.  Pick a bronzer that suits your skin tone and doesn’t have an orange undertone (pro tip.. get a face powder that’s a few shades too dark instead of bronzer).  Apply this in the hollows of your cheeks, and along your hairline mainly.  Make sure you blend it out so it looks natural!!

WHAT TO BRING ON PROM NIGHT:

1. Powder compact - this will serve as both a mirror and as a touch up to keep you from getting too shiny.  Believe me, this will be a godsend after a night of dancing!
2. Your lipstick and/or gloss - because no matter what product you choose, it will fade after a night of laughing, eating, drinking, dancing, and perhaps even kissing.
3. Eyelash curler - you don’t want to be adding more mascara on throughout the night, because then you will be giving yourself clumpy lashes and you might mess up your eyeshadow!  A quick curl after a couple of hours will keep your makeup looking fresh and perfect.
4. IF YOU WEAR FALSIES - bring eyeliner with you as a precaution. If one of your lashes starts to get funky or falls off from dancing, just take them off and fix up the glue line with your eyeliner.  No one will know!

Have fun!

(Source: drugstoreprincess.com)

Lately I’ve Been Obsessed With: GLOWY SKIN!

What’s not to love?  Doesn’t everyone want skin that looks so fresh and flawless?  That natural highlight, subtle catch of light, and the look of being bright and energetic… even if you’re totally faking it!

The idea of glowing skin is actually something that I’ve previously avoided, considering that my skin type varies between oily and oilier… my instincts have always been “matte matte matte!”  But something has gotten into me.. perhaps my serious longing for springtime and warm weather (which still isn’t here in Upstate NY!)… and that gorgeous glow has been part of my makeup routine daily!  Here’s a few tips, tricks, and products that I’ve been using and loving lately.

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I have pretty thin brows, how can I do a gradient filled in brow? Great blog btw :)
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Thank you!  :)

Gradient brows are actually pretty simple to do, although I do suggest practicing a bit before you go out with them.  You will need your typical brow-filling products… an angled eyeliner brush, brow powder or eyeshadow, and concealer (for cleaning up edges).

There are lots of youtube tutorials on the topic, but here is my little “how-to”:

1.  Using your angled brush and your color, draw a line along the bottom side of your brow.

2.  Fill in the tail of your brow up to the arch.  The arch and tail should be the darkest part of your brows.

3.  Use whatever is left on your angled brush (don’t add more color unless necessary) to blend the line you created in step one upwards, filling in your brow from the center to the front.  Use upward and outward strokes to make the color as soft as possible.  Once you have finished this, the front part of your brow should be lightest, gradually darkening as it goes towards the arch and then the tail.

4.  Use your concealer to clean up around your brows and to add highlight to your browbone.  Your concealer should either match your skintone, or be one shade lighter to bring focus to your newly-perfect brows!

Are you impressed with my Microsoft Paint skills?  Because I am.  Here is a little pictorial from Chrisspy Makeup, from her Instagram account @Chrisspy:

And here is a YouTube video that may help you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYoDvo0MKUM

Good luck!  If I’m inspired I might do my own actual pictorial later and post it for you all.

(Source: eat-diamonds-4-breakfast)

Build your Makeup Kit as you become more Experienced!

SO many people ask me how to get started with makeup, what products I recommend for beginners, and the staples that everyone should have in their kit.  Well, here is an in-depth post telling you what to try and how to use it… in simplified language to help even you complete “noobs” understand how to start out in the wonderful world of makeup art!

LEVEL ONE:  Beginner

Start out with the absolute basics, so that you can become accustomed to applying different types of makeup to all the areas of your face.  

Tinted moisturizer - gets you accustomed to applying moisturizer before you put on your makeup, and gives sheer coverage to start evening out your skin tone.  BB creams are essentially tinted moisturizers, so you could try them as well.  Use your fingers to blend a small amount all over your face and down onto your neck to prevent any “foundation lines”.

Concealer - Use this on any areas of your face that you need more coverage, such as over blemishes, under your eyes, and around your nose and mouth.  Put a tiny amount on your finger and pat - don’t rub - this onto your skin to blend.  Concealer comes in stick, liquid or cream (jar) form.

