ten on tuesday: 10 beauty products on my wish list

Keeping with the fun and different theme for Ten on Tuesday (I've just not been feeling the official Ten on Tuesday topics lately) . . . Here are 10 beauty products that are on my wish list.

1) Philosophy's new fragrance Unconditional Love

Unconditional Love is the little sister to another favorite Philosophy's fragrance of mine - Falling In Love. The first time I smelled it I wanted to just pull the top off that bottle and drink it. I sprayed a bit on my arm and then couldn't stop sniffing at my wrist for the rest of the day! It has a creamy smooth sweetness blended with soft florals and an overall warmth. Love it.

2) Stila eye kajal liner in Topaz and in Onyx

Topaz is an apricot/flesh color that can be used to line the water line (that lower inner eye rim) and make the eye look more open. Eye kajals or kohls are a traditional eye liner used predominately in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa (and I'll tell you more about them later....).3) NARS lipstick in Belle de Jour and Fast Ride

I love wearing soft pale lips in nudes and pinks. Nars Belle de Jour is a favored nude lipstick that's been on my wish list for some time. And Fast Ride is a sheer deep berry shade similar to Clinque's popular Black Cherry.4) MAC eye shadows in Brule, Quarry, Satin Taupe, and Concrete

Ask any makeup lover, you can never have enough MAC eye shadows. These are just four on my MAC want list. I'm really looking forward to getting Satin Taupe, especially.5) Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer duo in SC-1 (for very fair skin)

For about a year now I've been using a Make Up For Ever concealer palette that I've really liked. But I've been hearing good things about this Laura Mercier concealer set. So, I want to give it a try. Actually, I hear a lot of very good things about all of Laura Mercier's products. BEAUTY TIP: It's always good to have more than one shade of concealer for shading, contouring, and blending.

6) NARS Highlight Blush and Bronzer duo in Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer

Orgasm (yep) is Nars most popular blush shade. It's a great (nearly) universally flattering shade. The Laguna bronzer can be used for shading and contouring.

7) Laura Geller Lip Spackle

Lip Spackle is a special concealer/primer made specifically for the lips. It evens out the lip line, helps prevent feathering, and blanks out the natural coloring of the lips so that lipstick shades look more true.8) Sephora by OPI nail polish in Dark Room

I love dark cream polishes on short nails. This color is interesting and different from other shades in my current polish palette.

9) Benefit Dandelion pink face powder

A ballerina pink cheek powder to be used as a blush or all over complexion perk-up finishing powder.10) Make Up For Ever High Definition Powder OR Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

I'm still doing some research on these finishing powders. But I think I'm leanings towards the MUFE - HD powder. Unlike like many other loose finishing powders, both of these are designed to not settle into fine lines. They both claim to create a smooth finish while setting makeup.

polly esther: everyday smoky eye (an lightly detailed tutorial of sorts)

I set out to make a video tutorial the other day. But about seven minutes in my camera cut off. When I watched back what did record I was really unhappy with the lighting and how everything showed up on camera. I think it just may not be the time to take on the video tutorial endeavor.

But, I really wanted to complete some kind of tutorial for my friend, Misty, who requested a quick, everyday, very wearable smoky eye look.The smoky eye has really grown in popularity. Yet, it can seem a bit intimidating or even overly dramatic. But, it can actually be quite easy and wearable. It’s one of my favorite looks. A smoky eye is not so much about color as it is application. You can have a purple smoky eye or a blue or brown smoky eye. Smoky eyes don’t come in black alone! There are several variations on the smoky eye. But the one I will outline here is one of my favorites – especially for my eye shape. I find it to be pretty quick and therefore a great every day, go-to look.If you find that smoky looks you’ve tried before seem too dramatic when you look in the mirror I think you might be fond of this version. Try some hazy shades of purple or gray. You’ll need two to three shades in the same color family and a neutral highlighting/blending shade similar to your skin tone. In this example I used grays and silvers.1) Apply an eye shadow primer all over your lid and up to your brow. Make sure to add some primer to the corners and a little below the lower lash line.
2) (Hot pink line in photo above) Take your darkest shade of gray and apply it very close to your lash line with a liner or shader brush in a fairly thick line. Don’t worry about being too precise. You’re going to blend as you go.
3) Using a fluffy dome or blending brush apply a small, light amount of the darkest color along the line your applied in Step 2. Feather this color along your lid. But be sure NOT to go above the crease with this color. Blend and feather this color until your lid is covered while leaving the darkest portion along your lashline.
4) (Green line in photo) Using your medium gray shadow blend, in a windshield wiper motion, along your lid just below and into your crease, concentrating the most color in the outer corner of the eye.
5) (White line in photo) Just above the crease blend in your lightest shade of grey, again, in a windshield wiper motion while concentrating the most color in the outer corner of the eye.
6) With a small or pointy crease or liner brush apply the medium gray along your lower lash line stopping about half-way or around the point of your lash line where your lashes begin to thin. Make sure to join this color in the outer corner to the color on your upper lid.
7) (Yellow line in photo) Then apply a neutral toned shadow under the highest point of your eyebrow’s arch and blend out.
8) To brighten the inner corner of your add your neutral tone with a small pointed brush around the tear duct. And join this color under the lower lash line to the medium gray.
9) Using a very pointed pencil liner or a good gel liner with an angled liner brush apply a thin line of black liner very close to the upper lash line.
10) Curl lashes and apply mascara!

