Smokey Peacock Formal: A Makeup Tutorial

I began this look as another Plenilune look, but basically it turned into something I'll just label the Smokey Peacock Formal and leave you free to apply it however you choose. It would be a lovely look for some sort of gala event, while it is still simple enough to wear for a work day if you were going to switch from one to the other without time to change makeup.

//The Eyes//

I began by dabbing a little concealer under my eyelids and swiping primer on the top of the lids. I'm not fancy with my primer: it came in an NYC makeup set and is sitting there right beside the shadows and a little pan of highlighter. Primer is, however, really helpful for "setting" a look, especially when it is smokey and might sort of peter out halfway through the evening without a little help. For this look, I started in the inner corners of the eyes with silver, then worked my way across the lid in lilac, dark grey, and cranberry, finishing the deepest part of the creases with a dark purplish brown. (All of these colors came from an all-purpose smokey-eye palette, plus a Smokey For Green Eyes palette from NYC) I lined my eyes all the way around with black (including the very inner corners), and underlined the bottom lid with silver to brighten the look. I filled in my brows a little with some brown eye-shadow too. You can't see terribly well in these photos, but at the far corners of the eyes, I brushed some peacock blue to shock some light back into the dark. Just a little, just enough to make it a playful rather than high-drama look.

I have never tried an entirely black smokey eye because I have heard that such a thing makes green eyed women look washed out. I'm not certain this is true, but then again, I've never been a major fan of the Abigail Chase Meets Raccoon look. I'm quite content with a reddish or purple palette. Works for me. :)

//The Face & Lips//

A quick puff of Mama's blush along my cheek-bones and the face was done. God has blessed me with a generally pretty clear complexion so I don't worry too much about doing anything with powders and foundations and things. For my lips, I used Laqa & Company Lip Lube in Purple. I either needed to go nude with the lip color, or something Not Pink. Purple? Perfect.

//The Hair//

For a bit of drama, I finger-combed my hair to the opposite side of where I usually have it, and pinned it into a haphazard coil into which I stabbed a gold dogwood flower. 

And there you have it! An interesting, beautiful look for your daytime-to-evening wear. Tra!

Plenilune Looks: Woodbird Swan Neck

The woman turned her head inward; the light caught her eye and made it spark yellow. In the shadow cast by the black velvet, the spark was very uncanny indeed.

"Commatissa Woodbird of Thrasymene."

"Thrasymene." Margaret smiled lightly, triumphantly. "I have heard of you."

-Plenilune by Jennifer Freitag

Sarah has golden eyes and because of this, when I went to play with her makeup, I immediately wanted to do a look based off of one of Jenny's warring characters, Woodbird Swan Neck. Woodbird is one of those people who claims your favorite man for herself, makes herself rather scarce, and leaves you feeling that you like her, but you're not really sure why you like her. I guess she's just wonderful and you can't help but like her even after not really knowing all that much about who she is or from whence she came.

//The Eyes//

I worked mostly in a palette of whites and gold. I highlit the inner corners of her eyes with white and worked from white into silver, from silver into cream, from cream into gold, and ended with a bit of brown in the creases. After this, I dragged my applicator covered in gold under bottom eyelid, then outlined the whole eye with black eye-shadow and a bit of black eyeliner leftover from last month's Birchbox. I wanted the look to be less precise than mine, more smudged and hectic and striking, so I showcased the gold of Sarah's eyes with dark rims and purple-brown eyebrows. Right underneath the brow bone, I put gold sparkles for drama.

//The Face & Lips//

Sarah's complexion is already quite olive and tanned at this time of year and Woodbird isn't a delicately-colored woman, I don't imagine. I brushed some cranberry-colored eye-shadow over Sarah's cheekbones and put one pass of blush over this to bring the pink back in. For her lips, I colored Sarah's lips with a dark pink liner and dabbed on a bit of my Revlon "Fire and Ice" lipstick. Over this, I dabbed some random, pale yellow lipgloss and in the very center of her lips, dabbed  a few more of the gold sparkles

Jenny, I hope you properly appreciate the fact that she has a token scratch on her cheek.

My sister is a beautiful person, isn't she?

"Up went the swan's head. Fiercely flashed the owlish eye. But the lips, which struck Margaret then as being very red, smiled genuinely."

