Posted by Angelica Chayes on Mon, Mar 08, 2010 @ 07:23 AM
One of my favorite makeup "rules" here at jane iredale is that there are no rules. While fresh and pretty is always in season, we do love to play with our makeup!
Saturday night was the annual costume ball fund raiser at IS183, the Art School of the Berkshires. This year, the theme was "Radioactive Bodega" and the costumes were wild! Our own Brand Creative Designer, Courtney has been swooning over spring's tribal trend and this event was the perfect venue to experiment with it.
The centerpiece of Courtney's radioactive look was her "yellow raccoon eyes." She started with the gold end of Double Dazzle on the inner half of the lid including a large dot at the inner corner of the eye. Then she used the copper end on the outer half of the lid, extending well beyond the outer corner of the eye, ending with a large dot out there. She sketched it on straight from the pencil and barely blended, as the line was meant to be quite defined. Next, she applied the Yellow shade from Artists Eyes with the Eye Shader Brush from the inner corner of the eye to the brow, extending out to the temple and sweeping it under the outer third of her eye. She used quite a lot of shadow and tapped it on carefully to create intensity. Then with the same brush (wipe it clean first!) she pressed 24-Karat Gold Dust in Aquamarine onto the upper lids. She wet the Detail Brush and applied Aquamarine as eye liner all around the eyes. Midnight Blue Pencil went in the waterline (inner rims). She finished the eyes with Longest Lash Mascara in Black Ice. Her secret to setting the look and keeping it bright all night? "Lots and lots of D20!"
To finish the look, Courtney used plenty of In Touch Cream Blush in Clarity on the cheeks, and Lip Fixation (we're all obsessed) in Desire on the lips. Although you can't see it in the picture, she also has Grey Silk Eye Gloss on her ears for added intrigue.
While this look isn't exactly office-appropriate, even for us, it's so much fun to take a walk on the wild side.
Posted by Angelica Chayes on Tue, Feb 16, 2010 @ 04:11 PM
We love our mineral makeup because of its healthy benefits to our skin, but let's talk COLOR because it's so much fun!
In my office, we love to play with makeup. We get inspired by hairstyles, clothing, a new makeup collection, or maybe something going on in the world (like Carleen's New Moon look last fall). We have fun with it and want to share! So here is the first in a series of photos (and how-to tips) of some of the looks we have been playing with.
Cate has the most amazing hair I have ever seen, it is like a cloud of curls around her head. She is so adept at styling it, it's different every day. We all have hair envy! Here she is with it loose and wild complimented by soft makeup:
Below you can see a close-up of the makeup she used, primarily from the Silver Lining collection.
She swept the lightest shade from the Silver Lining PurePressed Triple Eye Shadow over the lids from lashes to brow. Oyster Pure Pressed Eye Shadow went in the inner corners of the eyes. She used Midnight Blue Pencil to line the upper and lower lashes. Cate loves PureLash Extender & Conditioner under Longest Lash Mascara in Black Ice.
To get that gorgeous flush, Cate used Cotton Candy PurePressed Blush on her cheeks. Her lips are soft and romantic with Pink Candy PureGloss.
Stay tuned, we'll have more from Cate and the rest of us!
Posted by Angelica Chayes on Tue, Sep 15, 2009 @ 01:04 PM
I have been totally inspired by playing with items in the new Silver Lining collection, and have recently discovered a few great tips that really add sparkle to the eyes.
Trick #1 Metallic Liquid Eye Liner: This is my absolute favorite, and it can be used with even the softest daytime makeup. I picked this up during a video shoot with two of our beloved National Makeup Artists/Educators. Add a thin line of metallic Liquid Eye Liner close to the upper lash line once regular eye makeup is done (Shawn). Let the brush do the job: just lay it along the lash line (Kevin). It really works, even in the passenger seat of a moving car! You don't have to have such a steady hand because the shimmery, metallic quality of the liner is so forgiving. Silver looks lovely with cool eye shadow colors like grey and purple; while Gold is gorgeous with warm, rich shades such as brown, bronze and taupe. It adds this incredible, subtle flash of light, and the eyes magically twinkle with each blink or turn of the head.
Trick #2 Midnight Blue and White Pencil: Here at jane iredale, we have been waiting not-so-patiently for the Midnight Blue Pencil (thank you Jane!). Lining the water line/inner rim is an old trick that really makes the eyes look awake and adds beautiful intensity. But for a soft, subtle look, try lining just under the lower lash line with the White Pencil, blending well so it is unnoticeable. It simply makes the eyes bright.
