Makeup for New Moon Madness

Got New Moon madness? Even if you don't, everyone else seems to, so why not get in on the fun? Here's a way to capture all the drama and excitement of the second installment of the Twilight series in a look that's PG by day, and red-hot by night.

Our own Internet Marketing Assistant, Carleen, came in this morning rocking this amazing vampire eye look, inspired by the Twilight series and the sensational Prada's fall '09 runway look. We all loved this look on the runway, but none of us were quite so sure how to translate it into a wearable version. Our heartfelt thanks to Carleen for figuring it out!

This is how she did it:

- First, line eyes with copper end of Double Dazzle.
- Apply 24 Karat Rose Gold to entire lid by patting it on with the Deluxe Shader Brush.
- Use Oyster PurePressed Eyeshadow to highlight the brow bone.
- Finish with Black Ice Longest Lash Mascara.

One thing to keep in mind: I'm a beauty fanatic, but I'm not a photographer, so my apologies for the sub-par quality of the photos. Also, these pictures were taken at 5pm. It's the end of the day and with no touch ups (we wouldn't let her), Carleen is still looking way, way Bella.

Coming soon: An evening version of this seductive look for a special occasion look that will "Eclipse" everyone else's!

 

Pure Ingredients and Makeup Safety

From time to time we get questions about ratings in the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, which rates the safety of cosmetics.

Although we support EWG which is responsible for the Skin Deep site, we also have serious issues with it.  The methods it has for assessing products is done without any discussion with the manufacturer and, therefore, leads to inaccurate information.  For example, it has assumed that we use nano technology in our sunscreens which is not true.  We have tried to enter into a discussion with them about this but they are unresponsive and have not replied to phone calls or e-mails.  They also pay no attention to quantities used in a product.  For example, they rate everything the same whether it's 50% of the formula or .005%.  This is hugely important since ingredients are toxic at different levels.  Homeopathy, for example, says that there is no such thing as a toxic ingredient, just toxic amounts. 

EWG gives us a toxic rating on our 24 karat food-grade gold because they rate it as colloidal gold which it isn't.  They rate the lakes we use toxic because commonly lakes and FD&C dyes are made from petroleum - ours aren't.  The lakes we use are natural dyes bonded to a calcium substrate.  We do everything we can to make our products as clean as possible. 

If you have an issue with a particular ingredient, please don't hesitate to ask us about it.  We will explain why we use it and how it is derived. Contact us at info@janeiredale.com.

Enter our Makeover Your Makeup Bag Contest

The scavenger hunt code for the week of October 12th is CompleteCoverage.

 Visit our Facebook Fan Page, YouTube channel and Twitter feed for the rest of the codes.

Visit our contest site for your chance to win $1,000 worth of jane iredale makeup and a trip to NYC!

Good luck and have fun!

Bright Eyes! Make up to make your eyes sparkle.

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.