Pencil Eyeliner - This will help you get used to applying things around your eyes, and will help bring more definition.  Draw short dashes along your upper lashline as close to your lashes as possible, and then connect these lines to create a smooth shape.  

Mascara - Mascara is one of the most important products you can use.  Carefully apply this to your upper and lower lashes, using only one or two coats.  Wiggle the brush at the base of your lashes first to add volume, and then bring up through to create length.

Lip Gloss or Tinted Balm - These will just add a little color to your lips without being too dramatic.  Gloss will make your lips shiny and add sheer color.  Balm moisturizes and creates just a light flush of color.

Mastered all of these products and their application?  Now you can move on to the Amateur level and try out new items!

LEVEL TWO - Amateur

Now you can start experimenting with all different kinds of makeup, and more importantly, brushes!  You’ve already figured out the bare basics, and it’s time to elevate your look.  You DON’T need to (and probably shouldn’t) use all of these products at once, but try them out to see what you like and what you’re comfortable with wearing.

Foundation - Apply this instead of your tinted moisturizer (but make sure you’re moisturizing first!) in one thin layer all over your face, blending down onto your neck to prevent foundation lines.  If you need more coverage in some areas, add a tiny bit of concealer and blend it over top.  Foundation comes in liquid, cream, stick, and powder form (if you are using powder all over your face, apply concealer first)

Powder -  Use a sheer pressed or loose powder in your T-zone to set your foundation and to prevent shininess.  *Do not use powder if you have dry skin*

Blush and Bronzer - Apply a light wash of color to the apples of your cheeks.  Pick colors that compliment your skin (if you are light skinned, go for lighter colors, dark skin - pick saturated tones). Apply just a small amount at first, and then build up the color to your liking.

Eyeshadow - Start out with a small quad of neutral colors, like browns and creams.  Watch a few YouTube tutorials and learn different application techniques before you go for darker or brighter colors.

Liquid and/or Gel Eyeliner - This type of liner will create very clean, sharp lines.  It can be tricky to learn how to apply, but is definitely worth mastering.  

Lipstick - Lipstick is a fun, and really easy way to take your makeup look to the next level.  Start out with muted pinks to compliment your skin tone before you move on to brighter shades like red, fuschia or coral.  Click here to see how to find colors for your skin tone!

Brushes - Brushes are important for applying all of the products I’ve mentioned at this level.  There are tons of different types of brushes out there, (click here to see my brush guide) but the absolute basics to start out with are foundation brushes, a powder brush, a blush brush, a flat eyeshadow brush, a blending eyeshadow brush, and an angled eyeliner brush.

Once you’ve mastered these products and their application techniques, you can move on to the more advanced products at the Novice level!

LEVEL THREE:  Novice

Lip Liner -  Once you’ve fallen in love with lipstick, lip liner is the next step you need to take to make sure your lips look as perfect as possible.  Lip liner keeps your lipstick from fading or bleeding into fine lines around your mouth.  You can also use liner to create ombre looks, or all over underneath your lipstick to make a different color.

Lip Stain - Lip stain is a great option for when you’re on the go, because it is long lasting.  It provides a sheer, matte wash of color, and can be worn alone or with other lip products. You apply this like you’re coloring in your lips with a marker!

Brow Filler - Filling in your brows is important, especially if you’re going for a more full-on makeup look.  They don’t need to look gaudy, just natural and full.  You can use a brow pencil, or just a bit of eyeshadow with an angled brush.

Contour and Highlight - After you’ve learned how to apply blush and bronzer, you can finally move onto contouring.  Contouring and highlighting helps define your cheekbones (and other parts of the face) to create a more defined shape.  Use a matte bronzer as a contour, and a shimmery highlighter on the tops of your cheekbones.

Face Primer - Apply this all over your face underneath your foundation to fill in pores and fine lines.  Primer acts as a barrier between your skin and your makeup, to help create a smoother, more long lasting makeup look.