-Plenilune by Jennifer Freitag

Swallows and Twilight: A Plenilune-Inspired Face

There's a Law of Travel that states that no matter how much fun you are having away, there will be fun things happening at home without you. While I was in Romania (home in one piece and more about that next time), Katie, Jenny, and Mirriam  all put together dramatic makeup looks inspired by Jenny's Plenilune. Me being me, I wished fervently that I was present with my little pots of paints to join in the fun. Well. Jenny said it wasn't too late and because this is my jet-lag day and I had some odd time, I painted up myself, Sarah, and Leah in various facial stages of Plenilune Magic. (Sorry that we are entirely sans jewelry, hairstyles, and fantastic clothing. This is a makeup look.) Hope you enjoy this fun departure from the usual fashion posts!

Plenilune is an equally warring, agrarian, and rich world. Everyone, even the lords and ladies, are closely connected to the ground upon with they live. My look was not inspired by any particular character (Jenny, I've got Sarah as Woodbird for you, so THERE), but rather by the swallows that swoop and glide  at twilight over the fields of Plenilune. I can imagine any of the ladies of the realm wearing something similar to an evening meal and thinking of those swallows and the twilight together. It's a high summer look. I enjoyed doing it. :)

//The Eyes//

I went with a palette of greens and violets to compliment my eye color and give the general impression of twilit-meadows. Work with me, here. I lined my eyes with black eye-shadow to make sure they were defined, then went to work with a black liquid eyeliner for the double-wings on the ends of my eyes. On my bottom lash, I underlined the under-liner with purple to continue the theme. My eyebrows, I darkened with eye-shadow to provide a bold stroke for the top of this dramatic look.

//The Lips and Face//

Because I traveled for 30 hours, slept for 10, and decided to play makeup artist, I used some concealer under my eyes and on a couple spots on my face. Then I used a little bit of Mama's blush, but not much. My lips are outlined with a dark pink liner and filled in with Rimmel Stayglossy in "Timeless Allure". Raspberry lips flatter my complexion best of all, I've found.

Ain't no De la Mares  gon' mess with diss chick.

//Home is behind the road ahead

and there are many paths to tread

through shadows to the edge of night,

until the stars are all alight.

Mist and shadow, cloud and shade,

all shall fade, all shall fade.//

Best Foot Forward Challenge: Day Four

It is still raining.

I think this makes an entire week straight of mist and moist and cloudy, wasthe weather.

"If we are living in England," as I remarked to my sister, "shouldn't we have the benefit of an accent?"

But it was not to be. 

Today I went casual and cozy because I heard that we are supposed to get snow tonight and into tomorrow! I do hope it sticks, because if it does, it's the first of the year! But I don't know what to think since we're currently floating like Noah's Ark in puddles up to our waists. 

(Okay. So another awkward pose, but I'm telling you, this is all cuz of the weather. I swear.)

(Do any of you know how awkward it is to be compiling a post of pictures of yourself while in Panera, prior to working on your rewrite? Huh? It's really awkward. Everyone can see your narcissism. ;)

Comfy cranberry sweater, blue jeans, crazy tumbling-coins earrings, and a purple knotted-chain necklace.

I used my flaxseed gel again because my hair felt so soft yesterday. Again, it worked out nicely, though today's curls are of a different variety. I wonder if the drop in temperature has anything to do with this, considering that humidity cannot be a variable.

I French-braided a small portion of my "bangs" backward and pinned 'em with bobbies.

Makeup today is my Loreal "Violets" palette, a bit of white kohl-pencil, and mascara. I also dipped a little into my Rimmel of London "Crown Jewels" palette for a deeper purple. Some raspberry something-or-other lipgloss, and then some BBW Japanese Cherry Blossom scent. 

And the whole with my glasses on. Sheesh. Cannot wait till I can afford contacts again!

Best Foot Forward Challenge: Day 3

So today the main event was to try out the flaxseed hair gel I made yesterday. Mama and sisters were very very dubious as to how it would work. I was determined, but had no idea if it was a good idea or not. But it's something I have wanted to try for some time, and this is what "Dressing up to Knock Around the House" days are for, right? Trying things out here in case they won't work there? This morning I got up, showered, and ran the gooey-goop (it looks exactly like the cave trolls' "floaters", btw) through my hair, and scrunched it repeatedly.

Did it work?

