Nikki Reed Look 1:

Eyes: A little bit can go a long way with this classic and soft eye look. Take our 28 Color Smoky Eye Palette and use the neutral cream shade on your lids for a smoother and brighter appearance. Then, line the eyes with a matte black shadow.

Cheeks: Use a natural, rosy-toned blush and lightly dust on the apples of the cheeks using our Angled Blush Brush. This shade can be found in the 10 Color Professional Blush Palette.

Lips: Her lips are very matte and natural. Try using the Lip Liner in Earth to fill in the lips and achieve the light earthy tone.

Nikki Reed Look 2 (doesn’t she look like Keira Knightley here?):

Eyes: This romantic look is perfect for a dinner party or date without doing too much. Line the eyes with a black shadow from the 28 Color Smoky Eye Palette and blend out with the golden sparkly shade around the contours of the eyes. For a little more intensity, line the waterline of the eyes with the Waterproof Eye Liner in Onyx.

Cheeks: On the cheeks, you see a very subtle glow which can be easily achieved by applying a little bit of bronzer to your cheek bones. For Nikki’s complexion, we recommend using our Bronzing Powder in Matte Bronze.

Lips: On the lips, apply a neutral shimmer gloss, such as the Lip Gloss in Office Queen to complete this look with light glimmer.

Let me know in the comments below which celebs makeup you love!

Sincerely,

Julia

1) Pale Peach – I chose to go with a pale peach lip color because it’s soft, classy yet still adds a nice pop of color to the face. You can intensify or lighten this color to the desired shade that matches your complexion best by using the white lip color found in the upper corner of the lip palette. Mix gradually into the bright color (of your choice) until the desired shade is achieved.

2) Orange Ombre – Yes, orange. It’s not a far stretch from the hot tangerine and coral lip colors so popular today and can add a really nice touch to the lips, putting a twist on the classic red lip look. I decided to have some fun and created an “ombre” effect with this lip color by using the white and red colors from the lip palette.

Remember to have fun with your makeup! There are many ways to get creative!

Sincerely,

Julia

With the blazing summer rays approaching, it is important to begin considering the effects of the coming season on our hair and skin. Depending on your skin type, it may become dehydrated or excessively oily (sometimes both!), so early preparation is important. After all, the makeup you wear won’t be at its best if the skin underneath isn’t taken care of properly! Here are my top 3 Summer skin tips to consider:

1. Use lots of sunscreen! Anything under 30 SPF for the face will not do do trick. Apply sunscreen daily, or whenever going outdoors, to protect your skin from the harsh long term effects of sun exposure. If you sweat or go into pool, you must re-apply! Also, something important to remember is that sunburns are a big DON’T. Getting sunburned means you’ve been overexposed to UV radiation, which increases your risk of skin cancer.

2. Remember to exfoliate and moisturize. Exfoliate your skin once or twice a week prior to applying your moisturizer. This will help remove dead skin cells from your face and cleanse deeper into your pores. Make sure to hydrate well after exfoliating to lock and seal the moisture in your skin. If your skin gets extra dry or sensitive after exfoliating, try a moisturizing mask once a week as it could help tremendously. Don’t forget to moisturize daily!

3. Here’s an easy one: Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water to maintain your body’s moisture balance. This will help your skin to stay clear and keep it from becoming overly dry from sun exposure.

There’s no need to stress too much over the details of your skin care routine. The most important thing is to be prepared for the upcoming months of sun rays to prevent potential beauty woes so you can be healthy and confident when it’s time to have fun!

Sincerely,

Julia

Tips to achieve:

I say this is 60′s inspired because I did not use any harsh lines and kept it soft. For more depth and intensity, contour with a grey satin shade from the outer corner, into the crease, and then directly above the crease on the inner half of the eye. You can almost blend the shadow up into your eyebrow for the dramatic deep set eyes that were so popular during that time period. For this look, you can use lilac, mint, or baby blue color schemes. Apply about 3-4 coats of black mascara for spiky lashes. Top the look off with some fresh nude gloss like the BH “Peace, Love and Mod.”

Products used:

Eye and Lip Primer

88 Color Tropical Shimmer Palette

Blending Brush

Contour Blending Brush

Small Smudge Brush

Here are a few other images of lilac & lavender eyes:

Hope you all love the look!

Sincerely,

Julia

I was in a huge rush on Saturday night as I was out all day, and then had to get ready for a last-minute event. I had 30 minutes to get ready before going out again, so there was no way I was going to wash my face and start over on a blank canvas. I wanted to create sultry eyes to match the warm nighttime atmosphere, so I simply worked with my daytime look to create these smoky eyes:

Like? Here are simple steps to achieve this look:

• First, re-enforce your medium tone by using the Blending Brush and a deeper, warm taupe satin/shimmer texture shadow over the entire lid and crease for a well blended base.
• Follow with a matte black shadow from the 120 Color Eyeshadow Palette 5th Edition (to bring more drama to the look you may use the matte black shade with golden flakes) and stipple it over the entire lid with the Contour Blending Brush. Begin by stippling from the lash line up toward the crease for a smooth build of color.
• Dip the Blending Brush into a cool matte brown shade and blend the black and taupe shades together.
• Apply an additional coat of mascara and a bright color to your lips, and you are out the door!

If you’re not familiar with our 120 Color Eyeshadow Palette 5th Edition, here are several swatches I took:

Tell me your smoky eye tips in the comments below!

-Julia