Trick #3 Shadow Placement: Traditionally we are taught to put the medium shade of eye shadow on the lid, the dark shade in the crease and the lightest shade on the brow bone. This looks great, but here's another technique that really makes the eyes shine. Use the Deluxe Shader Brush to press the lightest shade, preferably with a bit of shimmer, onto the eye lid. Use the Crease Brush to apply the medium shade in the crease. Finally, accent just the outer corner of the lid with the darkest shade. Try applying it with the Eye Shader Brush in a small circular motion for control and nice blending in this tiny area. Blend everything with a clean Crease Brush. As a final touch, swipe the edge of the Flocked Sponge from the outer corner of the eye to the outer corner of the brow to be sure everything is neat and lifted.
Try any one of these techniques or all three at once. They are beautiful, delicate and subtle; or dramatic, vampy and intense, depending on how you apply.
Posted by Angelica Chayes on Mon, Aug 24, 2009 @ 12:13 PM
Smoky eyes are everywhere for fall, and the look has never been fresher because they are being done in every shade from classic charcoal to soft browns, and even vibrant shades like plum or teal. Smoky eyes is not a color, it is a technique; or rather many techniques. Here is one of my favorites from makeup artist Christian McNally. It looks fierce and only takes about five minutes. Have faith. it may look like a hot mess when you are halfway through, but it comes together magically in the end. Blending is the key!
- Start by smoothing a tiny bit of Lemon Lid Primer over the whole lid, lash line to brow. Blend well with your finger tips or the Camouflage Brush.
- Next, apply coordinating eye Pencil: For example, Black/Brown works well with brown or plum smoky eyes; Black or Black/Grey works with charcoal or teal. Draw a thick line across the upper lash line, going about half way up the lid towards the crease. Draw another line under the lower lashes, from inner to outer corner. Connect the two lines at the outer corner, and don't worry about being neat.
- Blend the Pencil well with the Small Fluff Brush to a soft, edgeless finish. One thing I have learned is to blend with a very light touch. It may take longer, but otherwise I end up blending off the makeup I just applied!
- Take your desired shade of PurePressed Eyeshadow Triple. Apply the medium shade to the outer two-thirds of the upper lid with the Crease Brush. The crease can stay clean for this look; concentrate the color on the lid and lash line.
- Apply the lightest shade on the inner third on the upper lid with the same brush and blend the two together with your clean Crease Brush (simply wipe it off on a tissue).
- With the Mini Dome Brush, use the darkest shade in the trio to intensify everywhere you placed the eye Pencil. Blend well.
- Again with the Crease Brush, highlight with a little bit of Oyster (shimmery) or Bone (matte) PurePressed Eye Shadow in the inner corner of the eye at the sides of the nose, and on the brow bone. Blend well.
- Line the inner rim (waterline) of the upper and lower lash line with Liner. Use the same liner or try Black for fierce drama, or Midnight Blue to really whiten the whites of your eyes.
- Apply PureLash Extender & Conditioner to upper and lower lashes to condition lashes and add volume and length. While it is still damp, follow with several coats of Longest Lash Mascara in Black Ice.
Now with eyes this intense, please keep the cheeks and lips soft and neutral. The one exception for this fall might be a subtle pop of hot pink. Use a light hand and try Clarity In Touch Cream Blush on the cheeks and Sugar Plum PureGloss on the lips
Posted by Angelica Chayes on Tue, Jul 07, 2009 @ 12:59 PM
When we talk about how to apply eye makeup, we usually mean which colors to use and where to apply them on the eye. But how we apply our eye makeup can take you from struggling with your makeup to creating artful and beautiful eyes. Here are a couple of tips from some of our artists and consultants that have really helped me:
When applying eye shadow to the lid, don't swish. Pat or press the color on with a flat brush like our Deluxe Shader Brush. The color sticks better and stays where you want it, rather than all over your face.
Apply darker eyeshadow in circular motions so that the color blends more easily and you don't have any lines or harsh areas. Try this when you are applying that darker shade in the outer corner or crease. This works beautifully with soft and natural eye makeup looks, and also with dramatic looks, vivid shades, and smokey eyes. By blending as you apply, you don't have that hard edge that is so difficult to blend away.
For in-depth tips on applying contour shadow, see our earlier blog post on that subject. I also love this video using our Daytime Eyeshadow Kit.