Golden Plum: makeup tutorial

Lately I've been loving gold eyeshadow and have been incorporating it into many of my makeup looks.  I created this look using smokey purples and a glittering golds which I call 'Golden plum'. I wanted to experiment with different textures by using shimmer-based gold shades to contrast against the matte plum colours. I love the outcome and think this will look really pretty on all eye colours.

Begin with prime ready eyes. Using a flat shader brush, pack on a gold/bronze colour all over the lid. (*Optional: I used a pale gold on the inner third and a darker gold on the centre of the lid for extra tone and dimension.) The e.l.f natural palette is my go-to favourite for gold/bronze/neutral shades which can be purchased here. Using a dense brush and a matte plum shade, cut the crease and blend away. Take time to blend but stay within the outer corner region or else you'll look like you have a black eye! To create more depth, layer the crease with a deep purple shade and keep going back with a clean fluffy brush to blend the harsh edges out. 

To soften the look, I selected a sweet pink shade and used this to blend the outer edges out. Not only does this create a 'smokey' look but it also adds some warmth to our colour palette. I used Taupe from Sleek to highlight my inner corners to bring more light into the look which really helps make the gold colour pop. To balance out the eyes, I applied the matte plum shadow to my lower lash line which also helps create the illusion of larger eyes. Finally I used my gel liner to create a slight cat eye and applied mascara. 

Here's the finished look!

Hope you enjoyed! 

-Phil x

Smokey gold eyes: makeup tutorial

 Hello everyone! In light of the sun finally making an appearance, I wanted to create something fun and bright. I played around with some golds and yellows and came up with this deep blue smokey eye/sunflower gold contrast which really makes my brown eye colour pop. I used my Coastal Scents eyeshadow palette because I wanted colours with high pigmentation. As the eyes are bold and dramatic, I kept the rest of the face very neutral with just a light pink blush and moisturising lip balm.

As always, I started off by priming my lids to ensure the shadows are true to their colour pigmentation. It's always easiest to apply your shadows lightest to darkest, so I began with a light butter yellow shade and placed this into my inner corners, blending out into the inner third. Using a bright sunflower gold colour, I applied this to the centre of the lid for a warm, vibrant pop of colour. Be sure to blend the two shades together to create a soft gradient.

Using a dense crease brush, I selected a royal blue shade and worked this into the outer crease and down below the lower lash line. Blending is key to this look- using a clean fluffy brush and a 'windshield wiper' motion, blend all the outer edges out until they are soft (but don't over blend or else your colours will become muddy!) After I was happy with the blending, I went back and reapplied a dab of gold to make the colour really stand out.

 Using a wetted brush and a dark matte blue shade, I lined my upper lash line keeping the line relatively thin to avoid my eyes looking too weighed down. (This is a great alternative for if you don't have any eyeliner handy.) To complete the eyes, I curled my lashes and applied a few generous coats of mascara to make my lashes thick and dramatic. I love the colour combination of this look and especially how the contrast brings out my dark eye colour.

Thanks for reading!

-Phil x

Frozen inspired eyes: Makeup tutorial

I fell in love with Frozen the very first time I watched it (and must have seen it at least 500 times since...) I decided to create a look inspired by the beautiful Elsa. To achieve this frosty eye makeup, I used my Coastal Scents palette and mostly satin/shimmer based shades for extra sparkle.

I started off by priming my lids with e.l.f's eyeshadow primer in Champagne. (This primer is particularly appropriate for this look as it's very shimmery and makes your eyes sparkle!) I then selected a violet shade from my Coastal Scents palette, and used this as a base colour all over the lid. Using a fluffy blending brush, I used a rose pink shade as a transition colour and blended everything out until there were no harsh lines. With a dense brush, I used a hot fuchsia shade and defined my crease to look more like Elsa's. By cutting the crease, an illusion of wider set eyes is created which helps the eyes look large and animated.

 Using a glittering pearl colour, I highlighted the inner corners and brow bone to make the eyes look bright and frosty. I also lined my water line with a white eyeliner to really open up my eyes. To finish off, I used an angle brush and my MAC gel liner to line my lash line (with a slight wing). Finally, I curled my lashes and applied two coats of mascara to create big, fluttery lashes. For the rest of my face, I used a a NYX cream blush in Rouge and blended this onto the apples of my cheeks. Elsa has berry coloured lips so I applied a sweet rose coloured lipgloss which I enhanced with a dab of pink eyeshadow.

Here are some webcam pictures:

I hope you enjoyed this look!

-Phil x

Costal Scents 252 eyeshadow palette: Unbox and review

A Coastal Scents eyeshadow palette has been on my wish list for a few years, and for my birthday I finally purchased one. I chose the 252 Ultimate eyeshadow palette because the reviews were very positive, particularly in regards to the wonderful colour pigmentation and the great value for money. With 252 shadows to choose from, the possibilities to create gorgeous makeup looks are endless. At a reasonable price, every look under the sun can be created with this one collection. I am so excited to experiment with the incredible range of colours, especially as each palette has a beautiful combination of both intense matte and satin shades. I have always been extremely weary of buying makeup products online due to the risk of damage through delivery. However I was happy to find the box safely and securely wrapped up in bubble wrap which prevented breakage of shadows. It arrived in absolutely perfect condition and I fell in love with it the moment I saw the glorious extent of colours.

 The 252 palette consists of three stacked individual palettes, each coming with a protective plastic film. A great thing about this set is how compact and light it is, making it easy to travel with and convenient to store. Additionally, the ribbons are very handy as they help deconstruct the stack quickly and easily. The colours are highly pigmented with an exciting variety of finishes: sheer, matte, and shimmery. I love how the cool and warm tones are grouped together for easy access.

 This palette has cool undertones and consists of satin based blues, greens and earth tones. The shimmery blues are one of my favourites in the collection as they look magical with their iridescent finish.

 This palette is very warm and vibrant, consisting of colours which remind me of a sunset on a summer night. Although they are small in size (just larger than a 5 pence) each colour is bursting with delicious vibrance, with a strong pigmentation which is sure to last a while. It is, however, comforting to know that if you were to run out of your favourite colour, you would be able to find one similar! 

 This last palette is a mixture of both warm and cool colours and has the essential black and white matte shadows.

Here are some swatches to demonstrate the amazing pigmentation of the shadows. I used a fuchsia pink, sunflower yellow and sky blue:

I would definitely recommend this makeup set to anyone who is interested in beauty/makeup/fashion and has a creative eye. Whether you are just starting out with makeup or you are a professional, this is a must have in any artist's collection! I look forward to experimenting and creating some tutorials.

-Phil x