You judge: 

I honestly think it did. If nothing else, it smoothed my frizz and made my hair kitten-fur soft. I'm not kidding. This is the best junk I've ever put in my hair. (Not that I've used much gel, but you know.)

And because I know you're asking, here's the recipe:

Homemade Flaxseed Hair Gel

1/4 c. flax seeds

1 c. water

1 tsp. coconut oil

Boil all ingredients together till it becomes the thickness of unwhipped egg-whites. Remove from heat, give a good whisk once or twice, then strain and keep in a jar in the fridge. You can add essential oils (I didn't have any on hand) and you can re-use the seeds over and over to make more till they won't get gooey! Isn't that awesome? It made me happy to hear it. :) 

To use, just apply liberally in your hair and scrunch the curls. Let air dry. This doesn't make your hair crunchy at all, and the coconut oil moisturizes!

Now for the rest of the outfit:

 Leah laughed at my post in the full-length picture, but it's grey and rainy again, and the only place to take the photos was on the front porch, and it was not working out so finally I struck a  "Take that...HOMEBOY!" pose and got the picture. Hence the inner-city tossing of the hands.

 And the bare feet. Or perhaps that's because I'm a country bumpkin now.

Pardon the idiotic expression on my face. I was attempting to show you my makeup, and when I smile my eyes have a habit of crinkling up so you can't see my makeup. I used Loreal "Desert Rose" palette, I think--basically browns. I sprayed on a little "Innis Moonlight" to make myself smell nice. :D

Because the whole outfit was feeling brown, I added NYC "The Red Hots" Duos (the tangerine side) lipstick. :) A gold bracelet, gold watch, black and crystal bracelet, and matching necklace and earrings finished the thing. 

Ohhhhh dear. This gets funnier the longer you look at it. On the bright side, my complexion is marvelous. I am wearing no foundation or concealer or blush. (Thus I'm a little pale, but oh well.)

The dragon-hoard bracelet goes on the other arm, but that arm was the one holding the candle. What can ya do? Nothing.

What is your outfit for Day Three?

Best Foot Forward Challenge: Day Two

I am a bit later in the day with this post than I'd wished to be, but the making of strawberry scones and a very long family devotion put me out of the computer world till now, which I didn't exactly mind because I've been going at my editing hammer and tongs and couldn't care less if I ever saw another computer screen ever again.

 This morning I thought I'd go Aviator-Nautical, which is a very strange combination.

It's like an aircraft carrier.

It's like Amelia Earhart in a submarine.

It's wonderful.

I threw my hair into a braid-ish sort of thing. It looks slightly complicated, but all I did was braid one of the three strands by itself, then braid it with the others. The bottom turned out curly, but that's all I did. Blue and brown was too duo-chromatic, so I threw in a red hairband and a red bracelet.

As far as makeup goes, I went very simple with my Maybelline "Velvet Crush" eye-shadow. It's grayish-blue-ish-purple-ish and looks good with pretty much anything.

I also used some of Leah's lipgloss which is supposed to be some chic-y chic brand, but which I found to be so pearlized it makes me look like I have white lips. Which in turns makes me think of Thomas the Footman, which then makes me shudder. I won't be using that lipgloss again. 

Oh yes: and pardon the strange setting. It's really grey and rainy here, and the only passable lighting in the house is to be found in a bathroom. :P

Ciao Bella!

{And thanks to everyone who participated in Day One!}

Best Foot Forward Challenge: Day One

Today begins the Best Foot Forward Challenge and I am laughing right now. Laughing because--if I hadn't challenged myself as well as the rest of you--I would probably be lolling about looking like a drudge. See, this Monday is acting very much like a Monday. I was supposed to get up at 5:30 and drop a friend off to meet another friend who had to get to work at a certain time. I set the alarm on my tablet, fully certain it would go off.

(Do I hear the sound of cynical laughter?)

Yeah.

It didn't go off.

I woke up at 6:41 and panicked, then rousted Amy out of bed and called the other friend, apologizing profusely. Urghbubrjubhldlhehehld. I hate inconveniencing people. ANYway, that was not an auspicious beginning to today. I have a lot of editing and rewriting in front of me, and it was not a happy thought, coming home after the mad dash and realizing what I had on my plate today.

But that is what this challenge is for, isn't it?