Eye Primer - Apply a small amount to your lids and blend in before applying eye makeup.  Primer smooths out your lids to help eyeshadow blend more smoothly and show up more vibrant.  It also helps prevent creasing throughout the day.

Think you’ve mastered all of these elements and their application?  Now you’re completely unlimited!  Try out glitter, bright colors, crazy eye looks… test your boundaries.  Makeup isn’t meant to be boring, it is an artform!  Use it however you like, as long as it is for good.

Step 1: Apply primer all over the lid. I used Wet N’ Wild’s Take On The Day.
Step 2: Apply a base color. I used ELF’s Jumbo Eyeshadow Stick in Midnight Rendezvous.
Step 3: Blend that out using your finger.
Step 4: Apply a brown to the crease. I used NYC’s Sunny Bronzer.
Step 5: Apply a blue all over the lid. I used a Wet N’ Wild eyeshadow from their LE Holiday Palette.
Step 6: Blend that into the crease, apply more of the brown shadow to give a gradient effect.
Step 7: Apply eyeliner to the lower lash line & waterline. I used UD’s 24/7 glide on pencil in Zero.
Step 8: Smudge the eyeliner on the lower lash line.
Step 9: Apply blue eyeshadow over the black eyeliner on the lower lash line. Blend it out.
Step 10: Apply a silver eyeshadow to the inner corner of your eyes.
Step 11: Curl your lashes.
Step 12: Apply mascara. I used Neutrogena Healthy Volume.
Step 13: Apply a highlight to your brow bone. I used Wet N’ Wild’s Brulee.
Step 14: Fill in your eyebrows.

And that’s it!
Hope you guys enjoyed it.

This is my favorite all-time lipstick look.  I wear it all the time, because it just makes me happy!

1.  Prep lips by exfoliating and applying a light layer of lip balm.  Allow the lip balm to sink in, and then use a tissue to blot off the excess (otherwise your lipstick will bleed)

2.  Primer your lips with a very light layer of concealer, or a lip primer.  I just use my foundation brush and buff the excess product onto my lips - it works really well.  This will cancel out your lips’ natural pigmentation to make the lipstick colors brighter.

3.  Line your entire lips with a dark lip liner.  I used NYX Slim Lip Liner in “Prune”

4.  Fill in the outer parts of your lips with your liner.

5.  Apply a dark lipstick - I used Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick in Vamp It Up - to the outer parts of your lips, on top of the liner.

6.  Apply a medium-toned color - I used Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick in Sugarplum Fairy - all over your lips, just avoiding the outer corners.

7.  Now add a light lipstick color - I’m using Wet n Wild Megalast Lipstick in Dollhouse Pink (can you see a trend?) - to the very center of your lips.

8. Rub your lips together gently to blend the colors together, but don’t go too crazy.

9.  Blot your lips with a tissue to keep your lipstick from bleeding and to help it last longer.  You can add a gloss over top if you wish, but I like to keep it mostly matte!

(NYX Lip Liner is $3, and Wet n Wild ML lipsticks are $2 each)

makeup-madness:

ravens tutorial-

1. Prime the eye. Apply a highlight beneath the brow.

2. Smooth a gold cream shadow or pencil across the lid. If you don’t have one, simply skip this step.

3. Blend a light purple throughout the crease and blend up.

4. Blend a darker violet into the outer crease and outer ‘V’ area. (If the color goes too high, you can knock it back down with your brow highlight!) Take this color down to the lower lashline too!

5. Apply a gold shadow on the center of the lid and lower lashline, blending it into the purple.

6. Highlight the inner eye with a white shimmery shadow, blending into the gold.

7. Apply a thin liquid or gel winged liner. Line the waterline as well.

8. Curl lashes, apply mascara and falsies if you choose. Done!

Happy Super Bowl! GO RAVENS!

Products used:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Vanilla by MAC
Urban Decay Cream Shadow in Whipped
Purples from 88 Original Palette
Half Baked by Urban Decay
Sassy by theBalm
Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Liner in Blackest Black
Maybelline Falsies Mascara

Because RAVENS BABY

DrugstorePrincess’ Eyebrow Tutorial

This is how I fill in my brows.  Now that I have red hair, it is a whole new experience for me, trying to change the color as well as maintain a solid shape.  