EYE PRODUCTS USED
· Urban Decay Primer Potion
· MAC eye shadow in Soot (darkest shade – indicated by the pink line in photo)
· MAC eye shadow in Knight Divine (medium, silvery gray – indicated by green lines in photo and used under lower lash line)
· Bare Escentuals glimmer in Marquise (light silver gray – indicated by white lines in photo)
· MAC eye shadow in Vanilla (skin toned, neutral – indicated by yellow line and used to blend lightest grey and in inner corner of eye and under inner portion of lower lash line)
· MAC Fluidline gel liner in Blacktrack
· Dior Show mascara in black

Optional: if you have smaller eyes and feel like your eyes need something to open them up and make you look wider eyed you can use a white or flesh toned liner to line your water line. But do so carefully and with a clean, newly sharpened pencil liner. I used a Rimmel kohl liner in Pure White and smudged it lightly and very carefully with a CLEAN small liner brush. I smudge this white liner so that it is not so stark white. I've heard great things about Stila Kajal eye liner in the nudge color Topaz .

LIP PRODUCTS USED
· MAC liner in Subculture
· MAC lipstick in Myth
· NARS lipgloss in Turkish Delight

When I wear a darker or a smokier eye I like to wear a light lip to keep the look in balance and keep the attention on the eye.

FACE
· Make Up For Ever 5 Camouflage Palette cream concealer No. 1
· Bare Escentuals i.d. Prime Time foundation primer
· Bare Escentuals Bare Mineral foundation in Fair
· Bobbi Brown Taupe (for contouring)
· Bare Esentuals Mineral Veil
· MAC sheer tone blush in Dollymix

BRUSHES & TOOLS I USED FOR EYES
· Sonia Kashuk small blending brush
· MAC 222 tapered blending brush
· MAC 219 pencil brush
· Sonia Kashuk small flat shader brush
· Sonia Kashuk fluffy blending brush
· Bare Escentuals full tapered shadow brush
· Sonia Kashuk bent liner brush
· Shu Uemera lash curler

If you're looking for a line of budget friendly brushes to invest in I recommend the Sonia Kashuk line that can be found at Target. Another affordable alternative is the CVS line Essence of Beauty.

Try a smoky eye look soon and let me know what you think! If you have more questions or who like to make a request for another tutorial please leave a comment.

polly esther: on my makeup guru; eye primers

In this post:
1) I’ll introduce you to Marlena of MakeUpGeek.com.
2) We’ll continue our conversation about the glory of eye primers. Specifically, how dark primers can provide a fantastic base that will make bright, rich, and/or dark eye shadows really P O P !

First, I want to introduce you to an amazingly talented woman named Marlena. She is my on-line Obi Wan Kenobi of makeup. There are a lot of people out there producing makeup tutorials. But, for my dollar, Marlena is the best. Not only does she make quality videos, she’s a great teacher. When I first stumbled across Marlena I thought I already knew a lot about makeup. But she has really taught me so much more and made me a smarter makeup lover.

In her latest video tutorial, part of a series on complimenting your eye shape, she addresses makeup for larger eyes. I bring it to your attention because, in it she uses a dark eye primer/base (MAC’s Artifact Paint Pot) to make darker shadows (like MAC’s Plum Dressing and Carbon) really come to life.

You can watch Marlena’s video at her website – MakeupGeek.com.

polly esther: mail bag

Following my recent review of eye shadow primers I received a few questions about the use of these products that I'd like to address.

QUESTION: Do you allow primers to dry before applying shadow?

ANSWER: Yes & no.

This depends on both the primer and which type of shadow you are using. With a primer that starts out tackier - such as Urban Decay's Primer Potion - you want to allow the primer to dry slightly before applying shadow. This really doesn't take long at all. In the time it takes to gather your shadows and brushes your primer should be dry and ready to go. Primer/bases like MAC Paint Pot really require no drying time.

Now, with loose pigments or minerals - such as Bare Escentuals, MAC pigments , or Make Up For Ever Pure Pigments - you'll want to act more quickly and take advantage of the sticking power of the primer while it's still wet or tacky. Pack a flat shader brush with the loose powder and pat it onto your lid to avoid fall-out.

This is actually a comment from my mom

QUESTION: You told me if use an amount about the size of a rice grain.

ANSWER: If you use a primer from a tube - such as Too Faced Shadow Insurance that had no applicator-a good tip is that you''ll need an amount that is about the size of a grain of rice.

So, have you tried an eye shadow primer yet? I've love to know! Leave a comment.