I had my devotion time, watched the sunrise, and got ready. So here's my Day 1 of the Best Foot Forward Challenge! 

I did my makeup, my hair, put on jewelry, woke myself up with Bath & Bodyworks' White Citrus lotion, and generally tried to feel wider awake than I am. I am wearing my "I'm With Ken" Ken Cuccinelli for Governor shirt. :D It makes me feel like campaigning. ;)

For my makeup I used Rimmel of London's "Sweet Smoulder" palette. 

I bought this last week and have worn it three times since then. I've wanted a pink shade for a while and I absolutely love the fresh, natural look.

(And if you're wondering, I use Rimmel of London's "Max CurveS" mascara in black. :)

Legit messy bun and silver sailing-ship earrings? Yes.

Ready for the day! :)

Leave your links in a comment below!

The Best Foot Forward Challenge!

Since I've been neck-deep in editing and rewriting in my literary world, and neck-deep in living in my real world, I started to think about the effect personal presentation has upon a body. Jenny spoke of the importance of making oneself and one's surrounding nice before trying to accomplish any writing. I have covered (at great length, I might say) the importance of dressing well and doing your best to present yourself best-foot-forward.

In my own life, I always try to look nice, even if I don't expect to leave the house at all.

 Yesterday, for example, I had a long day of editing and rewriting ahead of me, and I knew I needed to dress up to meet the day.

 It might sound ridiculous, but I did it.

I took a shower, I did my hair, and I put on makeup.

It turns out I did end up going out, but that doesn't really matter because I wasn't aware of it beforehand. ;) The point is, the care you put into your appearance really sets you up for your "mental-me" state for the day.

If you treat your appearance with care and dress up a little, you are mentally acknowledging the fact that you are worth it. On the other hand....

We had a funny discussion on Facebook the other day about the fact that my main qualm with going to work in the business was the color of the shirts we have to wear..."It's not that I *mind* going to work with Dad. It's just...the shirts are a color that would only look good on a cave troll in the deepest throes of an apoplectic hemorrhage."

Yes. I waxed eloquent on the subject of shirts.--does that really surprise you? My dear friend replied:

"Oh...Yeah. Not the happiest color to work in. Just the shade of them says, 'just lie down in the mud and mope...It doesn't matter....'."

See? This phenomenon is not a singularity of mine. I am firmly convinced it happens to women everywhere. So the point of this rambling post is this:

I am challenging those of us who agree with the ideas above to a Best Foot Forward Challenge.

The idea of this challenge is that for a week, (starting Monday) we participants will dress nicely each day--wearing our hair a different way than usual or just a taking a little more care, putting on a bit of makeup if you wear makeup, wearing some jewelry, and generally just presenting ourselves in a prettier, more careful way. Each day you'll take a picture and post it either on FB or your blog or G+, and leave your link in a comment. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated, nothing intricate. Just everyday beauty. Along the way, notice how putting your best foot forward changes your attitude about everything from work, to housecleaning, to writing and school and beyond! :)

I'll be here Monday with my first day, and I hope to see you there! In closing, here are a few everyday-beauty photos to get you inspired!

See you Monday!

Makeup: Tips, Tricks, and Looks I love

Don't forget to grab the picture for yourself!

Before getting to the meat of this post, I wanted to remind everyone that this Autumn Allure Modest Fashion Event is meant as a two-week party during this year to focus on our outer bodies. I know inner beauty is far far more important and that is what I focus on during the rest of the year. I never want you to think that I hold outer beauty higher than the true beauty of a godliness. But I also have a vision to teach and encourage other girls and women to present their bodies beautifully, as God gave them to us to be His temple. Therefore, we may proceed. :)

I never did anything at all with makeup till I was 18 and half. Even then, Mama had to ask me if I'd like to wear some...I still felt like I wasn't "grown up yet," so I hadn't asked. Over the last couple years I've been messing around with different make-up styles and finding out what looks good and what doesn't. I never wear concealer or foundation. I just haven't had the time to find that perfect shade to match my skin, and as I've gotten older my skin has cleared up till I don't need it all that much. Likewise I don't wear blush--if I'm really looking pale on a given day I pinch my cheeks and slap them and hope for the best. :D

But the thing I love to do are eyes. I love eyes--their shapes and colors and all that jazz. They are amazing! God created so many beautiful, beautiful kinds of eyes that I can't get enough. So I love eyeshadow, eyeliners, and mascara. In general, my rule is that natural-esque looks best.