What I Use:

• Matte Eyeshadow (ones shown are from my 88 Matte Palette, you can purchase one here)
• Small angled eyeliner brush… the one I use is from ELF Studio collection, and it costs $3
• Any concealer that either matches your foundation or is slightly lighter, to give your brows a natural highlight (I use Hard Candy Glamoflauge)
• A flat concealer brush, for blending in your concealer.
• Brow Gel or clear mascara (optional, for setting)

How I Do It:

1. Put shadow onto your angled brush, and line underneath your brow. Stick close to your natural eyebrow, unless you’re intending on adding a lot of thickness.  I have extended mine out past my natural brow inwards, to add more length to them.  (I spent years misguidedly plucking in between my brows which caused them to now be very far apart!)
2. Create another line above your brow.  If you want to create the “faded” effect that many gurus do with their brows, draw your top line much lighter than your bottom line (I’m not doing this)
3. Use your brush to blend the color evenly throughout your brow.  Make sure you are doing short little strokes, upwards and outwards at an angle.  This will help the color look as natural as possible.
4. Now onto concealer - use your concealer brush to apply concealer as a sort of “corrector” all around your brow.  This helps clean up any messiness, and can help you reshape your brows if you went a little too crazy on one or the other.  I recommend that you set your concealer with powder to keep it in place!
5. Now you’re pretty much done - apply a quick layer of brow gel or clear mascara over top to keep the color in place all day.  I normally never see any color fade or smudging, so I often skip this step.

Remember, practice makes perfect!  And you never want to stray too far from your brow’s natural shape.  This technique may not be for everybody, and it’s up to you to find whatever method that looks best on your brows!

Follow me on Instagram @DrugstorePrincess to see posts like these first!

fuckyeahweddingideas:

How To Make A Hair Bow For Your Big Day

1.  Begin by taking one small section of hair from each side of your head.  The bigger the sections, the bigger the bow.

2.  Tie the two sections together with an elastic to create a half ponytail.  Don’t pull the ends through the elastic the last time you wrap it to create a loop like the picture on the right.

3.  Split the loop in half to create two smaller loops and clip one loop aside for later.

4.  Use your fingers to spread out the loop and push it flat against your head into a bow shape.  Insert one bobby pin going from top to bottom and one going from bottom to top.  

5.  Repeat on the opposite side to finish the bow shape.

6.  Pick up the remaining ends of the ponytail and wrap them up and around the elastic to hide it.  Secure it with bobby pins underneath.

I'm going to another school's homecoming tomorrow night and since it's not my school i'm doing my makeup by myself (as opposed to getting it done) and I was wondering if you had tips on how I should do it?
◥		heart-on-a-sleeve

My best advice is to find a makeup tutorial on YouTube and copy it.  There’s only so much I can tell you with words, and since you haven’t specified what your dress looks like or what your coloring is, I don’t really know what looks to suggest.

However looks that are classic and will go with anything are:

• Simple winged eyeliner with a cream-colored lid, and a statement lip (depending on your dress color, try red or fuschia)
• A cat-eye style of makeup, with neutral colors on your cheeks and lips, like the one I mentioned in another post I made today (here)
• A brown or taupe smokey eye, with natural pink or bronzey lips and cheeks.

Here’s a few tutorials that I’ve been watching recently to prepare for all of the homecoming makeup I’m doing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2oTl6Yu-qw&feature=g-all-lik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFdybNpcsDI&feature=g-all-u

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv4MSyU_pMs&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSJoIawXO74&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpiYNVdLyjw&feature=fvwrel

When I was in high school, we never had a homecoming dance!  We just had the game and a bonfire party, nothing formal.  :(  

Hope these looks help you out!  Have fun and good luck :)

How can I get fuller looking lips?
◥		secret-bulimicx

Click here for a video tutorial I created with great tips for creating plump lips, without plumper!