Rockalily Style: Vintage Hawaiian Shirt and Soft Eyes

Unfortunately didn't have my camera to do a proper outfit picture, so here it is in parts, a date outfit.

I kept my eyemake up lighter, using my smokey eye techniques but with softer colours. I also didn't add a black flick like I often do.

I wore a vintage shirt from Hawaii that I bought in a Las Vegas thrift store for three dollars, tied up and over a 60s-eqsue shift dress from Oasis.

I quite enjoy matching my blue hair to blue outfits ;-)

Eyeshadow Primer - Best make up investment yet!

After attending an Illamasqua make up course and starting to practise my new techniques with smokey eyes, I wanted to share a product review, now I've been using it for a while.

Mac's Paint Pot in Soft Ochre, used as an eyeshadow primer.

It's a creamy eyeshadow, which Mac recommended to me when I went looking for a primer. My eye make up tends to crease after half a day, and as I wanted to start wearing more eyeshadow, I knew I needed a good core base product.

Poor quality pics from last night, but I just wanted to say that the Mac Paint Pot really makes me eyeshadow (even cheap ones) last perfectly. I like how groomed my face looks with eyeshadow on. Have you tried a primer?

Smokey eye tutorial - rockabilly make up

Here is this morning's makeup, before and after. My take on smokey eye make up, with a small bit of contouring thrown in.

I start with a Mac paint pot, in soft ochre which I use as a primer. I bought this one myself, and I really notice the difference if I don't apply it (or another primer). It makes the eye make up last the day without creasing or disappearing. Well worth the investment.

You can see it just evens out the colour of my eyelid.

I use an Illamasqua eyeliner (their s.o.p.h.i.e pencil), which is a new additional to my make up routine. I didn't ever think pencil had a place in my routine, but I've been convinced! I also bought this one.

I apply it messily. Don't worry about the line, we will be smudging the crap out of it!

I use quite a blunt brush and I am brushing downwards towards my eyelash line. The brush will pick up the pencil. If you brush up it will just end up by your eyebrow!

I then add some extra black. This Bourjois powder was given to me for review, but I use it almost daily now. I use the same brush as I smudged with to pat the powder onto the eye. I'm not dragging the powder across, just patting onto the skin firmly.

It's still pretty messy, don't worry!

I'm now softing the black with an Urban Decay glitter powder called Midnight Cowboy Rides Again. I apply over all of the black - again patting on, not brushing over. I use a softer brush to blend the lines together. I take the browny colour up higher than the black, but not quite up to my eyebrow line.

I use an angled brush to apply some concealer at the brow line, where it will arch. I then blend this in with the softer brush again.

Now my ever faithful eyeliner. I love Mac LiquidLast (it survives showers) and I buy it over and over. I then whack some mascara on, I'm not particularly bothered about which one, as long as its waterproof.

I use Beautiful Brows, which come with stencils, but I forgot to bring my stencil to work! So I used the angled brush to just apply the powder straight on.

I then use a cotton bud to wipe away any mascara, powder or liner. This is why it can be good to do your eyes before you apply your foundation!

I use a liquid foundation, and I love Max Factor ageless elixir. I've started applying it with a brush, and I've been loving this brush from Thin Lizzy, which was given to me to review. It's meant to be for applying mineral powder.

Gosh I love foundation.

I have been trying to improve my ability to contour my face. I use Illamasqua after being recommended it on a make up course. I apply it pretty roughly, from the ear to just where my eye starts. It will get blended!

Next is blusher, applied to the bit where you smile. You can see my contour powder, and my blusher powder. All about to be blended - have no fear!

I'm yet to put any lipstick or gloss on, but ta dah.......my current day to day make up.

llamasqua Night Time Diva Make Up School - learn to do your own perfect smokey eye

This evening I attended a make up course at llamasqua, a two hour practical session to learn how to be a 'Night Time Diva'. It costs £50.

The course description is:

"Mastering pigments, becoming confident with colour, experimenting with lashes and learning how to create the ultimate make-up statement."

They start by demo-ing the first element, and then they leave you to attempt to copy it on yourself. 

We started with eyes, so that all of the fall-out can be cleaned easily, rather than the more standard way of base first. It makes perfect sense, and it's odd that more of us don't do it this way. It is quite hard to feel ok about your eye efforts without the made-up face though!

We used a pencil, which I steer away from, so I was pleasantly surprised with my use of it! The application and the blending technique was also very different to my usual attempts, so I immediately felt inspired!

Here I am half way through my attempt!

It was great to be able to play with different brushes, as often that is a main difference between people who 'do' make up, and those of us who feel a bit rubbish at it! Brushes can be expensive, and I always worry I'll buy ones I don't really need.

We moved on to eyebrows, which I struggled with, as I'm such a fan of my Beautiful Brow kit. I asked twice for black brow cake, but it just wasn't black enough for me. I also struggled a bit with creating the right shape - precisely why I love my brow kit (they come with stencils!).

After brows, we were on to skin, we used a primer and then some liquid base. I was matched to 03 I believe, but in the harsh mirrors I wasn't very happy with it. The colour was fine, but I found it very cakey. However in my light at home it seems much better.

After foundation we tried some basic contouring, with an eye shadow. The teacher explained that Ilamasqua use products all over, not just for their prescribed use, so the contouring is usually done with an eyeshadow. I guess it could mean that things work out better value!

Next was blusher, and it was good to wear it in the 'right' place for once! 

Finally a slick of lipgloss. Done!

It's definitely a heavy make up look! You get 20% off purchases made after the course, and I bought the eye pencil, which turned out to be the s.o.p.h.i.e pencil, where £3 from every sale goes to The Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

I also bought the contour powder - A powder eye shadow called Heroine, as contouring is something I have wanted to master since my mainstream 'essex' make over.

My face is definitely not perfected, and I'm still not completely sure I'm aiming for, but I definitely picked up a few ideas I'm keen to try out. The session is pretty good value, and its always great to pick up some new ideas on the hunt for your perfect look.

ETA - I will do better reviews of the products I bought, but having worn my make up for a few hours, it has creased and worn away sightly. I look forward to trying using my MAC primer - watch this space!

Three Victory Rolls - for a change

Today I did three victory rolls for a change, an attempted to match my eyeshadow to my hair colour.

Now, I'm pretty confident throwing some victory rolls in, but as you can see, I'm definitely no pro when it comes to eye shadow, would love to improve! Maybe I need to take a course as I'd love to learn face sculpting and eyeshadow techniques to mould my face!