This:

Is not beautiful.

This:

Is.

I don't mind going all out now and then with something astonishing, but for a blanket statement, you want to enhance the natural beauty of your eyes...not paint yourself like a china-doll.

There are many many sites on the internet that will tell you how to apply eye make-up so I'm not going to go deep into the details--I'm still learning myself! But I do want to give you a few tips I've discovered as well as discuss color..

Just like with clothing, a color-wheel is helpful in discerning what colors looks good on your eyes. There are no hard and fast rules on this--you know when you put something on if it's good or awful. I've worn awful before willingly just because I liked the color. I have. I confess. But it didn't earn me anything.

One thing that hadn't really registered with me is that you don't have to wear makeup that matches your eyes or your outfit. Instead, go for a contrasting color! I found a really neat website called makeup2enhance.com that had a page on choosing the right colors for your eyes. Here is the breakdown of the general guidelines for each color:

You have brown eyes
You are lucky because brown eye colour is darker than any other natural eye colour so attention is naturally drawn to the eyes and it seems you can wear almost any color.
If you want to experiment, the best eyeshadow colors for brown eyes are golden browns, blues, greens, greys, purples and burgundy. Avoid a yellowish brown colour.
You have blue eyes
One of those ‘Rules’ is that people with blue eyes should never wear any type of blue eyeshadow colour. Wearing blue eyeshadow will make blue eyes look washed out. Is this true for you?
Recommendations are rich warm browns, warm taupes, soft peach colors and greys. Green may not look flattering; it depends on how blue your eyes are, your skin tone and which green hue you use.
You have green/hazel eyes
Golden browns, warm taupes, deep purples, soft peaches, pink, gold and soft violets work well.
To find what brings out hazel eyes, look at the flecks of colour near the pupil. This is my eye colouring and I find that copper looks stunning as well as a navy blue or green (as long as it is not too vivid).
You have grey eyes
Grey eyes are unique and should definitely be shown off. Try black, charcoal, deep greys, deep browns, cool browns and purple to make your grey eyes stand out. 

 I have green/hazel eyes which can border on blue and grey at times, so the colors that really look best are purples and goldies and golden-browns.
Like I said, don't immediately go for matching your makeup to the color of your eyes. Contrary to popular belief, that doesn't accentuate them. It dwarves them. If you've got blue eyes, don't grab the blue--try a brown or yellow-gold to really make them stand out!

Taking these points, check on websites like Pinterest.com for inspiration! Another fun thing I found was this quiz by Totalbeauty. According to it (And these things match up!) it says: "you should wear shades from the purple family like plum, lilac, eggplant, or garnet."  The thinking behind this is that purple is on the red side of the color-wheel and red is opposite green, thus complimenting green eyes. Take the quiz yourself and then start experimenting on makeup that will make your eyes pop, not drown in shadow!

One tip if you've got smaller eyes, {or any eyes at all! ;} a way to make your eyes stand out is by paying careful attention to grooming your eyebrows--you don't want to over-pluck them--that just defeats the purpose. But bushy eyebrows will definitely distract from the brightness of your eyes.
  Another fun thing to do is to look at some famous women and see if you like any of their styles. Reese Witherspoon and Renee Zellweger both keep their makeup light and natural.

Kate Winslet too...and why are they all blondes? :P

When you put on your makeup consider one thing: Is this day-time makeup or nightime? In the daytime too much shadow will make you look down-cast and drab. You'll want to wear lighter, brighter colors. On the other hand if you're going out for the evening a bit more of a dramatic look is okay now and then. Just don't over-do it. :)
 Play around with makeup and see what looks best with your eyes. Ask a sister or your mom or a friend. Ask yourself: "Do I really want to go out looking this way?" ;) If you don't like it, remove it. Here are some of the inspiration I've started to gather on my Green eyes a'smiling pinterest board:

 

Gold and purple? Yes please!

 Love this soft peach!

If I feel daring I wear the gold my little sister bought me for my "golden birthday" :)

 The black eyeliner is applied too thick for my liking, but I love the hint of green right above! Really makes it pop! This would be pretty going out one evening.

I love this vintage-look! It's not natural exactly, but it's glamorous. :)

I like this! And the color is very very similar to my own. :)